Former U.S. Men’s National Team goalkeeper and National Soccer Hall of Famer Frank Borghi has passed away. He was 89.
Borghi famously manned the net during the USA’s 1-0 upset victory on July 2, 19 50, against England at the 1950 FIFA World Cup. Borghi made nine international appearances for the MNT from 1949-54, including three World Cup games and five World Cup qualifiers.
Borghi, along with the entire 1950 World Cup team, was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1976.
In January of 2004, Borghi and fellow World Cup teammates Walter Bahr, Harry Keough, Gino Pariani and John Souza were made honorary All-Americans by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America at its annual convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Aside from his National Team acclaim, the St. Louis native won Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titles with Simpkins-Ford in 1948 and 1950. Borghi was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame on Nov. 16, 2011.
Actor Gerard Butler portrayed Borghi in the 2005 movie “The Game of Their Lives,” focusing on the USA’s 1950 World Cup squad.
Borghi was also a former minor-league catcher in the St. Louis Cardinals farm system.