A standing-room-only crowd of 6,900 jams the St. Louis Soccer Park to watch the men’s gold and bronze medal soccer matches at the U.S. Olympic Festival. The festival is an annual competition held in various Olympic sports during Olympic off-years. The festival started in 1978, when it was called the National Sports Festival, and will end in 1995.

Raftery’s of St. Louis fights valiantly, but loses, 1-0, to defending champion Eintracht of New York in the National Amateur Cup championship game at Randall’s Island, N.Y. The 1945 season marks the first time St. Louis teams had entered the 23-year-old Amateur Cup.

The United States successfully defends its Women’s World Cup championship by defeating the Netherlands, 2-0, in Lyon, France. One of the most memorable images of the tournament comes in the final, showing St. Louis native Becky Sauerbrunn bleeding above her right eye after a head-to-head collision with Danielle van de Donk in the 54th minute.

Ruben Mendoza and Jim Murphy score for Kutis, representing the United States, in a 3-2 loss to Canada in a North American Zone World Cup qualifier at Public Schools Stadium.

The USA wins the Women’s World Cup with a 5-2 victory over Japan in Vancouver. St. Louis native Becky Sauerbrunn (pictured at left) plays every minute of every game and St. Louisan Lori Chalupny (right) is a substitute in one game.

The U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame inducts the entire 1950 U.S. World Cup team that defeated England, 1-0 (USA starting lineup pictured). The team includes St. Louisans Bob Annis, Frank Borghi, Charley Colombo, Harry Keough, Gino Pariani and Frank “Pee Wee” Wallace.

Kutis of St. Louis starts quickly, but the Pancyprian Freedoms of New York score twice on penalty kicks and add two other goals to win their second consecutive U.S. Open Cup, and third in four years, with a 4-3 victory in the Cup final at Delmar Stadium in Houston.

St. Louisans put on a show to spark the United States to a 6-0 victory over the Dominican Republic on the first day of group play in the Pan-American Games in San Juan, P.R. Don Ebert scores four goals, Perry Van Der Beck tallies the other two, and 19-year-old Jim Tietjens is in goal.

Raftery’s of St. Louis works overtime to advance to the U.S. Amateur Cup finals by defeating Pittsburgh’s Morgan Strassers, 2-1, in the Western final at Walsh Stadium, 5100 Oakland Ave. Harold “Red” Travis scores what proves to be the game-winner three minutes into the first 15-minute overtime.

Pele pleases the 20,116 fans who endure 95-degree temperatures at Busch Memorial Stadium to watch the world’s greatest player. Pele saves Santos by scoring the winning goal in the 63rd minute to lead the heavily favored Brazilian club to a 3-2 victory over the NASL’s St. Louis Stars.

In perhaps the biggest upset in the history of the Men’s World Cup, the United States stuns England, 1-0, in a group stage match at Belo Horizonte, Brazil, with five St. Louisans in the starting lineup: goalkeeper Frank Borghi (pictured), Charley Colombo, Harry Keough, Gino Pariani and Frank “Pee Wee” Wallace. St. Louisan Bob Annis is on the bench.

The United States defeats host France, 2-1, in the Women’s World Cup quarterfinals in what one major sports media outlet will call “a match for the ages.” St. Louis native Becky Sauerbrunn comes up big on defense, so much so that “Sauerbrunn made a strong case as the best defender in the world,” Graham Hays will write for espnW.com.

The defending NASL champion Rochester Lancers spoil what would have been a good afternoon for the St. Louis Stars by scoring two goals in the last 10 minutes to win, 3-1, in Rochester, N.Y.

Future U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer Bob Guelker is born. As far as is known, Guelker never plays competitive soccer. Nevertheless, he will influence the sport profoundly in St. Louis and at the national and international levels.

John Hayes deflects in the winning goal in the 114th minute to boost Busch to a 2-1 overtime victory over the San Francisco Greek Americans in the final of the U.S. Open Cup at the St. Louis Soccer Park. Busch’s 1988 Open Cup title is the last of 10 U.S. Open Cup championships won by St. Louis teams.

A remarkable string of successes for St. Louis in the U.S. Junior Cup over the next 25 years begins with St. Engelbert’s defeating Heidelberg (Pa.), 1-0, in the national championship game at Public Schools Stadium. The victory marks the third time a St. Louis team takes the U.S. Junior Cup. St. Louis teams will win 17 more over the next 25 years.

Schumacher of St. Louis wins the U.S. Junior Cup for the second consecutive year on the field. But this time, they keep the title after beating Prague of New York, 2-0. Schumacher had to forfeit the title in 1945. The 1946 title is the first of 22 Junior Cups that will be won by St. Louis teams.

Kutis tops FC Nuernberg, one of Germany’s top teams during the 1961-62 season, 3-2 in an international match at Public Schools Stadium. Bob Rooney scores the winner on a “spectacular hooking shot” off the inside of the goal post. Butch Cook and Bill Looby also score for Kutis.

Cor Jesu’s Maddie DiMaria becomes the first freshman to be named the Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year.

Abe Hawatmeh, owner of the professional indoor St. Louis Ambush, tells the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the Ambush have been kicked out of the Kiel Center, site of their home games. Hawatmeh will fold the franchise, ending the team’s nine years of existence.