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U.S. Open Cup

March 30, 1924 – Snowing on their parade; Fall River Marksmen win 1st of 4 US Open Cup titles

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Fall River knew how to celebrate a championship in the 1920s. The Fall River Marksmen won the double (American Soccer League and U.S. Open Cup), taking the first of their four Open Cup titles with a 4-2 win over Vesper Buick in St. Louis on March 30, 1924, then returning by train to a “raging snowstorm” and a “rousing reception” two days later.

“Despite the raging snowstorm … was accorded a rousing reception when it arrived home tonight, thousands of fans besieging the local railroad station and lining the streets. … [Read more…] about March 30, 1924 – Snowing on their parade; Fall River Marksmen win 1st of 4 US Open Cup titles

March 25, 2007 – Revolution 3:1 Olimpia, Tad Gormley Stadium, New Orleans

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New Orleans was still recovering, less than two years post-Hurricane Katrina, and this preseason game between the Revolution and CD Olimpia turned out to be unique among the sporting events related to the city’s rebuilding. Adam Cristman scored two goals, Andy Dorman one, for the Revolution (Argentinian Jose Pacini converted for Olimpia) before a predominantly Honduran 8,947 crowd that included Mayor Ray Nagin. Brad Knighton’s performance in goal also helped establish his status as a high-level backup.

The Revolution’s visit involved several New England connections. The trip was set up by New Orleans Shellshockers coach Kenny Farrell, a former Salem State star. The Revolution had conducted preseason training in New Orleans in 2004, and the venture had concluded with Carlos Llamosa’s season-ending knee injury on the turf at Tulane University in a game that included a 10th-minute ejection of Jose Cancela. After that experience, the Revolution were inclined to avoid New Orleans, but Farrell persuaded Steve Nicol to return, partly because Farrell pitched him on involving the Revolution in the city’s rehabilitation. Nicol was also convinced by the refurbishing of the soccer field at Tad Gormley Stadium, via a donation from the New Orleans’ Saints’ Reggie Bush (in ’04, most of the fields the Revolution trained on were poor quality). [Read more…] about March 25, 2007 – Revolution 3:1 Olimpia, Tad Gormley Stadium, New Orleans

March 18, 2000 – Fernando Clavijo’s first game as New England Revolution coach

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The New England Revolution played to a 1-1 draw with the Miami Fusion at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Diego Serna (61st minute) scored first, the Revolution’s Imad Baba (80th) equalizing. Clavijo would guide the Revolution to their first .500 season and first playoff victory that year, and to the 2001 U.S. Open Cup final. [Read more…] about March 18, 2000 – Fernando Clavijo’s first game as New England Revolution coach

March 17, 1923 – ASL games, indoor soccer at Commonwealth Armory

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J&P Coats 3:1 Fall River Marksmen in Pawtucket, R.I.

J&P’s Tommy Fleming two goals, Gilmore one in fifth victory of 14-match winning streak. The Threadmen would also advance to National Challenge Cup (U.S. Open Cup) final. Duncan Dalrymple scores the only goal of his ASL career for Fall River.

Abbot Worsteds 5:4 Fore River at Commonwealth Armory

Dundas scored twice, his first in the second minute of “a game of thrills,” for the Forge Villagers, according to the Boston Globe account. Abbot Worsted reached the National Challenge Cup quarterfinals in 1923 and semifinals in 1922 and ’25, coached by Jack Kershaw, who would go on to coach Harvard University’s soccer team.

TODAY IN NEW ENGLAND SOCCER HISTORY

March 9, 1924 – Soccer Fans Spent About $100,000 Going to that Game Yesterday

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That was the headline the day after Fall River defeated Bethlehem Steel. 2-0, in the National Challenge Cup Eastern final at Dexter Park in Brooklyn on March 9, 1924.

The Boston Globe story estimated 5,000 supporters had traveled from Fall River “and other Massachusetts towns,” a trip estimated to cost about $25 – teams and fans usually traveled by boat.

The match drew “a record crowd,” to Dexter Park, which had a 25,000 capacity. Attendance figures were not listed in the game story, but each club received about $2,500 in gate receipts. Later estimates were a 20,000 crowd.

The Marksmen’s direct play was effective because the field was muddy and “in deplorable condition.” Johnny Reid headed in a Dougie Campbell cross and Campbell finished a Frank McKenna free kick. Alec Lorimer (Fall River) and Tommy Maxwell (Bethlehem) were ejected.

Fall River owner Sam Mark, asked by the Globe’s George M. Collins about the upcoming final, responded: “Believe me, boy, there is no bigger game than this one for me. Beating Bethlehem Steel was our objective and we did it.”

TODAY IN NEW ENGLAND SOCCER HISTORY

Feb 28, 1926 – Boston’s Cup Hopes Blasted

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J&P Coats took a 5-3 win over Boston in the Eastern semifinal of the National Cup – the U.S. Open Cup. “Fully 6000 were in the Stadium when the game started,” according to the Boston Globe report. Bill Adam scored four goals and McGrane one for the Threadmen. Bobby Blair had two goals and Tommy Fleming one for Boston, whose team nickname was “The Woodsies.”

The Globe game story listed a Fall River dateline, but in the advance the venue was to be “Sam Mark’s Stadium” in Tiverton, R.I., noting Cup games would start at 3 p.m. Sunday. Mark had constructed the stadium across the state line to avoid Blue Laws, so games involving his team, the Fall River Marksmen, could be played on Sundays.

In the days after this game, a Globe headline noted: “Attractiveness of Soccer is Fast Appealing to Fans.”

Teams also apparently competed in the “State Cup,” a separate competition from the “National Cup.” Boston was set to meet Fore River Shipyard in the State Cup “just as soon as the ice and snow clear away.”

TODAY IN NEW ENGLAND SOCCER HISTORY

Feb. 15, 2011 – Revolution sign Argentinian defender Franco Coria

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Franco Coria paired with A.J. Soares in central defense for the New England Revolution season-opener, a 1-1 draw with the LA Galaxy at The Home Depot Center. Coria went on to play 17 games (14 starts), often in a makeshift lineup.

Coria, from Los Toldos (Evita Peron’s hometown), had been playing for Chacarita Juniors, and later started for Sarmiento in Argentina’s first division.

Feb. 15, 1925 – Fall River 3×0 J&P Coats [Read more…] about Feb. 15, 2011 – Revolution sign Argentinian defender Franco Coria

Feb. 14, 1926 – ‘Great Soccer in the Rain at Tiverton, R.I.’

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The U.S. Open Cup (the National Cup then), and American Soccer League games, were conducted through the winter months in the early part of the century. And supporters showed up (and stayed), despite the weather.

On this day, the Boston Wonderworkers held the Fall River Marksmen to a 1-1 draw at Mark’s Stadium.

The subhead in The Boston Globe read:

‘Crowd of 7000 at Game, a League Thriller’

The opening graph noted: “The ground was clear of snow and ice and the teams got away with a bang.” [Read more…] about Feb. 14, 1926 – ‘Great Soccer in the Rain at Tiverton, R.I.’

Feb. 7, 1925 — “Will there be another 14,000 crowd this time?”

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That was the question in The Boston Globe story after J&P Coats qualified for a showdown with the Fall River Marksmen in the U.S. Open Cup. J&P Coats had blanked the Newark Skeeters, 5-0, as Johnny Harvey scored three goals in Pawtucket, R.I., in a Feb. 7 match.

The next day, the ASL’s top teams, the Fall River Marksmen and Bethlehem Steel played to a 2-2 draw before a 10,000 crowd at Mark’s Stadium in North Tiverton, R.I. Archie Stark scored one of his 67 regular-season goals for Bethlehem. Stark would go on to convert four goals as the U.S. took a 6-1 win over Canada in an international friendly in Brooklyn in November. The Marksmen went on to record a 19W-0L-3D record at home, totaling 66 points in 44 games, and edging Bethlehem by 3 points for first place. The Globe’s George M. Collins wrote. “The soccer men who are crying ‘Do not play any American League games in January and February’ should have been at Tiverton, R.I. …”

TODAY IN NE SOCCER HISTORY

Jan. 8, 1933 – Pawtucket Rangers 8×2 Victoria Mills

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Today in NE Soccer History

Jan. 8, 1933 – Pawtucket Rangers 8×2 Victoria Mills. U.S. Open Cup match in Providence.

Walter Dick and Bob McIntyre convert hat tricks in a “National Cup round robin game.” McIntyre scored “three goals in succession in the first half and added another in the second, while Dick performed the same stunt by scoring three times,” according to Boston Globe 1/9/33 editions. The Rangers team would go on to the U.S. Open Cup final in 1934 (loss to Stix, Baer & Fuller) and ’35 (loss to Central Breweries). Three Rangers would play for the U.S. in the 1934 World Cup: Dick, Ed Czerkewicz and Tommy Florie, who captained the U.S. national team in the 1930 World Cup, performing alongside the Rangers’ Andy Auld. [Read more…] about Jan. 8, 1933 – Pawtucket Rangers 8×2 Victoria Mills