Saint Louis’ Cup Heroes of Yesteryear – in Photos
The City of Saint Louis, hugging Missouri’s eastern tip, has a rich history in the U.S. Open Cup going back to 1920 when the Ben Millers shocked favorites Fore River Rovers of Quincy, Massachusetts. In all, the city can claim 12 Open Cup titles spread out among seven teams and nearly 100 years. Only clubs from California, New York and Pennsylvania have more Open Cup crowns than Missouri and that’s all thanks exclusively to the city of Saint Louis. Join us for a rare photographic look back at the Gateway City’s love affair with America’s oldest soccer tournament.
Bob Rooney on the attack for Saint Louis Kutis in their run to the 1957 U.S. Open Cup (National Challenge Cup) title. That year, the U.S. Soccer Federation named the entire Kutis side as the National Team to compete in 1958 World Cup qualifying
Saint Louis’ Scullin Steel went to the Open Cup/National Challenge Cup Final in 1923 but when they couldn’t field a team for the replay (most of their players were also pro baseball players and their season was starting) Paterson FC were named that year’s champions. Scullin won the Open Cup the year before (1922)
Ruben Mendoza was a star attacker in the Saint Louis Kutis team of the 1950s that won seven national amateur titles and one U.S. Open Cup (National Challenge Cup) in 1957
The Ben Millers were sponsored by the hat company of the same name and won the Open Cup/National Challenge Cup in 1920 – becoming the first team from Saint Louis to do so
The 1957 U.S. Open Cup/National Challenge Cup-winning Saint Louis Kutis team that beat New York Hakoah 6-1 over two legs in theat year’s Final. USA National Team captain Harry Keough is third from the right in the back row
Simpkins-Ford hailed from the Italian section of Saint Louis (known as the Hill) and won the 1948 and 1950 U.S. Open Cup/National Challenge Cup before sending five of its players to represent USA at the 1950 World Cup in Brazil (where they famously beat England 1-0)
Bill Looby (striped) rises highest for Saint Louis Kutis in the 1950s – when the team dominated the amateur game and won one U.S. Open Cup/National Challenge Cup
Jimmy Dunn of the Saint Louis Ben Millers in a friendly against Uruguay’s national team in 1927. He won the 1920 Open Cup with the Ben Millers and was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1974
Benny Binshtock and the Maccabees in action in league play in the GLASL – a league they dominated during the 1970s and early in the 80s. Local newspapers regularly covered the team in national and league play
Saint Louis Kutis won a second U.S. Open Cup in 1986. The son of Kutis’ Cup-winning 1957 defender Bill Eppy (Joe Eppy), was in the 1986 team that won the Final on home soil in 1986 (dad was in the stands)
1922 Open Cup/National Challenge Cup winners Scullin Steel pose for a team photo
Saint Louis Kutis was named after a local Funeral Parlor and a number of the team’s trophies still sit there behind glass
1957 Open Cup-winning Kutis players (from left to right) Bob Burkard, Harry Keough, Rich Meisemann and Ruben Mendoza in 1955
‘Butch’ Cook in the Semifinal of the 1957 U.S. Open Cup/National Challenge Cup that he went on to win with Kutis