The rivalry between USA and Mexico has largely taken shape in the last 35 years, including the Americans’ memorable 2-0 triumph over El Tri in the last 16 at Korea/Japan 2002. But unknown to many is the duel these North American neighbors waged in 1934 for a berth to that year’s FIFA World Cup™ in Italy.

The two nations had to travel to Rome to play a one-game play-off, just three days before the start of the tournament and 90 years ago today. Mexico’s trip to the Italian capital turned into an odyssey of 15 days, leaving the squad desperately out of shape against a USA team that ‘only’ took nine days to reach Rome.

USA emerged 4-2 victors in front of 10,000 spectators, largely thanks to Aldo ‘Buff’ Donelli, who tallied all four of their goals. The fact that Donelli even made the trip to Italy is no small wonder. Known more for his prowess as an American football player and later as a coach at collegiate level, Donelli just so happened to pretty skilled at the ‘other’ football.

He starred on various amateur teams in his native Pennsylvania, but his career at the time of Italy 1934 was as an American football coach at Pittsburgh’s Duquesne University. Despite his amateur status, Donelli was invited to join the USA squad one month before they set sail for Europe.

Billy Gonsalves, considered USA’s top player at the time, urged team officials to include Donelli in the starting line-up against the out-of-form Mexicans, and the decision paid off handsomely.

As the clock ticked over into the 52nd minute, and with USA holding a slim 2-1 lead from Donelli’s first two goals, things swung decisively in their favor when Egyptian referee Mohamed Yossouf sent off Mexico’s Antonio Azpiri. With the one-man advantage, USA attack took flight with Donelli netting another two goals to complete his quartet, heavily outweighing the two goals mustered by Manuel Alonso and Dionisio Mejia for Mexico.

The victory catapulted USA into the World Cup’s first round against hosts Italy. The joy that emanated from defeating Mexico did not last long, though, as the eventual champions put USA to the sword in a 7-1 thrashing, but not without one final triumph for Donelli, who scored his team’s lone goal.

Those two games would serve as Donelli’s only games in a USA jersey. Upon his return home, he resumed his American football coaching career at Duquesne, followed later by stops in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Rams, and back at college level with Boston University and Columbia University.