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7amkickoff (talk | contribs) Edited the dates for the 1958 World Cup qualifications, because the world cup was in 1958 but the qualification matches were in 1957. Also added that Kutis club was the club that lost to Canada during those qualifiers in St. Louis on July 6th 1957. https://www.nytimes.com/1957/07/07/archives/us-beaten-in-soccer-32.html?searchResultPosition=11 |
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{{Infobox football club
'''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, '''McMahon's''' during the 1949-50 season and '''Zenthoefer's''' in the 1950-1951 season. In 1953, the team was renamed St. Louis Kutis. The club gained its greatest prominence in the 1950s when it dominated both St. Louis and national soccer competitions. In 1958, the [[United States Soccer Federation]] used Kutis, with a few guest players, as the U.S. national team in two World Cup qualifying matches.▼
| clubname = Kutis S.C.
| image = Kutis soccer logo.png
| image_size = 150px
| upright =
| alt =
| caption =
| fullname = St. Louis Kutis Soccer Club
| nickname =
| short name =
| founded = {{Start date and age|1947}}
| dissolved =
| American = Yes
| stadium =
| capacity =
| coordinates =
| owntitle = <!--optional, default: Owner -->
| owner =
| chrtitle = <!--optional, default: Chairman -->
| chairman =
| mgrtitle = <!--optional, default: Manager -->
| manager =
| coach =
| league =
| season =
| position =
| website = http://kutissoccer.com/
| kit_alt1 =
| pattern_la1 =_shoulder_stripes_white_stripes| pattern_b1=_shoulder_stripes_white_stripes| pattern_ra1 =_shoulder_stripes_white_stripes| pattern_sh1=_white stripes|pattern_so1= _color_3_stripes_white| leftarm1=ff0000 | body1=ff0000 | rightarm1 = ff0000| shorts1=000000|socks1=ff0000
| pattern_name1 = <!--optional, default: Home colours -->
| kit_alt2 =
| pattern_la2 = | pattern_b2 = | pattern_ra2 = | pattern_sh2 = | pattern_so2 = | leftarm2 = | body2 = | rightarm2 = | shorts2 = | socks2 =
| pattern_name2 = <!--optional, default: Away colours -->
| kit_alt3 = | pattern_la3 = | pattern_b3 = | pattern_ra3 = | pattern_sh3 = | pattern_so3 = | leftarm3 = | body3 = | rightarm3 = | shorts3 = | socks3 =
| pattern_name3 = <!--optional, default: Third colours -->
| current =
}}
▲'''St. Louis Kutis Soccer Club''', better known as St. Louis Kutis, is an amateur [[United States|American]] [[association football|soccer]] club in [[St. Louis, Missouri]].
==St. Louis Raiders==▼
On March 21, 1947, Gene Thumm and local businessman Nick Jost, who was inducted into the St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame on November 11, 1976, called a meeting of soccer players and formed the Raiders club. The Raiders were established as a professional team and entered the [[North American Soccer Football League]] (NASFL). The NASFL was established in 1946 as a professional league spanning the midwest U.S. The NASFL planned a two part season for 1947. The first half would run from April to June, the second half from September to October. The league only lasted the first half and a few games of the second half as financial difficulties led to it folding. Hall of Famer [[Werner Nilsen]] coached Raiders during 1947<sup>[http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/nasfl.html]</sup>▼
==History==
With the collapse of the NASFL, Raiders became an amateur club and entered the newly established St. Louis Major League. Raiders tied [[St. Louis Simpkins-Ford]] for second in the league’s standings. The team was sponsored by '''Paul Schulte''' for the 1948-49 season. Sponsorship was changed once again to '''McMahons''' for the 1949-50 season. The team regained the Raiders name briefly up to November of the 1950-51 season when Walter Zenthoefer began sponsorship of the club. In 1951, Raiders finished third in the league. Raiders dominated the 1952 St. Louis Major Soccer League season. They ran to a 15-4-2 record and took the league title with a four point lead over [[St. Louis Simpkins-Ford]]. The team also won the [[National Amateur Cup]] with a 4-3 victory over Ludlow Lusitano, but lost in the second round of the [[National Challenge Cup]].▼
▲===St. Louis Raiders===
▲On March 21, 1947, Gene Thumm and local businessman Nick Jost, who was inducted into the St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame on November 11, 1976, called a meeting of soccer players and formed the Raiders club.
▲With the collapse of the NASFL, Raiders became an amateur club and entered the newly established St. Louis Major League.
==St. Louis Kutis==▼
===
Following their victory in the National Amateur Cup, Tom Kutis of Kutis Funeral Home took over sponsorship of the team and renamed it St. Louis Kutis S.C. Some
===Years of dominance===
In its first year in existence, Kutis won the St. Louis Major Soccer League title with a
[[File:Ruben_Mendoza_headshot_KUTIS.JPG|thumb|left|230px|[[Ruben Mendoza]] (#10) heading the ball during a Kutis match]]
▲[[Image:Kutis team photo.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Kutis circa 1954.]]
In 1954, the St. Louis Major Soccer League folded and was replaced by the St. Louis Municipal League, formerly the lower competition, as the city’s highest league. Since Kutis had fielded a team in both leagues in 1953, the club decided to place both in the Municipal league. The top Kutis club took the North Division title and the overall league title while the reserve team was second in the South Division. This year, Kutis made it to the
The Municipal League folded at the end of the 1954 season, to be replaced by the Khoury League. However, Kutis decided to withdraw his club from league play and field it as an independent team playing an exhibition schedule only. While this schedule featured teams mainly from St. Louis and Chicago, Kutis also took on [[1. FC
▲In 1954, the St. Louis Major Soccer League folded and was replaced by the St. Louis Municipal League, formerly the lower competition, as the city’s highest league. Since Kutis had fielded a team in both leagues in 1953, the club decided to place both in the Municipal league. The top Kutis club took the North Division title and the overall league title while the reserve team was second in the South Division. This year, Kutis made it to the Open Cup Final, before falling 1-0 and 2-0 to the professional [[New York Americans]]. They also lost the National Challenge Cup to the Americans.
▲The Municipal League folded at the end of the 1954 season, to be replaced by the Khoury League. However, Kutis decided to withdraw his club from league play and field it as an independent team playing an exhibition schedule only. While this schedule featured teams mainly from St. Louis and Chicago, Kutis also took on [[1. FC Nuremberg|Nuremberg]] (a 3-2 victory).
{{Football kit box|align=right|pattern_la=|pattern_b=_redrightsash|pattern_ra=|pattern_so=_band_white|leftarm=ffffff|body=ffffff|rightarm=ffffff|shorts=000066|socks=000066|title=Kutis S.C. kit worn in the 1950s}}
Despite not playing in an organized league for the rest of the decade, Kutis rose to become one of the dominant teams on a national level. They went on to win the [[National Amateur Cup]] six consecutive years (1956–1961) and were perennial contenders for the National Challenge Cup, finally winning the title in 1957.
In 1957-58, the success of Kutis was such that the [[United States Soccer Federation|Soccer Federation]] chose it to represent the U.S. in the two [[1958 FIFA World Cup qualification|1958 FIFA World Cup qualifying]] matches that year. During World Cup qualifications, Kutis club lost to the Canadian national team 3-2 on July 6th, 1957 in St. Louis. In 1960, one of the Kutis club teams won the St. Louis Municipal League title.
===Years of decline===
Kutis continued to find success into the late 1960s, mostly in the National Amateur Cup. However, by the late 1960s, the rise first of the [[National Professional Soccer League II|National Professional Soccer League]] then its successor league, the [[North American Soccer League (1968–1984)|North American Soccer League]], saw the rapid rise in professional U.S. soccer. By the early 1970s a local amateur club such as Kutis could no longer compete successfully.
===Brief resurgence===
The collapse of the NASL in the early 1980s, accompanied by the collapse of the [[American Soccer League (
Nowadays, Kutis S.C. focus on children's soccer.
==Record==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! League !! Regular Season !! Amateur Cup !!
|-
| [[1947 North American Soccer Football League season|1947]] || NASFL ||3rd || ||
Line 54 ⟶ 89:
| 1952 || SLML || bgcolor="B3B7FF"|Champion || bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Champion || Second round
|-
| 1953 ||
|-
| 1954 ||
|-
| 1955 ||
|-
| 1956 || || ||bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Champion ||
Line 124 ⟶ 159:
==Coaches==
* [[Werner Nilsen]]
* Bob Corbett
* [[Joe Carenza, Sr]]
*
* [[Tony Glavin]]
==Honors==
*National Challenge Cup (2): 1957, 1986
*Runners-up (3): 1954, 1983, 1985
*National Amateur Cup (8): 1952, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1971
*Runners-up (2): 1967, 1969
* St. Louis Major Soccer League (3): 1952, 1953, 1954
*Runners-up (1): 1948
* St. Louis Municipal Soccer League (1): 1960
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website}}
* [http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/saintlouis.html History of Soccer in St. Louis]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071008041439/http://www.webster.edu/~corbetre/genealogy/dad/soccer-6.html Photos and details of the
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121017084513/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,864189-1,00.html 1958 Time Magazine article]
{{USOC winners}}
{{Soccer in St. Louis}}
[[Category:Association football clubs established in 1947]]
[[Category:Soccer clubs in St. Louis
[[Category:1947 establishments in Missouri]]
[[Category:U.S. clubs in CONCACAF Champions' Cup]]
[[Category:U.S. Open Cup winners]]
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