Joe Gaetjens was born Joseph Edouard Gaetjens on March 19, 1924 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti Joe Gaetjens was a Haitian soccer player who played for the United States national team in the 1950 World Cup, scoring the winning goal in the stunning 1-0 upset of England.
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Joe Gatjens, From Dishwasher to the Hall Of Fame
From The US National Soccer Hall of Fame:
Joe Gaetjens Class of 1976 Born: March 19, 1924 - Port-au-Prince, Haiti Died: July 10, 1964 - Port-au-Prince, Haiti Position: Forward Int'l Caps: 3 Int'l Goals: 1
Born of a Belgian father and a Haitian mother Joe Gaetjens started playing soccer at the age of 14 for the well known Haitian club L' Etoile Haitiene and played for them against the National Soccer League all-star team of New York when they toured Haiti in 1941.
In the late 1940s Joe Gaetjens moved to the U.S. on a Haitian government scholarship to attend Columbia University.
In New York Joe Gaetjens played for Brookhattan in the American Soccer League, and won the scoring title in 1950.
Along the way he worked as a dishwasher in a restaurant to make ends meet.
His scoring ability attracted the attention of the selectors for the U.S. national team and he became a member of the 1950 World Cup team.
In Brazil, Joe Gaetjens scored the famous goal that beat England 1-0 in Belo Horizointe.
Following the World Cup he moved to France, where he stayed for three years, and played for second division Troyes before returning to Haiti where he became a spokesman for Colgate and Palmolive and owned his own dry cleaning stores.
Joe Gaetjens continued to play soccer and played for Haiti against Mexico in a World Cup qualifying game in Port-au-Prince on December 27, 1953.
On July 8, 1964 Joe Gaetjens was arrested by the Tontons Macoutes, the notorious Haitian secret police, and was never seen again.
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