Gino Pariani
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Virginio Peter Pariani | ||
| Date of birth | February 21, 1928 | ||
| Place of birth | St. Louis, Missouri, United States | ||
| Date of death | May 9, 2007 (aged 79) | ||
| Place of death | St. Louis, Missouri, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||
| Playing position | Inside Right | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1943 | Schumachers | ||
| 1943–1947 | Raftery’s | ||
| 1947–? | St. Louis Simpkins-Ford | ||
| – | Calcaterra | ||
| – | Wildcats A.C. | ||
| National team | |||
| 1948–1950 | United States | 5 | (1) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Virginio “Gino” Peter Pariani (February 21, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri – May 9, 2007) was an American soccer striker. He earned 5 caps and scored 1 goal for the United States men's national soccer team, and played on the 1950 FIFA World Cup team, including the U.S. team's historic 1–0 victory over England. He was also a member of the U.S. Olympic team in London in 1948. He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1976.
Pariani grew up in a working class Italian neighborhood called The Hill in St. Louis, Missouri. The younger of two brothers, Pariani’s childhood consisted primarily of school, working at a local laundromat and playing street sports. Pariani joined a local youth club when he was thirteen.
In 1943, Pariani joined Schumachers when he was fifteen. That year, he won his first title, a St. Louis Municipal League championship, with Schumachers. He then moved to Raftery’s S.C. and remained with them through the 1946-1947 season. That year he was voted the league MVP. In 1947, Carrenti Cleaners came under new sponsorship. The renamed team, now known as St. Louis Simpkins-Ford, recruited Pariani. He would experience considerable success with Simpkins, winning the 1948 and 1950 U.S. Open Cup championships. He continued to play until 1963. Some time during his career, he also played for Calcaterra and Wildcats A.C. Pariani was a St. Louis all-star selection every year from 1946 through 1953.
His success at the club level led to Pariani’s selection to the U.S. soccer team at the 1948 Summer Olympics. The U.S. lost 9-0 to Italy in the first round of this single elimination tournament. Pariani did not play in this loss.
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