St. Louisan and future U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer Bill Looby scores the USA’s only goal in a 3-1 loss to Mexico at the Estadio de los Deportes in Mexico City.

St. Louisans Will Bruin (first round, pictured left) and Joe Willis (third round) are selected in the MLS Superdraft. They will play important roles for MLS teams through the 2022 season.

An indication of the high regard for St. Louis soccer talent is the number of St. Louis players selected in the 1977 NASL draft. Fourteen of 75 picks are from St. Louis or St. Louis schools.

Future U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame journalist Dent McSkimming (pictured) covers a second-round National Challenge Cup match between Natural Set Up and Schumacher’s at Walsh Stadium, 5224 Oakland Ave. McSkimming writes his usual blunt account the next day in one of his legendary stories that appear every Monday for four decades during soccer seasons in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Future U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer Harry Ratican (pictured) scores all three goals to lead the Ben Miller Hat Co. to a 3-1 win over Compton Hills in the professional Federal Park Soccer League at Federal Park, Grand and Laclede avenues.

Future U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer Tom Cahill (pictured) is born in New York City. Cahill, who will spend much of his early life in St. Louis, will influence soccer tremendously locally and nationally.

Oct. 31, 1909: The Pilgrims, an English team touring the United States to promote soccer, wrap up their final appearance in St. Louis with a second-half bag of tricks that treats a crowd of 8,000 at Sportsman’s Park. The Pilgrims score 10 goals in the second half to beat St. Leo’s of St. Louis, 12-1. The image, taken before one of the Pilgrims’ 1909 games in St. Louis, shows, from left, St. Louisan and future U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer Tom Cahill, St. Louis mayor Frederick Kreismann, the Pilgrims’ Fred Milnes, and St. Louisan and referee Phil Kavanaugh.

Future U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame journalist Dent McSkimming is born. “The Senor,” as he will be called by his newspaper peers because of his fluency in Spanish, will become a legendary soccer journalist, primarily with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, covering the sport at all levels for more than 50 years.

St. Louis teams score a national championship double. Busch wins the U.S. Amateur Cup with 3-2 victory over Philadelphia Bayern in Philadelphia and Scott Gallagher captures the U.S. Junior Cup with a 4-2 win over the Miami Knights in Omaha, Neb.

First-year team St. Louis CITY FC overwhelms previously unbeaten FC Cincinnati, 5-1, before a sellout crowd at CITYPARK.

One-time prolific indoor soccer scorer Stan Terlecki returns to form with a hat trick for the St. Louis Storm in a 7-4 win over the Cleveland Crunch before 5,789 fans at The Arena. Terlecki, who amassed 139 goals in just two seasons with the MISL’s Pittsburgh Spirit from 1981-83, had not played in the MISL for three years until signing with the Storm in December 1989.

A two-game series of international soccer matches in St. Louis ends with the Cycling Club defeating a team from Toronto, Canada, 4-2, at League Park, Natural Bridge and Vandeventer Avenues. The Canadians lost to Christian Brothers College, 2-1, the day before at League Park.

The St. Louis Steamers’ Don Ebert is named the Major Indoor Soccer League’s Rookie of the Year. He led all rookies with 65 points on 46 goals and 19 assists.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Association Football League champion St. Leo’s (pictured in 1907) has won the city championship by beating Amateur League champion St. Matthews, 3-2. St. Leo’s will go on to become one of the best teams in the United States. St. Leo’s will win 10 city championships and will beat some of the top teams from the eastern United States.

Tim Ream becomes the first St. Louisan to play in a Premier League match.

Tom Knapp’s three goals power Florissant Valley Community College to a 6-2 victory over Miami-Dade South in the NJCAA championship game in Miami. (Image is of game summary.)

St. Louis University wins the inaugural NCAA soccer championship, beating Bridgeport, 5-2, in Storrs, Conn.

The University of Missouri-St. Louis men lose, 2-0, to unbeaten Tampa University in the NCAA Division II semifinals in New Haven, Conn.

St. Louis University overcomes an early deficit and wins the Billikens’ second consecutive NCAA soccer championship by defeating Maryland, 3-2.

Quincy College, loaded as usual with St. Louis players, wins its eighth NAIA championship by defeating Alabama-Huntsville, 2-0. The Hawks will win the next three NAIA titles, giving them an NAIA-record 11, all but two with St. Louis native Jack Mackenzie (pictured) as head coach.