Sept. 19 (1971)

St. Louisan and future U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer Al Trost scores the United States’ only goal as the U.S. Olympic team defeats El Salvador on penalty kicks in a playoff in Kingston, Jamaica, to advance to the North America-South America Olympic soccer qualification playoffs. The U.S. and El Salvador had ended the first round of qualifying tied on points and goals to force a playoff to determine the winner that will advance to the next round. The two teams play to a scoreless standoff during regulation and trade single goals in overtime. The game goes to penalty kicks. With the U.S. ahead, 5-4, and El Salvador needing to score to avoid elimination, U.S. goalkeeper Shep Messing “resorted to the old ’goalkeeper madness trick’ — stomping around the net, tearing his shirt, screaming insults at his audience of one,” according to Steve Holroyd in “The Year in American Soccer — 1971. The El Salvador shooter kicks over the top of the goal to give the United States the victory. The U.S. eventually will qualify for the 1972 Olympics, but will fail to score a goal and will lose all three of its first-round group stage matches.