May 6 (1956)

Joe Simpkins Ford combines the brilliance of a borrowed attacker with a gritty, determined back line to tie Occidente of Mexico, 1-1, in a friendly under the lights at Public Schools Stadium. The loaner is Ruben Mendoza, who normally plays for Kutis. Mendoza lobs a shot over Occidente’s charging goalkeeper, Lupe Alvarez, in the 17th minute after taking a pass from future U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer Gino Pariani. Other than that moment of brilliance, Simpkins grimly hangs on as “the slick ball artists from the State of Jalisco were masters of the field,” U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame journalist Dent McSkimming will write in the next day’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch. McSkimming will describe the play of goalkeeper and future U.S. Hall of Famer Frank Borghi, fullbacks Sammy Davis and Bob Fitzgerald and center back and future U.S. Hall of Famer Charley Colombo as “by necessity, brilliant.” Occidente’s lone goal comes in the 31st minute when Ignacio Torres heads in a corner kick from Antonio “Nino” Flores.