Soccer hot spot

The world sport, without a doubt, is soccer, but its popularity within the United States has always lagged.  St. Louis, however, has long been a U.S. soccer hot spot. 

Slay's soccer days

Mayor Francis Slay

Like St. Louis, Francis Slay (Mayor 2001-)has soccer in his background.

After a successful high school career at St. Mary's, Slay went to Quincy College, where he was an unrecruited walk-on.  He won a place on the soccer team and was a significant part of three Quincy NAIA championships.  He even met his wife-to-be at a soccer game.

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Once in a lifetime : the extraordinary story of the New York Cosmos
Miramax Films & GreeneStreet Films present in association with ESPN Original Entertainment a Passion Pictures and GreeneStreet Films production in association with Cactus Three ; written by Mark Monroe ; produced by Fisher Stevens, Tim Williams, John Battsek ; directed by Paul Crowder, John Dower.
Burbank, Calif. : Miramax Home Entertainment : Buena Vista Home Entertainment, c2006.
  1. DVD, Dolby 5.1. Widescreen (1.85:1).
  2. In English with optional French or Spanish subtitles or English captions.
  3. Narrator, Matt Dillon.
  4. Story by Mark Monroe, John Dower ; editor, Paul Crowder.
  5. Videodisc release of the documentary motion picture.
  6. MPAA rating: PG-13; for language and some nudity.
  7. Special features: Game highlights of the 1980 and 1981 Soccer Bowls: Cosmos vs. Ft. Lauderdale Strikers and Cosmos vs. Chicago Sting; Pelé's farewell game; deleted scene; stories of Pelé, SportsCentury interviews.
  8. Documentary about the rise and fall of the New York Cosmos, America's first great soccer team, and its larger-than-life superstar, Pelé. The Cosmos kicked off America's first love affair with the world's most popular sport in the 1970s.
     
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Shaolin soccer
Miramax Films presents a Star Overseas Ltd. and Universe Entertainment Ltd. production, a Stephen Chow film ; producer, Kwok-Fai Yeung ; screenwriters, Stephen Chow and Kan-Cheung Tsang ; directed by Stephen Chow.
[United States] : Miramax Home Entertainment ; Burbank, Calif. : Distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, [2004]
  1. DVD, Dolby 5.1. Widescreen (1.85:1).
  2. In Chinese, English or French with optional English subtitles. Closed captioned in English.
  3. Title from container.
  4. Stephen Chow, Vicki Zhao, Ng Man-Tat, Patrick Yin Tse, Cecilia Cheung, Karen Mok, Vincent Kok.
  5. Directors of photography, Pak Huen Kwen, Ting Wo Kwong ; art director, Kim Hung Ho ; action choreographer, Ching Siu Tung ; editor, Kit-Wai Kai ; original music, Raymond Wong, Lowell Lo ; costume designer, Yim Man Choy ; digital special effects, Centro Digital Pictures, Ltd.
  6. Includes both original 2001 Chinese version (112 min.) and English dubbed version (89 min.)
  7. MPAA rating: PG-13; for some action violence and thematic elements (English version only; original version not rated).
  8. A Shaolin Kung Fu expert unites with a washed up soccer star to build the ultimate team, combining sportsmanship with martial arts.
  9. Special features: Includes the exclusive English dubbed version plus the original Chinese language version on one disc.
  10. Hong Kong Film Awards: Best Picture; Best Director; Best Actor; Best Visual Effects.
     
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Play like champions
director, Barry O'Riordan.
Burbank, CA : Warner Home Video, [2004], c2003.
Take your game to the next level and learn to play like a champion with Sir Alex Ferguson and the first team players of Manchester United! Along with the club's Academy players, you can learn skills like the Flick Behind, the Step Over and the Roller Coaster. With unprecedented access-from the training ground to the heart of Old Trafford-you can find out what makes Manchester United one of the most exciting teams in the world.
     
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The miracle match
Bristol Bay Productions presents in association with Peter Newman Productions, InterAL and Baldwin Entertainment Group ; produced by Ginger T. Perkins ... [et al.] ; written by Angelo Pizzo ; directed by David Anspaugh.
Burbank, Calif : Buena Vista Home Entertainment, [2006]
  1. DVD, Dolby 5.1. Widescreen (2.40:1).
  2. In English with optional French or Spanish subtitles or English captions.
  3. Title from opening credits.
  4. Cast: Gerard Butler, Wes Bentley, Jay Rodan, Gavin Rossdale, Patrick Stewart, Terry Kinney, John Rhys-Davies, Costas Mandylor, Louis Mandylor, Zachery Bryan, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Richard Jenik, Nelson Vargas, Craig Hawksley, Bill Smitrovich.
  5. Director of photography, Johnny E. Jensen ; production designer, Linda Burton ; editors, Bud Smith, Scott Smith, Ian Crafford, Lee Grubin ; costume designer, Jane Anderson ; music composer, William Ross.
  6. Based on the book, The game of their lives, by Geoffrey Douglas.
  7. "Filmed entirely on location in St. Louis, Missouri, Washington, D.C. and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil."
  8. Videodisc release of the c2005 motion picture, The game of their lives.
  9. MPAA rating: PG; for some mild language and thematic elements.
  10. Drama about the 1950 United States World Cup soccer team, which was formed two weeks before the match from recreational soccer players from the Hill neighborhood in St. Louis, yet managed to beat the English national team in Brazil.
     
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Premier soccer
Michael Parker.
Champaign, IL : Human Kinetics, c2008.
"Having captured six national collegiate titles and the most total wins in NCAA history, Michael Parker has succeeded at soccer's highest levels. In Premier Soccer, he describes his methods for developing players and teams into champions, revealing the insights, approaches, and methods that have earned him unmatched success." "Parker's instruction will be invaluable for coaches at high schools, clubs, and colleges as well as for dedicated players striving to reach the highest levels of competition. In Premier Soccer, he places a strong emphasis on player development, communicating the mental attitude and on-the-field awareness that must accompany a player's physical skills and conditioning. He includes a thorough explanation of the skills and traits necessary for each position on the field, both offensively and defensively." "Parker presents intermediate to advanced techniques and tactics and the keys to using them in various situations during the heat of the match. He also provides the key elements for team success, including set plays, restarts, practice drills, and systems of play proven to work for his championship teams."--BOOK JACKET.
     
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Kick the balls : an offensive suburban odyssey
Alan Black.
New York : Hudson Street Press, c2008.
     

When the 1950 national soccer team pulled off its legendary World Cup defeat of  England (as shown in the 2005 film, The Game of Their Lives), the nucleus of that team was from St. Louis.  Immigrants have been behind the local soccer success--Italians to start with, with players from Bosnia and even Botswana in more recent years.

St. Louis club and high school teams have been superb, but the standard-bearer for the area has been the St. Louis University Billikens.  The SLU team won the first NCAA title ever, in 1959, and has remained a national power ever since.  No American college program has participated more often in  NCAA tournaments, or won as many titles .

The real surprise with St. Louis's soccer success is how homespun it is.  Early Billiken teams were made up almost exclusively of St. Louis athletes.  Even today, better than half the team is typically local. 

People expected St. Louis teams to do well without extra effort.   A case in point would be Harry Keough, who coached SLU to five national titles as a part-time employee.  His main job was with the post office.

Some SLU stars go on to be international soccer stars.  St. Louisan Brian McBride's SLU career left him with school records for goals and assists.  The first pick of the MLS's original draft, he's starred for the Columbus Crew and Britain's Fulham Club.  Described as 'the best American ever, in the air,' he is the only U.S. player to score in two World Cups and is second in all-time international goals.

St. Louis is no longer as dominant as it once was; soccer has caught on across the country, and other colleges are now sharing the national spotlight, but SLU remains a national power.  The years in which the Billikens do not take part in the post-season tournament are not just disappointments, but genuine statistical anomalies.  St. Louis has dominated collegiate soccer to an extent that other local sports try to match.

Article by: St. Louis Public Library staff.