June 1, 1991 – U.S. 1:1 Ireland at Foxboro Stadium (Att.: 51,273). First full international in Massachusetts

Ireland’s Tony Cascarino (57^th minute) opened the scoring before Eric Wynalda slipped past Kevin Moran for a 68^th-minute equalizer off a Chris Henderson assist as the U.S. Men’s National Team made its Massachusetts debut.

Organizers budgeted for a 30,000 crowd, but a week before the match, stadium manager Brian O’Donovan projected possible 35,000 attendance. The walk-up took officials by surprise, with about 12,000 purchasing tickets at the gate (thousands of tickets were printed on-site), lines stretching toward Rte. 1 throughout the first half.

This match confirmed the potential attraction of the USMNT, which had drawn only one larger crowd (61,000) for a home friendly, against the Soviet Union in Palo Alto, Calif., in 1990. The U.S. would go on to compile a 7W-0L-3D record (before 353,436 spectators) at Foxboro Stadium through 2001. This match launched the Boston/Foxboro venue bid for the 1994 World Cup, which also led to the New England Revolution becoming a founding member of MLS. Wynalda would play for the Revolution in 2000.

“We’re not just happy about this,” said former Boston University coach Hank Steinbrecher, secretary general of U.S. Soccer and a member of the World Cup selection committee. “We are ecstatic about the results. I’m not surprised because the organizers are very competent people here and this is an ideal venue.”

U.S. 1, Ireland 1 at Foxboro Stadium, 6/1/1991

U.S.: Tony Meola, Jeff Agoos, Marcelo Balboa, Steve Trittschuh, Bruce Savage, Janusz Michallik, Brian Quinn (Troy Snyder 86′), Chris Henderson, Bruce Murray, Peter Vermes (Hugo Pérez 57′), Wynalda

IRL: Pat Bonner, Denis Irwin, Steve Staunton, Mick McCarthy, Kevin Moran, Andy Townsend, Paul McGrath, Ray Houghton (John Sheridan 72′), Tony Cascarino, David Kelly, Kevin Sheedy

Goals: Cascarino 57^’, Wynalda 68^’. Attendance: 51,273.

TODAY IN NEW ENGLAND SOCCER HISTORY