Ed McIlvenny

Edward Joseph McIlvenny (21 October 1924 – 18 May 1989) was a Scottish soccer player who most notably captained the United States national team in their 1–0 upset of England at the 1950 FIFA World Cup.

Early years McIlvenny learned to play football as a youth, and while playing for Scottish club Morton, he was selected for a Scottish Junior League team on a tour of the north of Scotland. In 1947, he signed with the Welsh club Wrexham, then in the Third Division North of the English Football League, but he only played seven games for them before moving to the US in 1949 to stay with his sister.

Career In the United States, McIlvenny initially abandoned his soccer career in order to take an industrial job. According to his son, McIlvenny initially worked as a plumber's mate, also delivering eggs and milk. He was subsequently selected to join the U.S. national team during their 1950 World Cup appearance. He was given the honour of being captain for the game against England "because he was British", and in that game, it was his throw-in that led to the U.S. goal. He is also featured in the Scottish Football Museum.