This runaway victory in Billy Wright's 105th and final match helped wipe out the memory of the 1-0 defeat by the United States in the 1950 World Cup finals, but at one stage it looked as if another embarrassment was on its way. The Americans had an early goal disallowed and then took the lead, and at 1-1 at half-time the football writers were preparing head-chopping stories that were hurriedly rewritten as Bobby Charlton led a second-half goal rush with a hat-trick. The pitch, rarely used for soccer, was gravel at one end and grass at the other. England scored seven of their goals while attacking the grassy end. Charlton's first hat-trick for England on the way to an all-time record forty-nine goals included a penalty. The suspect American goalkeeper was beaten by four shots from outside the penalty area. The only forward who did not get his name on the scoresheet was one Jimmy Greaves! It was Billy Wright's farewell game. His England career had started in front of a 57,000 crowd in Belfast in 1946. The finish came in front of just 13,000 fans at the Wrigley Field in Los Angeles. But what a journey he had between the two games, setting a then world record of 105 international appearances. He captained England 90 times and played 70 successive games, a record that still stands.  

Source Notes

TheFA.com
Original newspaper reports
Rothman's Yearbooks
Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record (Breedon Books Publishing Company, Derby, U.K., 1993)
Norman Giller, Football Author
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CG