Dec. 30, 1928 – Fall River FC 2:0 (4:2) Boston SC, ASL Challenge Cup return leg

Tension built after the Boston SC Wonder Workers and Fall River FC Marksmen played to a draw in the first leg. “Hundreds of Boston fans are going down to Tiverton today to see the second game. Busses will leave Forest Hill at 11:30. Kick-off time is set for 2:30 and Sam Mark is expecting the largest crowd of the season … ‘’

Alex McNab opened the scoring and 19-year-old Bert Patenaude added the second goal. Patenaude replaced Milton Gavin, a former Lusitania Recreation center forward. Patenaude joined Lusitania later in his career, after teaming with 20-year-old Billy Gonsalves (also a former Lusitania Recreation star) to lead the U.S. in the first World Cup in Uruguay in 1930.

George Collins in The Boston Globe: “In the second period, Manager Bill Harper decided to make a change [Patenaude for Gavin] … it remained for Patenaude to sew up the match after play was underway, 29 minutes. He did a solo from the center of the field, wormed his way through the fullback after eluding the center half and on a 30-yard drive beat [Jock] Davison all ends up.”

Dec. 29, 1928 – Boston SC 2:2 Fall River, ASL Challenge Cup at Walpole St. Ground

Goals: McEachran, Gonsalves; McNab, Gavin.

“Billy Gonsalves came through with the goal for the Wonder Workers to tie it up when all seemed lost. It was a beautifully executed play which finished with the ex-Lucy Recs player ‘nodding’ the ball past Steele.”

The year marked the nearing of a generational shift in U.S. soccer. Tommy Fleming, who had starred for Fore River, Bethlehem Steel, J&P Coats AAFC, the Boston Wonder Workers, et al., was finishing his career with Fall River as a 38-year-old left outside forward.

TODAY IN NEW ENGLAND SOCCER HISTORY