This match set standards for the National Challenge Cup (U.S. Open Cup) as a record crowd arrived for Bethlehem Steel’s second consecutive victory in the final in Pawtucket, R.I. Tommy Fleming’s 78th-minute penalty kick decided the match. [Read more…] about May 6, 1916 – Bethlehem Steel 1:0 Fall River Rovers, National Challenge Cup final at Coats Field (Att.: 15,000)
Fall River Rovers become first Massachusetts team to win National Challenge Cup (U.S. Open Cup) at J&P Coats Field in Pawtucket, R.I. U.S. national team captain Tommy Swords credited with goal at 30 seconds, though The Boston Globe story noted: “… this time it came 60 seconds after the ball was kicked off, on a drive 35 yards out, for which Duncan dove and barely missed.” [Read more…] about May 5, 1917 – Fall River Rovers 1:0 Bethlehem Steel, National Challenge Cup final at Coats Field (Att.: 7,500)
Players with New England ties named to the first U.S. World Cup squad included: halfbacks Andy Auld (Providence), William Gonsalves (Fall River); and forwards James Brown (New York Giants), Thomas Florie (New Bedford), J.C. Gentle (Philadelphia), Bert Patenaude (Fall River). Arnold Oliver (New Bedford) also joined the U.S. team, which reached the semifinals of the 1930 World Cup in Uruguay. [Read more…] about May 4, 1930 – USFA “foreign relations committee” selects 15 players for World Cup team
Six-year National Challenge Cup (U.S. Open Cup) championship streak snapped for Shamrocks’ Billy Gonsalves and Alex McNab.
Gonsalves and McNab had teamed to win the title with the Fall River Marksmen, New Bedford Whalers, St. Louis Stix, Baer & Fuller and St. Louis Central Breweries from 1930-35. [Read more…] about May 3, 1936 – Philadelphia German-Americans 3:0 (5:2) St. Louis Shamrocks, National Challenge Cup final (Att.: 10,000)
Professional soccer games were played at both the Cycledrome and Kinsley Park in Providence in the 1920s and ‘30s. Kinsley Park (capacity 6,000 est.) was demolished in 1933 and the Cycledrome (capacity 10,000) in 1937. [Read more…] about May 2, 1926 – Providence Clamdiggers 2:2 Hakoah Vienna at Cycledrome (Att.: 6,000)
Tommy Fleming, a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, goes on to play for J&P Coats, Fall River Marksmen, Boston SC and other New England teams, and coach at Quincy (Mass.) High School. Fleming (b. 1890) left Scotland as a teenager, starting his U.S. playing career with Fore River FC in 1907.
Bethlehem Steel 3:1 Brooklyn Celtic, U.S. Open Cup final at Taylor Field, Bethlehem, Pa. (Att.: 7,000) [Read more…] about May 1, 1915 – Tommy Fleming converts penalty kick, Bethlehem Steel wins National Challenge Cup (U.S. Open Cup)
Boston Bolts take first “victory,” the result against the Orlando Lions decided by post-match penalty kicks during a rainstorm at Nickerson Field. [Read more…] about April 30, 1988 – Boston Bolts 1:1 Orlando Lions, Bolts’ inaugural home match (Att.: 4,028)
Taylor Twellman scored a 13th-minute goal past Shaka Hislop for the New England Revolution in a preview of the 2007 U.S. Open Cup final. The Revolution lost the 2005 and ’06 MLS Cup finals at Pizza Hut Park. [Read more…] about April 29, 2007 – FC Dallas 0:1 Revolution at Pizza Hut Park (Att.: 9,165)
The Boston Bolts had only three returning players from the 1989 ASL title game for their home-opener, which attracted a record crowd, according to Joe Burris’ story in The Boston Globe. The Strikers took a two-goal lead before Koziol scored off a Janusz Michallik-Ian Hennessy combination. [Read more…] about April 28, 1990 – Boston Bolts 1:2 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers at Nickerson Field (Att.: 6,648)
The New England Revolution played D.C. United to a 1-1 draw, then won the post-match shootout in a festive atmosphere, the game kicking off a few hours after a Red Sox-Kansas City Royals game attracted 29,459 at Fenway Park. [Read more…] about April 27, 1996 –Revolution inaugural home game at Foxboro Stadium (Att.: 32,864)