Philadelphia Union players will pay tribute to Walter Bahr on Saturday

The Philadelphia Union will pay homage to U.S. soccer legend Walter Bahr against Vancouver Whitecaps at home on Saturday.

“I think it’s only right we’ll wear the WB black armband for the game to show a little token that we can to a man who meant so much to the game,” head coach Jim Curtin said during his weekly press conference on Wednesday.

Bahr, who died at age 91 on Monday, was the last surviving member of the U.S. Men’s National Team that beat England 1-0 in the 1950 World Cup. He grew up in Philadelphia, playing for Lighthouse Soccer Club and Temple University and played professionally for the Philadelphia Nationals and Philadelphia United German-Hungarians. He coached the Philadelphia Spartans and at both his alma mater and Penn State.

“I’ve heard a lot of amazing stories of just what a mentor he was and what he meant to soccer in this area and also on the national stage as the captain of our national team,” Curtin said.

The team will also be honoring club legend Sébastien Le Toux on Saturday. The Frenchman will be the first player inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor.

Matthew Ralph

Matthew Ralph is the managing editor of Philadelphia Soccer Now. He's covered soccer at all levels for a decade in the Philadelphia region and has also written for TheCup.us, NPSL, PrepSoccer and other publications. He lives with his wife and two young children in Broomall, Pa., but grew up in South Jersey and is originally from Kansas.

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