First Win Over Mexico

On This Day in 1934, Donelli's Four Goals Propelled America to the World Cup Finals in Italy

As the United States entered the 1934 World Cup qualifying campaign, expectations were tempered by the organizational challenges and financial constraints of the Depression era. American soccer had weathered significant turmoil since its impressive showing at the inaugural 1930 World Cup, where the team had reached the semifinals. The once-mighty American Soccer League had declined dramatically, and the U.S. Soccer Football Association (USSFA) struggled to maintain its footing amid economic hardship.

The qualifying process for the 1934 tournament was marked by confusion worldwide. FIFA had implemented a new knockout format requiring 32 teams to qualify for 16 spots. In the Americas, only four nations entered: Cuba, Haiti, Mexico, and the United States. After Cuba advanced past Haiti but fell to Mexico, the stage was set for a decisive Mexico-USA showdown to determine which North American team would represent the region in Italy.

The American preparation was characteristically rushed and disorganized. Elmer Schroeder, who had become the USSFA's first American-born president, took on the additional role of team manager. Schroeder selected David Gould, a Scottish-born coach from the University of Pennsylvania, to lead the squad. Player selection consisted of three exhibition matches—hardly sufficient to build cohesion for international competition.

The team was chosen after one tryout game between the German-Americans of Philadelphia and a selection of the best professional players from other teams. The final 19-man roster featured a mix of professionals and amateurs, with just four veterans from the 1930 World Cup squad: Billy Gonsalves, Thomas Florie, George Moorhouse and Jimmy Gallagher.

The most unexpected addition to the team came from western Pennsylvania—Aldo "Buff" Donelli, an amateur player who had driven "flying down Route 22 from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia" just to attend the tryouts. Despite his impressive record with the Curry Silver Tops and Heidelberg club, Donelli faced resistance from the established professionals, who viewed the coal country amateur skeptically.

"There was a clique among the New England and St. Louis players," Donelli later recalled, "and they wanted to keep me out of the lineup." It reportedly took an ultimatum from star player Gonsalves—"If you don't play Donelli, I'm not playing!"—to secure his position in the starting eleven.

On May 24, the Americans faced Mexico at Rome's Stadio Nazionale del PNF before 10,000 spectators, including Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and U.S. Ambassador Breckenridge Long. FIFA's curious decision to stage this qualifying match in Italy just days before the tournament meant the winner would stay for the World Cup proper while the loser would make the long journey home after just one match. A day before the game, members of the team met Pope Pius. Elmer A. Schroeder, president of the United States Football Association, headed the party.

The Americans took the field with a physical advantage but a technical disadvantage. The New York Times reported, "The Mexican players appeared to be technically superior to the Americans, but they were all of much slighter build and obliged to yield to the more vigorous game of their heavier opponents."

Donelli wasted little time making his mark. In the 15th minute, American defender Czerkiewicz intercepted a Mexican pass and delivered a long ball to Donelli, who broke away from his defenders. "I was able to go around the man very easily," Donelli remembered. "One opponent fell as he ran after me, and I had no problem beating the goalie." The Americans led 1-0.

Mexico equalized in the 22nd minute through Alonso, but the Americans quickly reclaimed the lead. McLean found Donelli on the left flank, and the center forward struck a clean shot along the ground past Mexican goalkeeper Navarro. The Americans took a 2-1 lead into halftime.

The match turned further in the Americans' favor in the second half when Mexican defender Azpiri was ejected for attempting to stop Donelli with his hands. With the numerical advantage, the U.S. capitalized when Nilsen slipped a pass to Donelli, who broke away from two defenders. He ripped a shot on the run, and Navarro made no attempt to stop it, extending the lead to 3-1.

Mexico managed to pull one back to make it 3-2, but Donelli wasn't finished. He sealed his historic performance with a fourth goal after receiving a pass from Florie. He confused the opposing defenders with a quick shot between two of them that snuck into the net. The final whistle confirmed a 4-2 American victory. Donelli became the second player in U.S. Soccer history to score four goals in a single international match, matching Archie Stark's feat against Canada in 1925.

As reported in the press, Mussolini "warmly congratulated United States Ambassador Long, who sat on his right, on the success of his countrymen." The Americans had earned the right to face the host nation in the World Cup proper.

Three days later, the jubilation turned to stark reality when the Americans met Italy at the same venue. Before 25,000 partisan fans and with Mussolini again in attendance, the technically superior Italians, bolstered by naturalized Argentine stars Luisito Monti and Raimundo Orsi, raced to a 3-0 halftime lead. The Italians were particularly focused on neutralizing the American scoring threat.

"Monti! I can still see him," Donelli later recalled. "Because I scored four goals against Mexico, Monti would not let me alone. He was tough, and he was a big man."

Despite the close marking, Donelli managed one moment of brilliance ten minutes into the second half. "There was a mix-up in their play, and the ball just came loose," he explained. "I was in back of the play and instead of dribbling it up, which normally almost everybody would have done, take another step to the right and then take a shot, I didn't take any steps. I just took a shot from there, and I put it up in the far left corner." It was the Americans' lone goal in a 7-1 defeat.

"Losing to Italy was no disgrace," Billy Gonsalves told reporters after the tournament. "They went on to win the World Cup. We complimented ourselves on getting that one lonely goal against a team of that caliber, world-class players from two world-class soccer powers."

The victory over Mexico and a respectable showing against the eventual champions caught the attention of European clubs. Donelli received a $5,000 offer from Lazio to remain in Italy—a considerable sum during the Depression—while Gonsalves fielded interest from multiple European sides. Both declined, sensing the troubled political climate in fascist Italy.

Upon returning home, Donelli largely abandoned soccer for American football, eventually becoming the head coach at Duquesne University and later for the Pittsburgh Steelers. His brief but brilliant international soccer career—just two games with five goals—is one of the most efficient in U.S. Soccer history.

Despite the team's brief participation, the 1934 World Cup campaign marked an important milestone in American soccer. The victory over Mexico established what would become North America's fiercest soccer rivalry. At the same time, the physical, determined American style demonstrated that even with limited resources and preparation, U.S. players could compete on the world stage.

For the financially struggling USSFA, the tournament provided needed revenue but did little to elevate soccer's profile in a nation increasingly focused on baseball, college football, and the emerging professional gridiron game. It would be another 16 years before the United States would again qualify for the World Cup, making this fleeting Roman triumph a bright spot in an otherwise challenging period for American soccer.