Walter Bahr – USMNT

One of the touchstones in the post-War history of United States soccer, Walter Bahr played at the highest levels of the American game and coached collegiate soccer for many years at Temple and Penn State. Professionally, Bahr was part of multiple American Soccer League winning sides.  A member of the 1950 World Cup squad and credited with the assist that beat England, he was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1976. Bahr died on June 18, 2018.

“Many people, including some historians and those in our own Federation, have said what we did was a fluke. It was no fluke. The English were a very good team. The odds were 500-1 that we would win. We played our hearts out that day. We were better than them that day.” on what happened in that 1-0 World Cup win over England in 1950, from 10 Questions With Walter Bahr

USMNT Experience

1957: Earned his last cap in a 6-0 World Cup qualifying loss to Mexico on April 7th.
1955: Played in the lone game that year, a 2-3 loss to Iceland on Aug. 25th.
1954: Played in all four World Cup Qualifiers.
1953: In the only game of the year, part of the squad that lost 3-6 to England in New York City.
1952: In the first game scheduled since the ’50 World Cup and the only game that year, lost 5-0 to Scotland at Hampden Park, Glasgow.
1950: Played in all three World Cup games for the United States.
1949: Played in all five National Team games, including the four World Cup Qualifiers.  Scored his first goal against Cuba on Sept. 21st.
1948: Earned his first cap on the ’48 European tour in an 11-0 loss to Norway on Aug. 6th.  Also played in the 5-0 loss against Northern Ireland on Aug. 11th, the only two games that year.  Captain of the US Olympic Team.

Professional Experience

1956: Won the American Soccer League with the Uhrik Truckers. Played against Everton and Rapid Vienna with the ASL All-Stars.
1955: Won the American Soccer League with the Uhrik Truckers.
1953: Won the American Soccer League with Philadelphia. Made the Canadian League finals playing for Montreal.
1952: Made the US Open Cup finals with Philadelphia
1951: Won the American Soccer League with Philadelphia.
1950: Won the American Soccer League with Philadelphia.
1949: Made the US Open Cup finals with the Philadelphia Nationals.
1948: Turned professional after the Olympics and was a member of American Soccer League All-Stars that played Liverpool.