Frank Dell'Apa

Pelé

Boston’s history with Santos & the Seleção

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Brazilian teams have been visiting the Boston area since Pelé led Santos FC on a visit to Fenway Park nearly 50 years ago. The match marked a milestone in modern soccer promotion for the area, attracting 18,431 on July 9, 1968, indicating soccer could be a viable professional sport in Boston, after decades of the sport having been shunted aside.

Santos’ 7-1 victory over the Boston Beacons also attracted mainstream media attention, which was not easy to do. Prominent bylines included Peter Gammons, Leigh Montville, Marvin Pave, Bob Sales. The stories were complimentary about Santos’ performance, Pelé earning plenty of praise. And nearly every story made the same factual error, stating Santos had twice won the World Cup. Remarkably, at that time, even the best and brightest of mainstream journalism had difficulty distinguishing between club and country competitions.

[Read more…] about Boston’s history with Santos & the Seleção

Sept. 10, 2013 – Brazil 3:1 Portugal, int’l. friendly, Gillette Stadium (Att.: 62,310)

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Pre-game ceremonies involved former Benfica star Eusebio, who played for the Rhode Island Oceaneers and Boston Minutemen in the ‘70s, and Pelé. This was the third-largest soccer crowd in Mass. history – four of the top seven Gillette soccer crowds have involved Brazil or Portugal national teams. Goals: Thiago Silva (24’), Neymar (36’) and Jô (50’); Raul Meireles (18’). [Read more…] about Sept. 10, 2013 – Brazil 3:1 Portugal, int’l. friendly, Gillette Stadium (Att.: 62,310)

July 1, 1975 – NASL commissioner Phil Woosnam upholds New York Cosmos’ protest of June 20 game because of crowd problems

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About 20,000 fans packed Nickerson Field, the crowd storming the pitch after a Pelé goal for the New York Cosmos was disallowed in the June 20, 1975 match.  [Read more…] about July 1, 1975 – NASL commissioner Phil Woosnam upholds New York Cosmos’ protest of June 20 game because of crowd problems

Sept. 10, 2013 – Brazil 3:1 Portugal at Gillette Stadium (Att.: 62,310, third-largest soccer crowd in Mass. history)

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New England is among the few areas of the country where Lusophone influence is stronger than Hispanic. Organizers began capitalizing by staging a Brazil v Mexico friendly at Gillette Stadium in 2007, the Mexican players expressing surprise when their supporters were outnumbered. [Read more…] about Sept. 10, 2013 – Brazil 3:1 Portugal at Gillette Stadium (Att.: 62,310, third-largest soccer crowd in Mass. history)

July 8, 1968 – Pele’s Boston debut

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Jamaica national team forward Lloyd McLean’s 25th-minute goal opened the scoring, Pelé and Santos FC then dominating for a 7-1 victory over the Boston Beacons at Fenway Park. Toninho scored twice for Santos, equalizing in the 33rd minute, Pelé converting the go-ahead goal. According to Peter Gammons’ story in The Boston Globe: “ … Although he only scored once and assisted on one goal (Pelé) proved to be one of the most exciting athletes anyone has seen in this area.” Bob Sales’ column compared Pelé to James Brown, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Sandy Koufax and Bobby Orr. [Read more…] about July 8, 1968 – Pele’s Boston debut

June 24, 1972 – Boston Astros prepare for Pele’

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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’

June 20, 1975 – Eusébio v Pelé

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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

 

 

April 7, 1967 – Birth of the Boston Beacons

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Boston ’s entry in the National Professional Soccer League (which became the North American Soccer League) to be called the Boston Beacons … “after consideration of thousands of suggestions from area sports fans.” [Read more…] about April 7, 1967 – Birth of the Boston Beacons

March 16, 1930 – Fall River 1:1 aet Bethlehem Steel, National Challenge Cup at Polo Grounds ‘One of the greatest games’

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This U.S. Open Cup match at the Polo Grounds “was one of the greatest games ever seen here,” according to the Boston Globe report. Attendance announced at 15,000, including 3,000 arriving from New England (the New York Giants averaged less than 12,000 attendance in both the 1929 and ’30 seasons at the Polo Grounds).

A replay was set at New Bedford next Sunday “by the committee of the National Cup.” Bethlehem Steel scored on an R. McAuley own goal after 12 minutes of the second half. “Stark had almost connected with Dick’s great center and McAuley’s lunge at the ball caused the deflection.” At 27 minutes, Alex McNab deadlocked. [Read more…] about March 16, 1930 – Fall River 1:1 aet Bethlehem Steel, National Challenge Cup at Polo Grounds ‘One of the greatest games’