Harry Keough facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | November 15, 1927 | ||
| Place of birth | St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | ||
| Date of death | February 7, 2012 (aged 84) | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1945–1946 | St. Louis Schumachers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1946 | San Francisco Barbarians | ||
| 1948–1949 | Paul Schulte Motors | ||
| 1949–1950 | → St. Louis McMahon | ||
| 1950–1952 | → St. Louis Raiders | ||
| 1953–1961 | → St. Louis Kutis | ||
| National team | |||
| 1949–1957 | United States | 19 | (1) |
| Teams managed | |||
| Florissant Valley Community College | |||
| 1967–1982 | St. Louis University | ||
|
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Harry Joseph Keough (born November 15, 1927 – died February 7, 2012) was an American soccer player. He was a great defender who played for the U.S. national team. He was part of the famous team that beat England 1-0 in the 1950 FIFA World Cup. This was a huge surprise!
Harry spent most of his playing career in his hometown of St. Louis. He won many important championships. Later, he became a very successful coach. He led the Saint Louis University men's soccer team to win five national championships. An award, called the Keough Award, is named after him, his brother Bill, and his son Ty. It honors top soccer players from St. Louis each year.
Contents
A Soccer Star's Journey
Early Life and Club Success
Harry Keough grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. He loved playing many sports, but he was especially good at soccer. In 1945, he started his soccer journey with the "St. Louis Schumachers." His team won the National Junior Challenge Cup in 1946.
After joining the U.S. Navy, Harry played for the "San Francisco Barbarians." This team was very strong on the West Coast. After leaving the Navy, Harry returned to St. Louis. He joined "Paul Schulte Motors" in 1948. This team later became "McMahon Pontiac."
In 1950, Harry played for the St. Louis Raiders. They won both their league and the National Amateur Cup in 1952. This was a big achievement for him. The team then changed its name to St. Louis Kutis S.C. They kept winning, taking home the National Amateur Cup every year from 1956 to 1961. In 1957, they also won the National Challenge Cup.
Playing for Team USA
In 1949, Harry was chosen to play for the U.S. national team. His first game was against Cuba. The U.S. team qualified for the 1950 FIFA World Cup. This was the first time they had made it since 1937.
At the World Cup, Harry was the team captain for the game against Spain. He was chosen because he could speak Spanish! He also played for the U.S. team in the 1952 Summer Olympics and 1956 Summer Olympics. He played in qualifying games for the 1954 FIFA World Cup and 1958 FIFA World Cup too. His last game for the national team was in 1957.
Coaching Greatness
After he stopped playing, Harry became a soccer coach. He first coached at Florissant Valley Community College. Then, in 1967, he became the coach for St. Louis University.
In his very first year at SLU, his team won a national co-championship! He led his team to win four more national championships. These wins happened in 1969, 1970, 1972, and 1973. When he retired from coaching in 1982, he had an amazing record of 213 wins, 50 losses, and 23 ties. After SLU, he also coached high school boys' soccer and helped coach the women's team at Washington University.
The Keough Award is given each year to a top male and female soccer player from St. Louis. It is named after Harry, his brother Bill, and his son Ty.
Lasting Legacy
Harry Keough received many honors for his contributions to soccer.
- He was inducted into the St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame in 1972.
- He joined the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1976.
- He was also honored by the St. Louis University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995.
- In 1996, he entered the NSCAA Hall of Fame.
In 1994, a book called "The Game of Their Lives" was published. It told the story of the 1950 U.S. World Cup team's amazing 1-0 win against England. A movie based on the book was released in 2005. Sports Illustrated magazine named Harry as one of the 50 Greatest Athletes of the Century for Missouri. In 2009, he was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame.
About Harry's Life
While he was playing soccer, Harry Keough worked for the U.S. Postal Service. His son, Ty Keough, also became a professional soccer player. Ty even played for the U.S. team and became a sports commentator. Harry's father, Patrick, once won a car on a famous TV show called The $64,000 Question by answering questions about baseball. Harry Keough passed away on February 7, 2012.
Documentary
Harry Keough was featured in a soccer documentary from 2009. It was called A Time for Champions. In the film, he talked about the U.S. team's big win over England in the 1950 World Cup. He also discussed his successful coaching career at St. Louis University.
