Many football fans have no idea that the USA pulled off one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history in 1950. On a dusty field in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, the Americans surprisingly defeated England 1-0.

Even many who know this story have never heard of it Frank Borghi. He was the St. Louis-born goalie who prevented a shutout in that memorable game

Five years earlier, Borghi was a hero of a different kind. As a World War II medic whose infantry unit fought in the Battle of the Bulge, he was awarded both the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.

When the United Soccer Coaches’ Veterans, Active Military & Affiliates (VAMA) coaching group was looking for a way to celebrate Purple Heart Day, a tribute in Borghi’s name seemed appropriate. VAMA members were asked to nominate a veteran or military coach, instructor, educator or administrator who embodies the group’s mission to “serve the game and all those who play it.”

The first Frank Borghi Memorial Heart Award was presented to Master Sergeant of the Marine Corps on August 7 Juan Ramirez.

VAMA says: “Juan Ramirez, USMC, is a great coach and a person who leads by example.”

MSgt. Ramirez – who came to the United States from Mexico as a teenager – has served in Japan twice during his more than 20 years of service as a Marine. Both times he volunteered as an assistant coach at Matthew C. Perry High School, a Department of Defense school 45 minutes from Hiroshima.

Ramirez spends many hours directing the Far East Soccer Tournament and the Perry Cup, which brings together teams from the Department of Defense and international schools.

The award winner has championed the recognition of foreign players by United Soccer Coaches. Two Perry athletes have been honored with All-America and Scholar All-America awards.

At 43, Ramirez still plays with the Marines and Navy personnel, as well as their Japanese counterparts. He is “a catalyst and an inspiration for them,” says VAMA, “and a bridge to the host nation’s soccer community.”

Mark Long knows Ramirez well. He is the head coach at Perry High and hired Ramirez the year the team won its third of six state championships. (The “state tournament” includes Department of Defense teams from Japan, Okinawa, South Korea and Guam.)

“He leads by example,” Lange says. “He always asks, ‘What do you need?’ He always gives back. He’s a great mentor for young players.” They appreciate his attention to detail, “and they know what he’s talking about. So they respond.”

Lange uses a seafaring analogy to describe Ramirez’s low-key approach: “It’s like being on the water, in rough waves. He calms everyone down.”

Marines, he adds, are “a different breed. They preach integrity and unity. You never let your buddy down. That’s how he treats the team. He has all those standards. He holds them high, to all the players.”

But, Lange said, Ramirez balances high expectations with the realization that “every kid is different. He encourages each one in his own way.” The former drill instructor “pushes people, but he also helps them get to the finish line. And he does that in the classroom as well as on the field.”

Ramirez is humble. After learning he had received the Frank Borghi Award, he didn’t even tell his superior. When Lange told him the news, the commander said, “That’s Juan. He’s reserved. He’s humble. And he always gives 100 percent.”

At James Madison High School in San Diego County, Ramirez played forward. He thrived on competition and scoring goals. But, Ramirez says, he also loved the feeling of scoring a goal because “I was helping my brothers and my team win.”

The most meaningful part of his involvement with soccer in Japan has been influencing and training high school athletes as well as young Marines and Sailors. As a competitive athlete, he is happy to have won the high school Far East tournament with Lange and a tournament in Okinawa with his base team. But equally gratifying is the opportunity to play against local Japanese teams and build stronger relationships with the local community.

The Frank Borghi Memorial Heart Award is new, so Ramirez hadn’t heard of it before his nomination. He is especially honored that it is named after a Purple Heart recipient who also played for the US national team.

Ramirez will retire from military service in December 2025. Until then, he will continue to coach – and play with and against much younger soldiers.

Lange says: “He is an old man. But I would not take action against him!”