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

Geoffrey Douglas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 12, 2005

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 ragtag group of unknowns was inspired to a stunning victory over England and one of the most thrilling upsets in the history of sports.

Written by critically acclaimed author Geoffrey Douglas, and now a film directed by David Anspaugh (Hoosiers), The Game of Their Lives takes us back to a time before million-dollar contracts and commercial endorsements, and introduces us to the athletes -- the Americans -- who showed the world just how far a long shot could really go.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 1950 in Belo Horizonte, a Brazilian mining town, the U.S. soccer team met the British in one of the preliminary rounds of the World Cup matches. The U.S. had not qualified to go to the World Cup since 1934 and, being from a country where soccer was definitely a minor sport, had to field a semiprofessional team consisting mostly of the sons of immigrants, taught the game by older relatives. The British, by contrast, were the rulers of European soccer, considered certain to win the Cup. The U.S. won the game 1-0, staging what is still arguably the greatest upset in World Cup history. Douglas (Class), a skilled writer, is disappointing when he tries to impart an almost mythic significance to this contest on the grounds that the U.S. athletes played for little more than love of the game and asked nothing but joy. He excels and becomes almost poetic, however, in his depiction of life in the ethnic big-city ghettos from which most of the players came, such as Dago Hill in St. Louis and Kensington in Philadelphia, where trust, closeness, loyalty and a sense of being part of something were a way of life.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In 1950, in the little stadium of Belo Horizorite, a mining town 300 miles north of Rio de Janeiro, the U.S. men's World Cup soccer team pulled off a stunning triumph by defeating powerhouse England 1-0. Unquestionably, this win ranks as one of the biggest upsets in the history of U.S. sport, a victory few Americans know anything about. The Game of Their Lives is the story of the 11 men from all over the United States who orchestrated that amazing upset. Incidentally, the team ended the tournament with a record of two losses (3-1 to Spain and 5-2 against Chile) and a single, but tremendous, win. Douglas (Class: The Wreckage of an American Family, LJ 10/1/92; LJ's Best Books of 1992) does a superb job in not only retelling the contest but chronicling the lives of these humble few in the years following the match. A refreshing tale of sporting heroes?no pretensions, no glamour, no high salaries, just ordinary people playing a game they love?this is a good, heartwarming read. Recommended for public libraries.
-?L.R. Little, Penticton P.L., B.C.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: It Books (April 12, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060758775
• ISBN-13: 978-0060758776
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #718,128 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Determination and a love for the game brought victory, May 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Game of Their Lives (Hardcover)

I felt the book was good and it showed how guys with desire and determination can win even though the odds are against them. Also, the fact that 5 of the starting players on the team were from St Louis, Missouri, and knew each other helped bring together a winning combination. Walter Bahr and Ed McElvinney played together for the Philadelphia Nationals, as well as John Souza and Ed Souza who played together in Falls River,Massachusetts. In previous years, many of us have played against each other. The 1950 game was a most memorable experience for me as goalie for the USA team.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful story of the greatest US sports upset ever, April 3, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Game of Their Lives (Hardcover)

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More than just soccer its about the history of the players on the 1950 US World Cup Team, December 11, 2009

By 

Raja N. Krishnan - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Game of Their Lives: The Untold Story of the World Cup's Biggest Upset (Paperback)

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 States vs England World Cup Match. This is an apt book to consider reading ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa. Also, this would be an interesting reading for those that are interested in history, particular the history of immigrant families in the United States. The book gives a nice perspective on the life of immigrant families.

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