History of soccer in America, The First Dynasties, 1913-1921

The ethnic influence affected the course of the game through the early 1900's -- it was
still clustered mainly in working-class communities along the northeastern part of the
United States, as well as some selected cities such as St. Louis, Chicago and Pittsburgh.
Leagues were mostly amateur and semi-pro, usually very localized and based on state
associations. Eventually its growing success resulted in attempts to establish national
leagues. At this time, due to the United States's large size and the difficulty of
transportation, there were no true national leagues, even major league baseball was
entirely situated in the northeast and Midwest, although minor leagues operated all
over the country. The same occurred with Soccer, with true major leagues earning that
title mainly through their higher level of professionalism, rather than the amount of
territory covered. Soccer went into a mini-decline around the turn of the century, which
was reversed by the re-establishment of the NASFL and American Cup in 1906, and the
decision of the St. Louis Soccer League to turn fully professional. The tide started to
shift from New England to the New York/New Jersey region, as the NAFBL gained
strength and the cup was won primarily by New York-based teams. The Southern New
England Football league formed in 1914, out of some of the stronger of the local
semi-pro teams in New England. By this time, soccer was also established in Eastern
Pennsylvania, St. Louis, Chicago, and Pittsburgh, and had made its re-entry at several
dozen colleges.

Probably the most important developments to follow the establishment of the USFA
(Now the USSF) were the establishment of an official national championship tournament
(the National Challenge Cup), which was first played in 1914, and the debut of
sanctioned international competition. The Challenge Cup, open to any club that wished
to enter, amateur or pro, was the first truly national competition, and did much to
increase the prestige of the game. Now known as the US Open Cup, this is the oldest
continuous team sport tournament in the country (outside of the World Series and
Hockey's Stanley Cup), but in later years, the cup struggled to be taken seriously by the
ISL and NASL in the 1960's.

By this time, the first true dynasties were beginning to emerge, among the Fall River
Rovers, Bethlehem Steel, Kearny Scots and others. The NAFBL in its second incarnation
was much more solid and soon stood out over the regional leagues, as did the SNESL.
Important steps were being made toward the professionalization of the game. With the
weakened American Cup still competing with the National Challenge Cup, a couple of
teams went on to win the first "doubles" in the US, by copping both cups.

The balance of power shifted during this era from southeastern New England to the
New York/New Jersey region, and New York based teams often took the American Cup
home during the WWI period. Kearny sported several teams that were perennial
contenders, including the Kearny Scots and Kearny Clark, with frequent competition from
the Paterson True Blues.

On the professional front, the recognition by FIFA allowed the US to field an official
National Team in sanctioned competition. Their first games, in 1916, included a 3-2 win
over the new Swedish team, and a 1-1 draw with Norway. Sadly, World war I derailed
the international tours, and the US did not field a national team again until the 1924
Olympics.

Three of the early dynasties of American Soccer were the Fall River Rovers, winners of
the American Cup in 1888 and 1889, and Bethlehem Steel, who won the American Cup
in 1914, 1916, 1917, 1918, and 1919 (finalist in 1920), and winners of the National
Challenge Cup in 1915, 1916, 1918, and 1919 (finalist in 1917). Bethlehem won the first
"doubles", copping both cups in 1916, 1918 and 1919. In fact, Bethlehem won a "triple"
in 1919, by virtue of also winning the NASFL title that year (followed by league titles the
next two seasons).

Darrell Stuart . com
Development for Soccer Players and Coaches

History of soccer in America
The First Dynasties, 1913-1921

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