Harry Keough

Harry Joseph Keough (November 15, 1927 – February 7, 2012) was an American soccer defender who played on the United States national team in their 1–0 upset of England at the 1950 FIFA World Cup. He spent most of his club career in his native St. Louis, winning a national junior championship, two National Challenge Cup and seven National Amateur Cup titles. He coached the Saint Louis University men's soccer team to five NCAA Men's Soccer Championships. The Keough Award, named after him, his brother Bill, and his son Ty Keough, is presented each year to the outstanding St. Louis–based male and female professional or college soccer player.

Playing Club career Keough was born to Patrick John and Elizabeth (née Costley) Keough, and grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, attending Cleveland High School. As a youth he played several sports, including track, swimming, and fast-pitch softball, particularly excelling at soccer. His soccer career began in 1945 as a member of the "St. Louis Schumachers", who won the 1946 National Junior Challenge Cup. In 1946, he joined the U.S. Navy. He was assigned to a naval base in San Francisco, California where he played for the "San Francisco Barbarians", which had dominated west coast soccer in the first half of the 20th century. Keough was eventually sent to San Diego as part of a destroyer crew. After his discharge from the Navy, Keough returned to St. Louis. as well as the qualifying matches for the 1954 FIFA World Cup and 1958 FIFA World Cups. His last game with the national team was a 3-2 World Cup qualification loss to Canada on July 6, 1957.

Coaching Upon his retirement as a player, he became coach of Florissant Valley Community College. In 1967, St. Louis University hired him away from Florissant. In his first year with the Billikens, Keough took his team to an NCAA co-championship. He then took his team to four additional championships during his tenure (1969, 1970, 1972, and 1973). When he retired from coaching in 1982, he had compiled a 213-50-23 record with SLU. After retiring from his collegiate coaching career at SLU, Harry served as head coach of the boys' soccer team at Block Yeshiva High School in University City and served as the assistant coach of the women's soccer team at Washington University.

Recognition Keough was inducted into the St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame in 1972, the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1976 (along with his 1950 U.S. teammates), the St. Louis University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995, and the NSCAA Hall of Fame in 1996. In January 2004, Keough and the four other living members of the 1950 World Cup Team (Walter Bahr, Frank Borghi, Gino Pariani and John Souza) were recognized as Honorary All-Americans by the NSCAA at its annual convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1994, the book "The Game of Their Lives", was published, covering the 1950 U.S. World Cup Team's 1 - 0 victory in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, versus the highly favored English team, and in 2005 the movie was released (on DVD under the name "Miracle Match"). Keough was named as one of the 50 Greatest Athletes of the Century (for Missouri) by Sports Illustrated. On September 30, 2009, Keough was named to SLU's Half-Century Team, and on November 18, 2009, Keough was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame as a member of its inaugural class.

Personal During his playing career, Keough worked for the U.S. Postal Service. Keough suffered from Alzheimer's disease in his later life. Harry Keough died on February 7, 2012.

Documentary Keough was featured in the 2009 soccer documentary A Time for Champions discussing the U.S. upset victory over England in the 1950 World Cup and his coaching career at St. Louis University.