The Game of Their Lives: The Untold Story of the World Cup's Biggest Upset

by Geoffrey Douglas

Book Overview

In the summer of 1950, a most unlikely group was assembled to represent its country in the first soccer World Cup since World War II. The Americans were outsiders to the sport, the underdogs of the event, a 500-to-1 long shot. But they were also proud and loyal men -- to one another, to their communities, and certainly to their country. Facing almost no time to prepare, opponents with superior training, and skepticism from the rest of the world, this...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060758775
• ISBN13: 9780060758776
• Release Date: March 2005
• Publisher: It Books
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.4" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

More than just soccer its about the history of the players on the 1950 US World Cup Team

I grew up watching soccer. I enjoyed playing soccer with friends and then later for my high school team. In this country soccer is considered to be mostly enjoyed by kids. It is growing in popularity; it just has not crossed that threshold or the tipping point to take it into the mainstream. After watching the U.S. Soccer team's great run in the Confederation Cup this past summer culminating in the loss to Brazil, the most feared team of this time, I was inspired to find a book written about the game of soccer. I came across a book titled The Game of their Lives authored by Geoffrey Douglas and this is the subject of this review. The setting of the book is about a famous soccer match between the United States and England, the most feared team of that time, in the 1950 World Cup. Although at times in the beginning of the story the detailed play by play account of the soccer match can seem to be tedious reading, the author does convey the beauty of the game of soccer in a concise manner and also providing some history throughout the book. The author provides some of the best descriptions of the game of soccer in small doses throughout the book. At one point in the beginning of the book, the author goes on a smooth ride describing the gorgeous game of soccer. The following is an example from the book comparing the sport of soccer to other sports: "The rhythms of most sports rely on stop-and-start devisements: four downs, nine innings, eighteen holes-and play is halted, breaths are caught, adrenaline depletes. In soccer, where play is continuous-there are no huddles, inning changes, set pieces, or lulls between tackles or points-the rhythms determine themselves." Throughout the book the author appropriately conveys the reason why soccer is an exciting game. Having stated that, this book is not only about soccer, it's about the lives of the players that were on that famous 1950 US soccer national team. The book gives a glimpse about how it was like growing up in America during the depression of the 1930's. Furthermore it's also about the life of immigrant families during that time and also the family life. As the author indicates he was sharing the living history of these soccer players. Living history........yeah I think that's what a good historian does. I thought that at times the back and forth transitions between the soccer match and the history of the players on the team seemed to not flow smoothly and also diminished the building suspense of the soccer match, I think with some patient reading Douglas does communicate this living history. It is a challenging task to merge two different aspects, such as a description of the game of soccer with a history of the players; in this case I thought it was a valiant effort and with some patient reading Douglas does communicate this living history. I would recommend this book for those young soccer players, and also for those that are interested in the account of this 1950 United S

St. Louisan Review

As a native St. Louisan who grew up in the era written about, I found the stories of the players very nostalgic. As a young boy I lived in a neighborhood east of the Hill. A big adventure was to go to and explore the "clay hills" which were mined for brick making. Today that would be impossible with liability fears. I saw some of the big local soccer games which pitted the rival center halfbacks Columbo and Keough against each other. An often discussed topic was who was the better player. Since I learned how to swim at the Southside YMCA, the stories of Uncle Joe Causino brought back many memories. The book is a must read for old St. Louisans who remember when St. Louis was the soccer capital of the USA.

Good Movie for any die hard soccer player

Although the movie may be missing pieces here and there or not go deep enough into character development, it's still a good heartwarming story. Any person with a true love for the sport will connect with it in some way.

Not Many Options

I would recommend this book a US soccer fan that may only know the final score for this historic game. This book does describe the state of US soccer in the 50's. For example, some people may not be aware that there is a national club championship open to all US teams (the National Challenge Cup, today this cup tournament is called the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup). This team was made up of players that came from some of the teams that won the cup such as Simpkins-Ford (1948 & 1950 with Gino Pariano, Charlie Colombo, Frank Borghi, and Frank Wallace) or New York Brookhattan (1945 Joe Gaetjens team). For the die hard soccer fan this book needs more details on how this team won its spot in the World Cup. Also, there really is not enough detail on the game itself, which may be a result of the dearth of information even at the time (still there is enough there to get your hear pounding and help the reader imagine the excitement of the game). Considering how the English team felt humiliated by result they sure did not want to discuss the game and the US press could hardly care any less. Also, it would be nice to have the perspective of the English players; however, that was not the writer's purpose. This is a story about the men who played the game because they loved it. There needs to be a more detailed treatment of these men and specifically Joseph "Joe" Gaetjens. That being said there is not much out there on the subject and this is still an enjoyable story of perseverance. I hope this book and the upcoming movie bring more people to examine this

Wonderful story of the greatest US sports upset ever

In the 1950 World Cup, the United States fielded a team of scrappy immigrants' sons which the world refused to take seriously. Three games later, respect had been gained. The U.S. had defeated England, the land where soccer was born, in the most shocking upset in World Cup history, 1 goal to none. Far beyond a story of a sporting journey to Brazil in 1950, The Game of Their Lives offers a glimpse into the lives of eleven elegantly simple Americans. Centering on 50's St. Louis, then the soccer capital of the U.S., these men recount life growing up as a first-generation American. This inspiring tale is a humbling read in the face of the millions pro athletes make today. There was a time when the sheer thrill of victory and the honor of playing for your country was pay enough. Douglas recaptures an inspiration created 47 years ago and immortalizes it for all in the pages of this book. A must-read for any U.S. soccer fan.