Overseas tours by American soccer teams have become, while not commonplace, at least not as unusual as they once were. The grand-daddy of them all was Bethlehem Steel’s tour of Sweden and Denmark in 1919.
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Shots heard a few blocks away
Paul Caligiuri’s biggest goal wasn’t the first game winner that he’d scored against Trinidad and Maurice. He’d also had one four years earlier, on May 19, 1985, Roger Allaway explains.
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.
Guides to American soccer’s past
Roger Allaway looks at the importance of the Spalding Guides and Graham Guides to American soccer historians.
If you can’t beat ’em, sign ’em
Dave Lange looks at the pipeline of St. Louis talent who played for Michigan State beginning in the 1960s.
SASH Session : Jermaine Scott on “Harlem’s Chief Representatives: Black Soccer Radicalism in New York City, 1928-1949” Updated with Video
Dr. Scott is an Assistant Professor of African American, African Diasporic, and Sport History at Florida Atlantic University.
Memorable for the wrong reason
Roger Allaway looks at how crowd trouble marred the meeting between Pelé’s Santos and Eusebio’s Benfica at Randall’s Island in New York in August, 1966.
The unusual Edgar Lewis
Roger Allaway on the driving force behind the powerhouse Bethlehem Steel team of 100 years ago, a man who was an oddity in American soccer.
Did St. Louis almost get a soccer stadium in 1932?
Dave Lange looks at the long obscure story of interest in building a soccer stadium in St. Louis in 1932.
A starry night in New Jersey
Roger Allaway looks at a game that could have been a magnificent event for American soccer but instead was a rather bittersweet occasion.
The “pocket-book size masterpiece”: A publishing history of the Graham Guides
First self-published in 1948 before being backed by the USSFA beginning in 1960, over the span of three decades Bill Graham’s annual compilation of soccer activities in the US followed in the footsteps of the Spalding Guides Ed Farnsworth examines the publishing history of what are now colloquially known as the Graham Guides.
Kicking off those Bunglesome Bloomers: Women’s soccer in Baltimore, 1920-23
A brief history of women playing soccer in Baltimore between 1920 and 1923
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.
St. Louis Stadium Firsts
Dave Lange rounds up some facts and firsts about sites for soccer matches in St. Louis.
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.
Book Talk on February 17, 2023 at 12 PM ET: Kelcey Ervick discusses The Keeper: Soccer, Me and the Law That Changed Women’s Lives Updated with video
Kelcey Ervick will discuss her new graphic memoir, which examines the role that Title IX has played in expanding opportunities for women in soccer, and sport in general, in the US.
Liverpool chows down
Touring foreign soccer teams have come to the United States for a lot of different reasons over the years, most of them tied in one way or another to money. In 1946, Liverpool came to the United States for lunch.
St. Louis Soccer Club tour of Sweden, 1920
Dave Lange looks at the St. Louis-based team that visited Sweden in 1920, following the path of visits by the USMNT in 1916, and Bethlehem Steel in 1919.
The forgotten Thomas W. Cahill
A man who dominated the sport in the United States 100 years ago is nearly unknown today.
The Cosmos-Whitecaps classic of 1979
Roger Allaway on the second leg of the 1979 championship semifinal between New York Cosmos and Vancouver Whitecaps, considered by many to be the best game in the history of the original NASL.
A soccer Christmas story, 1884
Dave Lange recounts the first international matches in the US, which took place over the Christmas holiday in 1884 between local St. Louis sides and a team representing Canada’s Western Football Association.
Stix by any other name…
Roger Allaway looks at what’s behind the name of some of the most storied teams in US soccer history.
RIP, Pelé
The greatest player of in the history of the game has died at the age of 82
A Designer Looks at MISL Team Logos, 1980-81
Brian D. Bunk asked Myles Dumas, design director at NAIL Communications, for his thoughts on MISL logos from the 1980-81 season.
The “American Menace”
Roger Allaway looks back to when European club soccer felt threatened by the ASL.
Burn ’em Up Hellions!
Brian D. Bunk looks at the short but colorful history of Hartford Hellions of the MISL.
1908 Spalding Guide now available
The 1908 Spalding Guide is now available for download in PDF format for the first time.
Nigeria’s American dramatics
Roger Allaway looks at why the men’s soccer tournament at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta deserves to be a lot better remembered than it is.
Book Talk, Friday, December 9 at 12 PM ET: James Brown discusses “Mud, Blood and Studs” Updated with Video
James Brown will discuss his new book, Mud, Blood and Studs: One Family’s Legacy in Soccer and Rugby Across Three Continents, “a special story of sporting excellence passed from generation to generation.”
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 record-setting Archie Stark
Billy Gonsalves is considered by many to be the best US player before the Second World War but Archie Stark remains the greatest goalscorer the US has ever produced.
Power Ranking the USWNT Moms
For more than 25 years, USWNT players have demonstrated that having a baby doesn’t necessarily end a professional soccer career. Jen Cooper presents an unofficial power ranking of all USWNT players who earned a cap after having a child.
Two finals
Roger Allaway looks at the parallels between the 1960 US Open Cup final and the 2022 MLS Cup final.
Teenage stars are an old story
Roger Allaway looks back at the long tradition of teenage players breaking into U.S. league and national team ranks.
SASH Session, Friday, November 4 at 12PM ET: Book Talk with Matthew Evans, author of “USA 94: The World Cup That Changed the Game” Updated with Video
Matthew Evans will discuss the impact of the US-hosted 1994 World Cup.
A soccer sculpture in Harrison
Tom McCabe on the recent unveiling of a statue in Harrison, New Jersey, commemorating the history of soccer in the West Hudson.
That second leg is a killer
Roger looks back to the 1931 ASL championship to show how second-leg games can result in surprises.
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.
SASH Session, Friday, Oct. 7 at 12 pm: 20th anniversary of the 2002 FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship Updated with Video
On the eve of the 2022 U-17 Women’s World Cup, women’s soccer historian Jen Cooper will look back at the first FIFA women’s youth championship held in Canada in 2002 and the growth of FIFA women’s youth tournaments since then.
Bill Cox and the ISL showed the way
Roger Allaway looks at the International Soccer League, an important step that helped to pave the way toward the start of the original NASL and thus the American soccer scene of today.
SASH Session, Friday, September 16 at 12 pm ET: Great Lakes Soccer from the 1880s to the 1930s and the Emergence of the Intercity League Updated with Video
Craig Tower will discuss soccer’s development in the Great Lakes area from its beginnings in the 1880s to the formation of the Intercity League, which included teams from Chicago, Detroit, and Cleveland.
A warning that England missed
In the first installment of The Archives Room, Roger Allaway looks at the 1950 World Cup. Everyone knows about the 1-0 US win over England in Brazil. But four days before that game, the US held a 1-0 lead against Spain for 62 minutes before losing 3-1.
SASH Session, Friday, August 26 at 12 pm ET: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the New York Cosmos First NASL Championship Updated with Video
New York Cosmos historian and SASH director Dr. David Kilpatrick will host a roundtable discussion with New York Cosmos alumni Randy Horton, Josef Jelinek, Werner Roth, and John O’Reilly.
The Len Oliver Archive
Quick links to essays by, and interviews with, Len Oliver.
Len Oliver, 1933-2022
National Soccer Hall of Famer and longtime SASH supporter Len Oliver has passed away at the age of 88.
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.
SASH Session, July 8 at 12 pm ET: An Illustrated Guide to Anglo-American Football History Before 1850 Updated with Video
Tom Langton’s presentation will be illustrated with images from the FIFA-Langton Collection and the Langton Football Archives collection. Updated with Video
Sailor lads, jolly tars, and rovers of the briny deep: International ship-crew soccer matches in the US, 1890-1905, part 3
Ed Farnsworth’s review of matches between US clubs and British ship crew teams between 1890 and 1905 concludes with a look at games in Oregon, California, Hawaii, and Texas
Sailor lads, jolly tars, and rovers of the briny deep: International ship-crew soccer matches in the US, 1890-1905, part 2
Ed Farnsworth’s review of matches between US clubs and British ship crew teams between 1890 and 1905 continues with a look at games played in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Sailor lads, jolly tars, and rovers of the briny deep: International ship-crew soccer matches in the US, 1890-1905, part 1
Ed Farnsworth’s review of matches between US clubs and British ship crew teams between 1890 and 1905 begins with a look at matches played in New York and Northern New Jersey.
Wednesday, June 22, 2022 at 3 PM ET: Special SASH Session with The Athletic‘s Pablo Maurer and Matt Pentz Updated with Video
The Athletic’s Pablo Maurer and Matt Pentz will discuss their recent article,“The disappearance of Wee Willie McLean: Solving America’s oldest soccer mystery.” Updated with Video
SASH Session, Friday, June 3 at 12 pm ET: A Book Talk with Michael Lewis, author of Alive and Kicking: The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers UPDATED WITH VIDEO
Veteran soccer journalist Michael Lewis will discuss his new book on the Rochester Lancers. UPDATED WITH VIDEO
SASH Session, Friday, May 6 at 12 pm ET: ASL100 Updated with video
In recognition of the 100th anniversary of the first American Soccer League season, May’s SASH Session will feature ASL presentations from Dan Creel, Gabe Logan, and James Brown.
Overview: The American Soccer League, 1921-1934
Dan Creel recounts each ASL season between 1921 and 1934
“The Noxious Scottish Weed”: Early North American soccer and the Laws of the Game
Ed Farnsworth, Tom McCabe, and Kurt Rausch consider why the first soccer associations in North America favored the Scottish FA over the English FA as the source for their Laws of the Game.
“Research Roundtable” SASH Session on Friday, April 1 at 12 pm ET Updated with Video
Steven Torres, Chuck Carlson and Bob Gansler are the presenters for the inaugural Research Roundtable SASH Session. Updated with Video
The rise and fall: Fall River and Pawtucket soccer, 1883-1896
In the decade after the founding of the Fall River’s East End team, Fall River and Pawtucket rose to be perhaps the preeminent center of soccer in the United States. Then, over the course of three seasons, organized soccer in the cities collapsed. Ed Farnsworth looks at the rise and fall.
SASH Session on Friday, Jan. 28 at 1 pm EST with Chris Bolsmann and George Kioussis, editors of Soccer Frontiers: The Global Game in the United States, 1863–1913 *Updated with video
The editors of Soccer Frontiers will discuss the book, to which a number of SASH members contributed. Updated with video
Tartan Threads Woven in US Soccer History: A Patchwork Template for Further Study
David Kilpatrick on the Scottish influence on soccer in the US.
SASH Session, Friday, Oct. 15 at 12 pm ET: A Book Talk with Brian D. Bunk, author of From Football to Soccer: The Early History of the Beautiful Game in the United States *Updated with video
Brian D. Bunk will talk about his new book on Friday, Oct. 15 at noon ET.
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