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.

For the second time in successive U.S. Open Cup matches, second-division St. Louis FC stuns an MLS opponent. A stoppage-time goal by Sam Fink (pictured) sends St. Louis FC to 1-0 upset of FC Cincinnati in the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup before 4,033 fans at World Wide Technology Soccer Park.

For the first time in the 33-year history of the U.S. Amateur Cup, the U.S. Soccer Football Association awards the championship on a forfeit. Kutis of St. Louis is named the Cup winner the day after Kutis plays the Philadelphia Ukrainians at Public Schools Stadium in the controversial first game of a home-and-home series.

Carl Gentile gives a preview of things to come as the recent CBC graduate scores the winning goal, and an insurance tally, to help Schumachers win the U.S. Junior Cup with a 3-1 victory over Good Counsel of Baltimore at Washington University.

A firecracker finish finds Big Four Chevrolet of St. Louis on the losing end of a 3-2 score to defending U.S. Amateur Cup champion Philadelphia Inter in the Amateur Cup championship game at Florissant Valley Community College.

What is essentially the same team from St. Louis wins the U.S. Amateur Cup in 1952 as the Raiders and in 1958 as Kutis. Al Fink (pictured) scores twice in the second half to secure the 1952 title. Kutis comes from behind on second-half goals from Bob Rooney and Bob Whitehead to win in 1958.

Defending U.S. Amateur Cup champion Busch of St. Louis overcomes an early deficit with two goals from Sean Mulqueeny (pictured) and a penalty-kick goal from Mark Frederickson to defeat the San Francisco Sons of Italy, 3-1, in the semifinals of the Amateur Cup in San Francisco.

Among the St. Louis contingent heading to the World Cup is, for the first time, a referee: Prudencio “Pete” Garcia. Future U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer Garcia (pictured) will become the first United States referee to officiate a World Cup game.

Goalkeeper Mike Winter (pictured) chills the Toronto Metros while Steve Frank, Pat McBride, Al Trost and Denny Vaninger combine to provide the goals in the St. Louis Stars’ 2-1 North American Soccer League win in Toronto.

St. Louis native Tim Ream is named player of the season for Fulham, one of England’s most historic clubs, just two years after Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic had told Ream there probably would be no place for him on the team.

Steve Trittschuh is a big winner even though the U.S. loses, 5-1, to Czechoslovakia in the teams’ opening match in Group A of the World Cup in Florence, Italy. The Granite City, Ill., native catches the eye of Czechoslovakia’s assistant coach and will sign with Sparta of Prague, where he will help Sparta win its league title during the 1990-91 season.

Kutis earns its place in U.S. soccer history by winning the U.S. Amateur Cup with a 1-0 victory over the Rochester (N.J.) Ukrainians. Coupled with its earlier capture of the U.S. Open Cup, Kutis becomes the third team to win both cups in the same year, a feat not repeated since.