⚽
St. Louis Kutis
St. Louis, MO 1947–present Midwest
Archive › MO › St. Louis Kutis

Kutis won the National Amateur Cup six years running and in 1957 took the U.S. Open Cup too. That year the national federation used the team, with a few guest players, as the United States in two World Cup qualifiers.1,4

National Amateur Cup finals

  1. 1952Won
  2. 1956Won
  3. 1957Won
  4. 1958Won
  5. 1959Won
  6. 1960Won
  7. 1961Won
  8. 1967Lost
  9. 1969Lost
  10. 1971Won

Eight titles from ten finals. The 1952 title was won under the Zenthoefer's name, the year before Kutis took over the sponsorship.1,2

Raiders, then a sponsor's name

Gene Thumm and Nick Jost founded the club as the St. Louis Raiders on March 21, 1947. Its professional league folded that year, and the Raiders turned amateur in the St. Louis Major League. It then played under a run of sponsors' names: Paul Schulte, then McMahon's, then Zenthoefer's.1

After the 1952 National Amateur Cup, won 4–3 over Ludlow Lusitano, Tom Kutis took over the sponsorship. He ran a local funeral parlor, and from 1953 the team carried his name.1,3 In 1953 it lost a three-game Challenge Cup tie to the Chicago Falcons, a club started by players who had left Chicago's A.A.C. Eagles.1,7 Kutis reached the 1954 final and lost both legs to the New York Americans.2

On May 5, 1955, Kutis beat West Germany's 1. FC Nürnberg 3–2 in an exhibition. Its players included Harry Keough, who had played for the United States in the 1950 World Cup win over England.5,6

The 1957 double, and the national team

In 1957 Kutis beat New York Hakoah 3–0 and 3–1 in the Open Cup final and Rochester Ukrainian 1–0 in the Amateur Cup final. No team has won both in the same year since.2,5

That spring the U.S. national team had lost its first two World Cup qualifiers to Mexico, 6–0 and 7–2. The federation disbanded the squad and gave Kutis the last two games, both against Canada. Kutis lost 5–1 in Toronto on June 22, with Keough scoring a penalty. On July 6, at Public Schools Stadium in St. Louis, about 1,500 watched Canada lead 3–0 at halftime and win 3–2.4

Kutis in the national cup finals2
YearOpponentResult
1954New York AmericansLost 0–1, 0–2
1957New York HakoahWon 3–0, 3–1
1983New York Pancyprian-FreedomsLost 3–4
1985San Francisco Greek-AmericanLost 1–2
1986San Pedro YugoslavsWon 1–0

A father, a son and two cups

Professional leagues made it hard for amateur clubs to compete by the early 1970s, though Kutis won one more Amateur Cup in 1971. As the NASL and ASL collapsed in the early 1980s, it had a second run, reaching three Open Cup final fours in the 1980s.1,3

In 1986 Kutis beat the San Pedro Yugoslavs 1–0 at St. Louis Soccer Park. Joe Eppy was on that team. His father, Bill, had won the 1957 cup with Kutis and came onto the field after the final.3

“We were desperate to win it.”Joe Eppy, on 19863

Kutis forfeited an Open Cup qualifier in 2007, and the club now concentrates on youth soccer.1

Sources

  1. “St. Louis Kutis S.C.” Wikipedia.
  2. “USA: List of Cup Winners.” RSSSF.
  3. Fontela, Jonah. “St. Louis Kutis: A Father-to-Son Cup Triumph.” U.S. Soccer, April 16, 2023.
  4. Lange, Dave. “July 6 (1957).” Soccer Made in St. Louis.
  5. Gallery. Soccer Made in St. Louis.
  6. “Harry Keough.” Wikipedia.
  7. Gubala, David. “Meet the USASA: 1990 US Open Cup champions, AAC Eagles from Chicago.” The Cup, June 10, 2011.