History of soccer in Americ The Doldrums, 1895-1913

It was not long before the powers that be attempted to follow on the ALPF's footsteps
at a more financially responsible level. The National Association Football League was
formed in 1895 from premier teams of the New York City and New Jersey regional
leagues, and struggled through four seasons. By this time, there was a waning
enthusiasm exacerbated by the infighting among the various associations. Fan interest
and participation were falling, and the NAFBL and the American Cup were both
suspended in 1898. Other sports were becoming popular such as Polo and Boxing, and
suddenly soccer did not look so important anymore. This would not last for long
fortunately.

In 1904, US teams participated in the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis, with Galt Football Club
of Canada defeated Christian brothers College 7-0 and St. Rose School 4-0 for the gold
medal. This must have sparked some enthusiasm, as the St. Louis Soccer League went
professional in 1906, the same year as the NAFBL and the American Cup were revived.
By this time, New England was beginning to wane as the premier hotbed of the country
and most American Cup winners would come from New Jersey/New York or Philadelphia.
The revived National Association Football League, formed by a group of people from
regional state and local leagues, consisted of teams, which had previously played in
municipal leagues. Originally operating out of the New York-New Jersey area, it
eventually added Bethlehem Steel, a powerhouse from eastern Pennsylvania, and the
league operated until 1921. This was the first truly successful pro league in the US.

The formation of FIFA in 1904 left the USA on the outside looking in due to the lack of a
truly national organizing association. However, the addition of Soccer as an official
medal sport for the 1908 Olympics led to increasing interest in international competition
(following the hugely successful 1906 tour by Pilgrim FC from England in 1906). FIFA
would not recognize either the AFA or the AAFA as a legitimate national body, locked as
they were in a bitter war. By this time, the AFA was allied with the English FA, but their
actions angered many, and a number of key regional associations switched allegiance to
the AAFA. Finally, after FIFA had rejected an American application for membership at
their 1912 congress, the rapidly growing AAFA members met on April 5, 1913 and
formed the United States Football Association, which was accepted by FIFA. The AFA
threw in its towel at this point, but the American Cup until 1929. One objective of this
new association was to end the struggle between amateur and professional soccer
organizations for hegemony, a struggle that would last well into the 1960's until the
Association became more professionalized under the direction of Werner Fricker.

Darrell Stuart . com
Development for Soccer Players and Coaches

History of soccer in America
The Doldrums, 1895-1913

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