Former Dartmouth College football star Bill Cunningham named president of American Soccer League. League also adds a new team: “… an all-Jewish team, to be known as the Hakoah of New York, is being organized by Nat Agar, formerly of the Brooklyn Wanderers. Fourteen stars of Continental Europe are being imported for the team,” according to a wire service report. [Read more…] about June 28, 1929 – Boston Man Reelected Soccer League President
Shannon MacMillan opened the scoring in the 56th minute and Tisha Venturini converted twice as the U.S. blanked North Korea, 3-0, to finish in first place in Group A of the 1999 Women’s World Cup.
The U.S. then edged Germany (3-2) in Landover, Md., and defeated Brazil (2-0) in Palo Alto, Calif., before capturing the title with a penalty kicks victory over China after a 0-0 draw before 90,185 at the Rose Bowl July 10, 1999. [Read more…] about June 27, 1999 – Largest crowd (50,484) for women’s sporting event in New England
Kerr’s arrival would help the New England Revolution’s offense, and also have long-term implications for New England soccer. While playing for the Revolution, Kerr worked as an assistant coach at Wellesley High School in 1997. Kerr then coached the A League Worcester Wildfire in 1998 and the Boston Bulldogs, starting in 1999. While with the Bulldogs, Kerr recruited Steve Nicol, who took over as player-coach after Kerr was named head coach at Harvard University. Kerr hired Paul Mariner as a Harvard assistant in 2003, Mariner going on to become Nicol’s assistant with the Revolution from 2004-09. [Read more…] about June 26, 1996 – Revolution acquire John Kerr Jr. from Dallas Burn in exchange for Zak Ibsen
The New England Revolution were among the MLS teams bidding for Lalas, who was preparing to play in Copa America for the U.S. and for the 1995-96 Serie A season with Padova. The Revolution already had defender Mike Burns lined up for the league’s inaugural season in 1996, after Burns became the second U.S. national team player (following Tab Ramos) to sign with MLS.
[Read more…] about June 25, 1995 – Alexi Lalas signs MLS contract
The New England Revolution were among the MLS teams bidding for Lalas, who was preparing to play in Copa America for the U.S. and for the 1995-96 Serie A season with Padova. The Revolution already had defender Mike Burns lined up for the league’s inaugural season in 1996, after Burns became the second U.S. national team player (following Tab Ramos) to sign with MLS.
[Read more…] about June 25, 1995 – Alexi Lalas signs MLS contract
When Lowell’s John Bertos started the Astros in the mid-1960s, he acted as owner, coach and goalkeeper. Bertos had to be resourceful, as the team moved from Fall River, to Boston to Worcester, competing in the American Soccer League from 1969 until 1975, when the team finished as co-champion of the league. Bertos brought in talented Brazilian players, such as Decio Brito, a former Pelé teammate at Santos FC and brother of Seleçāo star Brito. Bertos, whose son, Mike, was a standout at Boston University, went on to coach Lowell High School’s soccer team in the ‘80s. [Read more…] about June 24, 1972 – Boston Astros prepare for Pele’
The crowd turned out to be among the most impressive of the World Cup group stage matches at Foxboro Stadium as Bolivia and South Korea went all out in a futile attempt to advance in Group C. [Read more…] about June 23, 1994 – Highest attendance (54,456) for World Cup match at Foxboro Stadium. Bolivia 0:0 South Korea
After Foxboro Stadium was evacuated and kickoff delayed 72 minutes, Dallas took the lead as Jason Kreis assisted future New England Revolution midfielder Damian Alvarez (19th minute), then scored in the 27th minute. Alejandro “Colorado” Farias cut the deficit with a 29th-minute header and Alexi Lalas equalized with a 65th-minute header from Imad Baba. [Read more…] about June 22, 1997 – Revolution 2:2 (2:1 shootout) Dallas Burn. Hour-plus lightning delay (Att.: 15,819)
Three Gabriel Batistuta goals (2’, 44’, 90’) and Diego Maradona’s 60th-minute conversion launched Argentina into a favorite’s role in the tournament. The World Cup kicked off June 17, 1994, and anticipation built for this match, the first of six WC games in New England. Argentina set up camp at Babson College in Wellesley and, apparently, the Selección’s training staff shopped on Tremont Street in Boston, purchasing the dietary supplement containing ephedrine that ended up getting Maradona banned. [Read more…] about June 21, 1994 – Argentina 4:0 Greece, first World Cup game at Foxboro Stadium (Att.: 53,644)
The two greatest players of their era, Eusébio da Silva Ferreira and Edson Arantes do Nascimento “Pelé”, met in a competitive match for the first time since the 1966 World Cup as the Boston Minutemen took a 2-1 extra time win over the New York Cosmos before an overflow crowd at Boston University’s Nickerson Field. Overflow is the operative word, since the stadium was dangerously oversold, fans standing at field level behind the goals.
Eusébio converted the opening goal on a free kick for the Minutemen, then Pelé scored a disallowed goal (former Harvard goalkeeper Shep Messing deflected a shot over the end line, the ball ricocheting back off spectators), the crowd rushing on to the field. Mark Liveric scored a late equalizer and Wolfgang Suhnholz broke the deadlock in extra time.
The Cosmos protested the game and the result was nullified by NASL commissioner Phil Woosnam on July 1.
Among the best recountings of the game is in Messing’s “The Education of an American Soccer Player.”
The stadium was more than rocking, the stands filled and traffic on Commonwealth Avenue locked up an hour before kickoff.
“It sounds like a soccer crowd in fucking El Salvador,” Messing noted.
The time marked the beginning of the demise of the Minutemen with the start of an SEC investigation into Minutemen owner John Sterge’s petroleum investments in May and the advent of the relaunch of the Cosmos, with the June 10, 1975 signing of Pelé to a $4.5 million contract.
Eusébio and Pelé were near the end of their careers, but both had enough left to lead their teams to championships.
The Minutemen realized this could be their opportunity.
“Any locker room that houses Eusébio should be declared a shrine,” Messing wrote.
Had Sterge been able to maintain the financing, the Minutemen might have made their name on the field. The Minutemen won the NASL’s Northern Division and the Cosmos finished third in 1975. Eusébio and Suhnholz moved to Toronto Metros-Croatia, leading them to the 1976 NASL Soccer Bowl title. Pelé and the Cosmos won the 1977 Soccer Bowl.
June 20, 1975 – Boston Minutemen 2:1 (aet) New York Cosmos at Nickerson Field (Att.: 20,000 est.)
TODAY IN NEW ENGLAND SOCCER HISTORY