|
 Charlie
was born
and raised on the famous "Hill" in St. Louis, Colombo was one
of the most colorful players in the long history of soccer in
St. Louis.
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Personal Information |
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Class of 1976 |
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Born:
July 20, 1920 - St. Louis, MO |
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Died: May 7, 1986 - St. Louis, MO |
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Position:
Center Half |
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Int'l
Caps: 11 |
Int'l
Goals: 0 |
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He
won U.S. Open Cup medals with Simpkins-Ford in 1948 and 1950. Nicknamed
"Lefty" or "Gloves", Colombo trademarks on the field were his intense style
of play and his gloves, which he wore regardless of the weather. However, he
gained his greatest notoriety for his famous rugby tackle on Stan Mortensen
during the game against England in the World Cup of 1950. Colombo told a
reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch years later that "I woke up the
next morning. It was warm. It seemed like there was somebody in my room.
When I looked up there was a man dressed in a neat white suit. He offered me
$200 a week or $8,000 a year to play pro soccer in Brazil." But Colombo
turned him down and returned to the U.S. where he continued to play locally
for the Simpkins club and in later years coached the St. Ambrose team.
U.S. National Team
Statistics |
