Sept. 30 (1933)

Audax of Chile comes to St. Louis expecting to continue its perfect record on its nine-game U.S. tour. Stix, Baer & Fuller, which had won the National Challenge Cup (today’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup) the previous April, rudely greets the Chileans in the first of two games at Sportsman’s Park, posting a 6-4 win before an estimated crowd of 4,000. Behind 3-2 at halftime, star-laden Stix turns up the heat. Outside left Willie McLean “was largely responsible for the turn of the tide,” the St. Louis Post-Dispatch will report in its Oct. 1 edition. His crosses lead to all four of the hosts’ second-half goals from future U.S. Soccer Hall of Famers: three by Werner “Scotty” Nilsen and one from Billy Gonsalves. Audax manager Jose Ghiardo, who said he expected to win both matches in St. Louis, vows to replace six starters for the next day’s rematch. Game two will be a much tighter affair, but the outcome will be the same. Stix will win, 3-2. McLean will be the star again, setting up Nilsen with a cross for Stix’ first goal, then steering his own corner kick into the Chileans’ net for a 2-1 lead. Audax draws even two minutes later, and the score stands 2-2 for the next 30 minutes. With about 10 minutes remaining, Bill McPherson drives a low, hard free kick from just outside the penalty area past the Audax goalkeeper for the game-winning goal. The two losses to Stix will be the only blemishes on the Chileans’ record during their U.S. tour. Stix, perhaps the greatest team in St. Louis soccer history, will go on to win the next two National Challenge Cups and reach three more Challenge Cup finals, albeit under different sponsors, over the next five seasons.