Ruben Mendoza
Encyclopedia
Ruben Mendoza was an American soccer forward
who was a dominant player in the St. Louis leagues during the 1950s and 1960s. He earned four caps with the U.S. national team
and was a member of both the 1952 U.S. Olympic
and 1956 U.S. Olympic
teams.
Although he was born in St. Louis, Missouri
, Mendoza's family moved to the Mexican state of Durango
when he was eight. Mendoza began playing street soccer, as most young boys did at the time, while living in Durango. However, he eventually joined an organized team, the Atlante'
Juniors team, going on to win the championship title in 1946.
When he was 16, Mendoza returned to the U.S. where he settled in his home town of St. Louis. Upon his return to St Louis he played for many local teams until he landed a spot with Zenthoefer Furs in 1951.
with Zenthoefer Furs
, St. Louis Raiders and Kutis
between 1951 and 1960. A prolific goal scorer, he spent most of his years either on the left wing or as a forward
where he had a reputation for skillful and accurate headers. Wearing the number 10 jersey, he was known throughout the league for his ability to perform and score using the “bicycle kick”. Unfortunately, St. Louis teams and leagues rarely kept accurate statistics for these years so we no longer know Mendoza's goals totals.
Mendoza won the league title in 1951 with Zenthoefer
before moving to Raiders for the 1952 season. That year the Raiders won both the league title and National Amateur Cup
. After Raiders won the Amateur Cup, Tom Kutis, owner of the Kutis Funeral Home, began sponsoring the team. The team, now known as St. Louis Kutis
, went on to win the 1953, 1954, 1957 and 1960 league titles. Kutis went on to win the U.S. Amateur Cup every year from 1956 to 1960. In 1954, Kutis was runner-up in the U.S. Open Cup
before taking the title in 1957. In the 1950s, the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) frequently had difficulty fielding the U.S. national team and in 1957, USSF selected Kutis to represent the U.S. in the qualifying rounds for the 1958 FIFA World Cup
. Despite its domestic success, the Kutis team was unable to take the U.S. to the cup finals. His team mates with Kutis included such U.S. greats as Bill Looby
, Harry Keough
and Frank Borghi
.
toured the U.S. They racked up a record of 6-2 with the only losses coming from Zenthoefers and fellow European club Celtic
. In 1955, Nuremberg toured the U.S., running to a 5-1-1 record. This time Kutis, led by Mendoza, was the only U.S. team to defeat the German club, the tie coming from English club Sunderland
. Finally, in 1956 Schwaben Augsburg toured the U.S., finishing 5-1. The only loss coming again from Kutis.
between 1954 and 1959, scoring two goals.http://national.soccerhall.org/Registry/MensNationalTeam_K-O.htm#M While this number does not seem impressive by today's standards, it must be recalled that these caps were earned during an era when the U.S. National Team did not play very frequently. He earned his first cap in an April 4, 1954 World Cup qualifier victory over Haiti
in Port-au-Prince
, Haiti
. Mendoza scored the second U.S. goal in the thirty-first minute. Mendoza did not play again for the U.S. for two more years. His second game with the national team did not go as well as the first, as the U.S. was crushed 7-2 by Mexico
in an April 28, 1957 World Cup qualifying match. Six weeks later, the U.S. hosted Canada
in a World Cup qualifying game. While the score was closer than the Mexico game, the U.S. still lost, 3-2 despite a goal from Mendoza. Two weeks later, the U.S. was officially out of the 1958 FIFA World Cup
when Canada again defeated the U.S. 5-1. This was the last game played by Mendoza.
in Helsinki
, Finland
and the 1956 Summer Olympics
in Melbourne
, Australia
.
The U.S. played only one game in 1952, an 8-0 loss to Italy. It had also lost to Scotland in a pre-game exhibition match. In 1956, the U.S. Olympic team went on an Asian tour prior to the games. During this tour, the U.S. performed well, raising hopes which were crushed by a 9-1 loss to Yugoslavia in the only U.S. match of the tournament.
becoming a pioneer in an area which later produced national team defender Steve Trittschuh
, a former player under Mendoza. By the mid-1970s, Mendoza could claim with some accuracy that nearly every soccer player from Granite City had been either coached by him personally or by a coach trained by Mendoza. His club teams won the Illinois State Cup each year throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. One U-13 team advanced to and won the Midwest Regional competition (Detroit, MI) against 7 neighboring states.
Mendoza had the satisfaction of seeing the local high school, consisting of players who had almost entirely been coached as youth players by himself, win the Illinois high school state championship in 1972 and each year from 1976 to 1980, then again in 1982, 1987, 1989 and 1990.
On October 4, 1984, he was inducted into the St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame.
, diabetes and congestive heart failure.
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
who was a dominant player in the St. Louis leagues during the 1950s and 1960s. He earned four caps with the U.S. national team
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
and was a member of both the 1952 U.S. Olympic
United States at the 1952 Summer Olympics
The United States competed at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. 286 competitors, 245 men and 41 women, took part in 133 events in 18 sports.- Gold:*Lindy Remigino — Athletics, Men's 100 metres...
and 1956 U.S. Olympic
United States at the 1956 Summer Olympics
The United States competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. 297 competitors, 251 men and 46 women, took part in 139 events in 18 sports.- Gold:*Bobby Morrow — Athletics, Men's 100 metres...
teams.
Youth
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Mendoza's family moved to the Mexican state of Durango
Durango
Durango officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is located in Northwest Mexico. With a population of 1,632,934, it has Mexico's second-lowest population density, after Baja...
when he was eight. Mendoza began playing street soccer, as most young boys did at the time, while living in Durango. However, he eventually joined an organized team, the Atlante'
Atlante F.C.
Club de Fútbol Atlante, is a Mexican professional football club, currently playing in the Mexican First Division League. The club is based in Cancún, Mexico as of the start of the 2007-08 season, when they relocated from Mexico City, and plays its home games in Estadio Andrés Quintana Roo.-Domestic...
Juniors team, going on to win the championship title in 1946.
When he was 16, Mendoza returned to the U.S. where he settled in his home town of St. Louis. Upon his return to St Louis he played for many local teams until he landed a spot with Zenthoefer Furs in 1951.
St. Louis leagues
Mendoza played ten seasons in the St. Louis Major League, St. Louis Municipal League and St. Louis Soccer LeagueSt. Louis Soccer League
The St. Louis Soccer League was a soccer league based in St. Louis, Missouri, that existed from 1907 to 1938. At its founding, it was the only fully professional soccer league in the United States.-History:...
with Zenthoefer Furs
Zenthoefer Furs
Zenthoefer Furs were an amateur U.S. soccer club which played in St. Louis, Missouri during the late 1940s and early 1950s.They had played as a junior squad named Schumachers in the 1947-48 season where they fell short of national honors when they lost in the final round of the National Junior Cup...
, St. Louis Raiders and Kutis
St. Louis Kutis S.C.
St. Louis Kutis Soccer Club, better known as St. Louis Kutis, is an amateur American soccer club in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1947 as the St. Louis Raiders, the club was known as Paul Schulte during the 1948-49 season and McMahon's during the 1949-50 season. In 1953, the team was renamed...
between 1951 and 1960. A prolific goal scorer, he spent most of his years either on the left wing or as a forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
where he had a reputation for skillful and accurate headers. Wearing the number 10 jersey, he was known throughout the league for his ability to perform and score using the “bicycle kick”. Unfortunately, St. Louis teams and leagues rarely kept accurate statistics for these years so we no longer know Mendoza's goals totals.
Mendoza won the league title in 1951 with Zenthoefer
Zenthoefer Furs
Zenthoefer Furs were an amateur U.S. soccer club which played in St. Louis, Missouri during the late 1940s and early 1950s.They had played as a junior squad named Schumachers in the 1947-48 season where they fell short of national honors when they lost in the final round of the National Junior Cup...
before moving to Raiders for the 1952 season. That year the Raiders won both the league title and National Amateur Cup
National Amateur Cup
The National Amateur Cup is an American soccer competition open to all amateur teams affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation...
. After Raiders won the Amateur Cup, Tom Kutis, owner of the Kutis Funeral Home, began sponsoring the team. The team, now known as St. Louis Kutis
St. Louis Kutis S.C.
St. Louis Kutis Soccer Club, better known as St. Louis Kutis, is an amateur American soccer club in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1947 as the St. Louis Raiders, the club was known as Paul Schulte during the 1948-49 season and McMahon's during the 1949-50 season. In 1953, the team was renamed...
, went on to win the 1953, 1954, 1957 and 1960 league titles. Kutis went on to win the U.S. Amateur Cup every year from 1956 to 1960. In 1954, Kutis was runner-up in the U.S. Open Cup
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League...
before taking the title in 1957. In the 1950s, the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) frequently had difficulty fielding the U.S. national team and in 1957, USSF selected Kutis to represent the U.S. in the qualifying rounds for the 1958 FIFA World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
. Despite its domestic success, the Kutis team was unable to take the U.S. to the cup finals. His team mates with Kutis included such U.S. greats as Bill Looby
Bill Looby
Bill Looby was an American soccer forward who spent his entire career in the St. Louis Leagues. He was a member of the U.S. Olympic soccer team at the 1956 Summer Olympics and earned eight caps, scoring six goals, with the United States men's national soccer team between 1954 and 1959...
, Harry Keough
Harry Keough
Harry Joseph Keough is a former 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 U.S. Open Cup and seven National...
and Frank Borghi
Frank Borghi
Frank Borghi is a former American soccer player who earned nine caps at goalkeeper for the United States national team and played in the U.S. team's 1-0 victory over the hugely favored English in the 1950 FIFA World Cup.-Athletic career:Borghi started his sports career as a professional baseball...
.
Yearly record
| Year | Team | Record | League | Amateur Cup | Open Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Zenthoefer Furs | 16-5-2 | Champion | ||
| 1952 | Raiders | 15-4-2 | Champion | Champion | |
| 1953 | Kutis | 12-1-3 | Champion | ||
| 1954 | Kutis | 14-0-1 | Champion | Final | |
| 1955 | Kutis | 8-?-? | |||
| 1956 | Kutis | unknown | Champion | ||
| 1957 | Kutis | unknown | Champion | Champion | Champion |
| 1958 | Kutis | unknown | Champion | ||
| 1959 | Kutis | unknown | Champion | Semis | |
| 1960 | Kutis | unknown | Champion | Champion | Semis |
Exhibitions
Mendoza's teams played various touring European club teams, winning more than they lost. For example in 1951 Eintracht FrankfurtEintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...
toured the U.S. They racked up a record of 6-2 with the only losses coming from Zenthoefers and fellow European club Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
. In 1955, Nuremberg toured the U.S., running to a 5-1-1 record. This time Kutis, led by Mendoza, was the only U.S. team to defeat the German club, the tie coming from English club Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
. Finally, in 1956 Schwaben Augsburg toured the U.S., finishing 5-1. The only loss coming again from Kutis.
National team
Mendoza earned four caps with the U.S. national teamUnited States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
between 1954 and 1959, scoring two goals.http://national.soccerhall.org/Registry/MensNationalTeam_K-O.htm#M While this number does not seem impressive by today's standards, it must be recalled that these caps were earned during an era when the U.S. National Team did not play very frequently. He earned his first cap in an April 4, 1954 World Cup qualifier victory over Haiti
Haiti national football team
The Haiti national football team represents Haiti in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Haïtienne de Football, the governing body for football in Haiti. Haiti's home ground is Stade Sylvio Cator in Port-au-Prince and their head coach is Edson Tavares...
in Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
. Mendoza scored the second U.S. goal in the thirty-first minute. Mendoza did not play again for the U.S. for two more years. His second game with the national team did not go as well as the first, as the U.S. was crushed 7-2 by Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
in an April 28, 1957 World Cup qualifying match. Six weeks later, the U.S. hosted Canada
Canada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
in a World Cup qualifying game. While the score was closer than the Mexico game, the U.S. still lost, 3-2 despite a goal from Mendoza. Two weeks later, the U.S. was officially out of the 1958 FIFA World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
when Canada again defeated the U.S. 5-1. This was the last game played by Mendoza.
Olympic teams
In addition to his games with the U.S. national team, Mendoza was in the starting lineup for the U.S. at both the 1952 Summer Olympics1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and the 1956 Summer Olympics
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
The U.S. played only one game in 1952, an 8-0 loss to Italy. It had also lost to Scotland in a pre-game exhibition match. In 1956, the U.S. Olympic team went on an Asian tour prior to the games. During this tour, the U.S. performed well, raising hopes which were crushed by a 9-1 loss to Yugoslavia in the only U.S. match of the tournament.
Pre-1956 Olympic Games tour
- Japan 3-5 U.S.
- Kansei 0-6 U.S.
- South Korea 1-0 U.S.
- Taiwan 1-6 U.S.
- Hong Kong 2-1 U.S.
- Philippines 0-4 U.S.
- Singapore 1-2 U.S.
- Indonesia 7-5 U.S.
Coaching
After suffering numerous knee injuries Mendoza retired from playing and moved into the coaching ranks. He began a soccer program across the river from St. Louis in Granite City, IllinoisGranite City, Illinois
Granite City is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States, part of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area. At the 2010 census, the population was 29,849, making it the third largest city in the Metro-East and Southern Illinois, behind Alton and Belleville...
becoming a pioneer in an area which later produced national team defender Steve Trittschuh
Steve Trittschuh
Stephen "Steve" Trittschuh is a retired American soccer defender who played professionally in the Major Indoor Soccer League, American Professional Soccer League and Major League Soccer...
, a former player under Mendoza. By the mid-1970s, Mendoza could claim with some accuracy that nearly every soccer player from Granite City had been either coached by him personally or by a coach trained by Mendoza. His club teams won the Illinois State Cup each year throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. One U-13 team advanced to and won the Midwest Regional competition (Detroit, MI) against 7 neighboring states.
Mendoza had the satisfaction of seeing the local high school, consisting of players who had almost entirely been coached as youth players by himself, win the Illinois high school state championship in 1972 and each year from 1976 to 1980, then again in 1982, 1987, 1989 and 1990.
On October 4, 1984, he was inducted into the St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame.
Death
Ruben Mendoza died on April 11, 2010 at Barnes–Jewish Hospital after a cerebral hemorrhage. His family said he had been battling Alzheimer's diseaseAlzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
, diabetes and congestive heart failure.