Aldo ‘Buff’ Donelli
While I’ve been gone over the past month, I got to experience a trip to Pittsburgh. Yes I know I had a couple articles show up last week, but those were from an old manuscript I’ve never used. This is the first new one since. I figured I would do a general sports topic about the Pittsburgh area. This will touch on soccer, and American Football. This time it’s about a lost hero of the USA v Mexico derby, Aldo “Buff” Donelli.
Donelli scored four goal in the 4-3 victory on 24 May 1934, match against Mexcio in a World Cup Qualifier. While he did coach in other sports, soccer was his main passion. Donelli was born on 22 July 1907, and started playing soccer in Western Pennsylvania coal mining areas once he turned 15.
Early in his playing career he developed a reputation as a goal-scorer. As a 19 year old, he scored four times in Cuddy’s 10-3 triumph over Westinghouse in the second round of the West Penn cup on 31 October 1926. Also playing for Morgan Strasser, Donelli, lead the Pittsburgh area in scoring from 1922-1928. While wearing the jersey for Heidelberg Soccer Club 1929, he hit five times, in a 9-0 win over the First Germans of Newark in the National Amateur Cup final in Irvington, New Jersey. Preston North End in England caught wind of his play, and offered him a contract.
Donelli had a lot on his plate, with playing the other form of football. He was the captain, and kicker for Duquesne University. His coach at Duquesnse was Elmer Layden, the fullback of Notre Dame’s Four Horsemen. After Donelli’s college career was over, he joined the Dukes as an assistant coach.
This made it easy for him to work during the week with Duquesne and play soccer Sundays. He was unfortunately, unable to play in the 1930 World cup. Though, he didn’t miss out on the next World Cup four years later. At the age of 26, he was part of a three match tryout.
Though while he was trying out, on 8 April 1934 Donelli missed two penalty kicks in Curry’s 2-1 defeat to Gallatin. Though the next day he made the USA National Team, which he had to report to Philadelphia for training for 226 April. The team would then depart New York for Italy via boat on 5 May. Nine days later the national team arrived in Italy. They however, didn’t start practice as a soccer team.
They played baseball, with Donelli scoring two goals. They had a final qualifier for the World Cup at Stadio PNF in Rome. By the 73rd minute against Mexico, Donelli had his three goals. He could have had all five goals. After beating Mexico, America played Italy, and lost 7-1. Which was the worst result in American World Cup history.
This was the last time the USA would defeat its neighbors for 46 years. It would be a 2-1 win in Fort Lauderdale Florida on 23 November 1980. Donelli retired from international footy at that point, with an outstanding strike rate of 2.5 goals per game.
Next he would be named Duquesne head football coach. Donelli coached the university to two undefeated seasons in 1939 and 1941. They only surrendered 21 points. In 1941 while still head coach of Duquesne he coached the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers. After five games, which were all losses, he was asked by the Pittsburgh ownership to quit. After serving in the Navy in World War 2, he coached the Cleveland Rams of the NFL, Boston University and Columbia. The weight room at Columbia is named after him. He lived to 87 years old dying in August of 1994. Ironically the same year the USA hosted the World Cup.