The football World Cup is the most celebrated sporting event on the planet, with the 2018 iteration totaling 3.57 billion combined spectators. In its 92-year history there have been many terrific stories, but for one of the more unusual and involving a team physiotherapist we go back to the very beginning.
The inaugural World Cup was held in 1930 in Uruguay with 13 nations competing across four groups. There were meant to be 14 teams but the Egyptians literally missed their boat. After two weeks of solid play, the four semi-finalists were hosts Uruguay, Yugoslavia, USA and Argentina.
Argentina and the ‘dark arts’ of football have long gone hand-in-hand throughout their history of fierce competitiveness. La Albieceleste were perhaps the most memorable team at the tournament after a hot-tempered, barbarous encounter in the latter stages.
Having already had their opening fixture intervened by police following a blood-thirsty affair with Chile, their semi-final against the USA is where they really made a name for themselves as the bad boys of the tournament.
Surprising many, the US team went into the match as favourites, due to their six goals for and zero against record in the group games. They were also widely supported by the Uruguayan fans who would have loved to have seen their Argentine nemeses defeated. The Argentine players were not going to let that happen.
Four minutes into the match and a vicious foul on US goalkeeper Jimmy Douglas resulted in a twisted knee. Fifteen minutes later, a foul on Ralph Tracy following an ugly tackle sparked a mass brawl between all 22 players. Tracy limped on and at half time the score was Argentina 1-0 USA. Tracy was not able to return to the pitch after the break and was later diagnosed with a fracture.
Down a player (substitutions were not permitted) and with a hobbled keeper, the US team conceded four goals between the 50th and 80th minutes.
After the third Argentine goal, in a brutal encounter between foot and face, US player Andy Auld “had his lip ripped wide open”, according to the team manager Wilfred Cummings’ official report. The match became increasingly nasty. One of the Americans was later hospitalised with severe injuries to his stomach, while another had four teeth dislodged by a maniacal Argentine player.
Three minutes before time Argentina scored a sixth goal but with seconds remaining the US team combined to hit the back of the net for their solitary goal.
The same match also saw perhaps the funniest moment ever witnessed at a World Cup. Following an exchange of fisticuffs and subsequent foul called on a US player, the US trainer/physio rushed onto the pitch in order to tend to an injury-stricken player and confront the referee. However, he lost his footing and landed on a bottle of chloroform in his pocket, which then knocked him unconscious. An alternative report was that after berating the umpire he threw his box of medicines to the ground to emphasise his point, inadvertently smashing various bottles, including one of chloroform, and its fumes rose to overpower him.
Both the player and the physio were stretchered off, once he regained consciousness!
Argentina proceeded to the final but succumbed to the Uruguayan hosts 4 -2. The semi-final losers USA and Yugoslavia did not play for 3rd place because the Yugoslavians refused, protesting the poor umpiring from their semi-final. Both teams were awarded a Bronze medal at the tournament, but the Americans were later declared 3rd placegetters due to their superior goal difference.
References
Farnsworth, E. 2014. The US at the 1930 World Cup. The Philly Soccer Page. Accessed online at The US at the 1930 World Cup – The Philly Soccer Page on 1 December 2022.
Johnson, A. 1998. US favored to win world’s soccer title. The Washington Post. Accessed online at Washingtonpost.com: Sports News on 1 December 2022.
Lisi, C. 2013. The US national team at the 1930 World Cup. US Soccer Players. Accessed online at The US National Team at the 1930 World Cup | US Soccer Players on 1 December 2022.
Rhodes, C. 2022. 5 bizarre facts you won’t believe about the 1930 World Cup: Funerals, chloroform and more. Sports Lens. Accessed online at 5 Bizarre Facts You Won’t Believe About The 1930 World Cup: Funerals, Chloroform and More (sportslens.com) on 1 December 2022.
A nice history here, as a young musculoskeletal physiotherapist, it is nice to see how things have really changed and improved. I also had a good laugh. I will check YouTube to see if I can watch the match. Thank you Glenn