In its day, which lasted from 1925 to 1963, the Lewis Cup was one of the biggest events in American soccer.
ASL
D-Day at the Polo Grounds
Nearly every professional sports event in the United States was canceled or postponed on June 6, 1944. Roger Allaway looks at one of the few that wasn’t, a benefit soccer tournament at the Polo Grounds featuring ASL teams.
The Archives Room: The greatest Open Cup final?
In the 1960 US Open Cup final, Philadelphia’s Ukrainian Nationals came from behind three times over 120 minutes to win the championship with Mike Noha scoring all five of the Uke Nats goals. Roger Allaway has the story.
The Archives Room: Hakoah left its mark on America
Roger Allaway on the legacy of the US tours by Austria’s Hakoah team in the 1920s.
Who scored the first professional goals in US soccer history?
Who scored the first goals in the earliest US professional leagues? Brian Bunk looks at the available evidence.
The Archives Room: What was the Soccer War?
Roger Allaway looks at the American Soccer War, the 1928-29 struggle between the U.S. Football Association and the American Soccer League over control of the sport in the US.
Marksmen celebrate a century: The history of a storied American club
Derek Gonsalves reviews the history of the Fall River Marksmen, arguably the preeminent US club of its day, to mark the 100th anniversary of its founding.
Overview: The American Soccer League, 1921-1934
Dan Creel recounts each ASL season between 1921 and 1934
Reading your own obituary: Samuel Bustard, the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, and the evolution of New York Metro Area soccer
Kurt Rausch’s examination of the career of Samuel Bustard — who was widely, and wrongly, reported dead during the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic — illuminates soccer in the New York Metro Area in the 1910s and 1920s.
What Happened to Mark’s Stadium?
The original Mark’s Stadium was built in 1921. What happened to it?
Harrison’s Maradona: A Recollection of Al “Funze” Jennette
Frank Santamassino’s cousin, Al Jennette, who everyone called Funze, played professional soccer in New York City in the 1940s, and he is one of the many forgotten stars in American soccer history.
It ain’t over ’til it’s over
New Bedford Whalers entered the second leg of the 1931 ALS championship against New York Giants with an 8-3 deficit to overcome.
It’s time to remember the Ukrainian Nationals
Steve Holroyd on the remarkable record of the Ukrainian Nationals, which included four US Open Cup titles between 1960 and 1966.
Philadelphia German Americans win the 1936 US Open Cup
On May 3, 1936, Philadelphia German Americans became the first amateur team, and the first team from the city of Philadelphia, to win the US Open Cup.
Be very afraid: U.S. soccer’s most dominant teams ever
Looking back over ASL I, the NASL, and MLS, which teams were the most dominant? Steve Holroyd explores.
Who’s better, who’s best: Leveling the pitch to find the best US club sides ever
Steve Holroyd performs some statistical leveling to determine the all-time top 15 US pro soccer teams.
Moving the goalposts
The ASL in the 1920s has been called the “golden age” of American soccer. Some older fans argue that the NASL was “better” than MLS. What do the numbers say.
Len Oliver Q&A: Playing in the pros in 1950s Philadelphia and beyond
Our series of conversations with Philadelphia-born National Soccer Hall of Famer Len Oliver continues.
Philadelphia Soccer in the 1940s and 1950s, part 5: The pro game in 1950s Philadelphia
National Soccer Hall of Famer Len Oliver’s series continues.
The forgotten Thomas W. Cahill
Roger Allaway on Thomas Chaill, one of the major figures in the early years of American soccer.