May 3 (1970)

The St. Louis Stars stun England’s Coventry City, 2-1, at Mullally Field. Coventry City had finished sixth in England’s First Division, today’s Premier League. The victory is the first ever for a St. Louis team over an English club. Tom Bokern scores the winner with just 30 seconds left when he knocks in a hard shot by Jim Leeker that rebounds off Coventry’s goalkeeper, Bill Glazier. The victory is viewed as further evidence that native St. Louis players, who comprise eight of the Stars’ starting 11, can more than hold their own against Europe’s best. The game is played not quite six years after the St. Louis CYC All-Stars tied English First Division champion Liverpool, 1-1. “I thought that was the epitome in St. Louis soccer achievement,” says future U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer Pat McBride, who played against Liverpool and who scores the Stars’ first goal against Coventry City. “But that was nothing compared to this.” McBride’s goal ties the match in the 58th minute. He “stole the ball in Coventry territory, raced in and smashed home a rebound of his own shot,” Charlie Gould will write in the next day’s St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Future St. Louis Steamers head coach Dave Clements sets up Coventry City’s goal in the 33rd minute with a long free kick to Neil Martin, who heads the ball past Stars goalkeeper Miguel DeLima. Another future MISL head coach, the Stars’ Don Popovic, forces what the next day’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch calls a “brilliant” save by Glazier. The game counts in the NASL standings and raises the Stars’ record to 2-2, good for first place in the league’s Northern Division.