25 December 1916 - The Balance Of Power Shifts (Temporarily) To The Midwest

On 25 December 1916, Bethlehem Steel met Ben Millers in a match that was supposed to determine the capital of US soccer. It ended in a draw.

At the time, US soccer was split into two major regions, the northeast and the midwest (specifically, St. Louis), each with its own self-contained league. And although the country had a couple of tournaments open to all clubs, the American Cup and the National Challenge Cup, few teams from St. Louis participated, leaving an open question of which area produced the better football.

In 1916, Bethlehem Steel, the Pennsylvania-based reigning champions of both the American and National Challenge Cups and unquestioned leader of the northeast, made the trip across the country to settle the debate. They arrived in Chicago for a match against a local "best XI" and won 1-2 on 23 December, then moved on to play a St. Louis all-star team on 24 December and lost, 3-1. It was their first loss in 19 games.

On the following day, 25 December, Bethlehem took the pitch again, this time against St. Louis team Ben Millers, the title holders of the St. Louis Soccer League. Playing in front of a crowd of 6,000, the visitors went up 0-1 with a goal from forward Harry Ratican (pictured) (Ratican, coincidentally, had been born in St. Louis and played for Ben Millers from 1911 to 1916). But after a penalty for Ben Millers and a pair of second-half goals, the match ended as a 2-2 draw.

The result did not stop the local press from claiming the soccer title for St. Louis, based on the two-game series (and claiming some credit Ratican's performance).

Bethlehem continued to dominate, however, winning five American and National Challenge Cups over the next three years, while Ben Millers went on to win the National Challenge Cup in 1920.

11 April 1926 - Bethlehem Steel Takes The Fifth

On 11 April 1926, Bethlehem Steel beat Ben Millers to claim their fifth National Challenge Cup, setting a record that remains unbroken.

Despite being separated by half a continent, the two teams had developed a healthy rivalry over the previous decade. In 1916, Bethlehem Steel (pictured in a 1921 photo) were the strongest team in the eastern half of the United States, while Ben Millers were the dominant side in the powerful St. Louis soccer world. The teams met for a Christmas Day friendly that year in St. Louis to settle which team was the country's best and played to a 2-2 draw. In a rematch in New York the following year, Bethlehem Steel won 2-0.

Playing in separate leagues, both teams continued to do well in the intervening years, with Ben Millers winning four league titles (1916, 1917, 1918, 1920) and one National Challenge Cup (1920), while Bethlehem Steel had won six league titles (1913, 1914, 1915, 1919, 1920, 1921), and a record four National Challenge Cups (1915, 1916, 1918, 1919). (The National Challenge Cup has since been renamed the US Open Cup.)

Bethlehem Steel reached the National Challenge Cup Final again in 1926 as Eastern Division champions, where they met Western Division champions Ben Millers. But despite the rivalry, it turned out to be one of the tournament's most lopsided matches, as Bethlehem Steel rolled to a 7-2 victory led by a hat-trick from Archie Stark.

It was the last appearance in the Final for either team, but Bethlehem Steel's five wins remain a record (though it is shared with Maccabi Los Angeles, who matched it in 1981).

10 September 1921 - The Philadelphia Experiment

On 10 September 1921, the American Soccer League's newest club, Philadelphia FC, played its first match, a 5-0 exhibition win over an all-Philadelphia side. The win was not surprising, as the "new" PFC was really just a relocated version of powerhouse club Bethlehem Steel (pictured, from 1919).

Formed in 1907 as Bethlehem FC, Bethlehem Steel went on to become the most dominant American team of the early part of the century, winning nine league titles and thirteen cups between 1912 and 1921. In 1919, they recorded a treble by winning the National Association Foot Ball League, the Challenge Cup and the American Cup.

In 1921, however, the owners inexplicably disbanded the club (who had again won the NAFBL title that season) and moved it to Philadelphia. Rebranded as Philadelphia FC, the club included most of the players from the previous incarnation. And they had just as much success, winning the new American Soccer League title in their very first - and only - season. Despite the title, financial pressures forced the owners to break the team up at the end of the season and the club returned to Bethlehem.

After a trophyless season in 1922-23, the club returned to its winning ways in 1924, winning the Challenge Cup. They went on to win one more cup and three more league titles before folding in 1930.

2 October 1928 - A "Renegade League" Sounds More Exciting Than It Actually Is, Unfortunately

On 2 October 1928, the United States Football Association suspended the nation's top league, the American Soccer League. Established in 1921, the ASL was the United States' first professional league. It was regional, with its teams based primarily around New York and Philadelphia.

The suspension arose from a dispute between the ASL and the USFA over the USFA-run National Challenge Cup (the forerunner of today's U.S. Open Cup). The Challenge Cup was played during the ASL season and was open to all clubs in the nation operating under the USFA umbrella. Thus, ASL clubs often found themselves interrupting their season to travel miles away and play against amateur teams in front of small crowds. The poor crowds combined with high travel expenses to strain the finances of the ASL clubs.

In 1928, the ASL boycotted the Challenge Cup (which they had also done in 1924). Nevertheless, three ASL clubs--Bethlehem Steel, New York Giants, and Newark Skeeters--ignored the boycott and entered the Cup competition. The ASL promptly suspended them, which in turn led the USFA, and later FIFA, to suspend the ASL.

The ASL operated as a renegade league for the rest of the 1928-29 season, while the USFA established a new professional league, the Eastern Professional Soccer League, to take its place. In 1929, at the start of the following season, the ASL agreed to comply with the USFA's demands.

The battle between the ASL and USFA irrevocably damaged the ASL, however, and the league, which had by then merged with the EPSL, dissolved in the spring of 1933.

2 September 1929 - Apparently, We Once Called It "Football," Too

On 2 September 1929, the Eastern Professional Soccer League (otherwise known as the Eastern Soccer League, or ESL) launched its second—and last—season.

The ESL was created as the result of a schism between the older American Soccer League and the United States Football Association. For financial and scheduling reasons, the ASL had objected to playing in the USFA-sponsored National Challenge Cup and boycotted the tournament. In response, the USFA suspended the ASL and helped launch the Eastern Professional Soccer League as a replacement.

The new league included eight teams, three from the former ASL (Bethlehem Steel FC (pictured, from 1924), Newark Skeeters and New York Giants), four from the Southern New York Soccer Association (New York Hispano, New York Celtics, Philadelphia Centennials and IRT Rangers), and one new team (New York Hakoah).

For the second season, Centennials and Celtic had dropped out and were replaced by Victoria Hungaria and Newark Portugeuse.

The ESL managed to play only half of its new season before financial pressures--including the October 1929 stock market crash--took their toll on the sport nationally. In November 1929, the ASL reconciled with the USFA and the Eastern Professional Soccer League was dissolved.

At the time, Bethlehem Steel were at the top of the standings and were thus declared champions.

21 December 1897 - Stark's Start

On 21 December 1897, legendary American goalscorer Archie Stark was born in Glasgow.

He moved to the US when he was thirteen, settling with his family in New Jersey, which was a hotbed of association football. In 1912, he signed his first professional contract with Kearny Scots and stayed there for four seasons, followed by spells with other New Jersey clubs Babcock & Wilcox (1916-17), West Hudson (1917), and--after service in France during World War I--Paterson (1919) and Erie (1919-21).

When the American Soccer League formed in 1921, Stark joined the New York Field Club and helped them finish as league runners-up. He spent two more seasons there, scoring a total of 56 goals in 80 appearances, then moved to Bethlehem Steel for the 1924-25 season. His scoring form exploded as he netted an incredible 70 times in 46 games, followed by 54 in 45 games in the 1925-26 season when Bethlehem Steel won the National Challenge Cup. In both seasons, he was the league's top scorer.

He went on to win three league titles with Bethlehem Steel before leaving the club for the Newark Americans in 1930, then retired in 1934 after a season with Kearny Irish.

Despite his scoring prowess, he made only two appearances for the US national team, both coming against Canada in 1925. He scored five goals.

25 December 1916 - The Balance Of Power Shifts (Temporarily) To The Midwest

On 25 December 1916, Bethlehem Steel met Ben Millers in a match that was supposed to determine the capital of US soccer. It ended in a draw.

At the time, US soccer was split into two major regions, the northeast and the midwest (specifically, St. Louis), each with its own self-contained league. And although the country had a couple of tournaments open to all clubs, the American Cup and the National Challenge Cup, few teams from St. Louis participated, leaving an open question of which area produced the better football.

In 1916, Bethlehem Steel, the Pennsylvania-based reigning champions of both the American and National Challenge Cups and unquestioned leader of the northeast, made the trip across the country to settle the debate. They arrived in Chicago for a match against a local "best XI" and won 1-2 on 23 December, then moved on to play a St. Louis all-star team on 24 December and lost, 3-1. It was their first loss in 19 games.

On the following day, 25 December, Bethlehem took the pitch again, this time against St. Louis team Ben Millers, the title holders of the St. Louis Soccer League. Playing in front of a crowd of 6,000, the visitors went up 0-1 with a goal from forward Harry Ratican (pictured) (Ratican, coincidentally, had been born in St. Louis and played for Ben Millers from 1911 to 1916). But after a penalty for Ben Millers and a pair of second-half goals, the match ended as a 2-2 draw.

The result did not stop the local press from claiming the soccer title for St. Louis, based on the two-game series (and claiming some credit Ratican's performance).

Bethlehem continued to dominate, however, winning five American and National Challenge Cups over the next three years, while Ben Millers went on to win the National Challenge Cup in 1920.

11 April 1926 - Bethlehem Steel Takes The Fifth

On 11 April 1926, Bethlehem Steel beat Ben Millers to claim their fifth National Challenge Cup, setting a record that remains unbroken.

Despite being separated by half a continent, the two teams had developed a healthy rivalry over the previous decade. In 1916, Bethlehem Steel (pictured in a 1921 photo) were the strongest team in the eastern half of the United States, while Ben Millers were the dominant side in the powerful St. Louis soccer world. The teams met for a Christmas Day friendly that year in St. Louis to settle which team was the country's best and played to a 2-2 draw. In a rematch in New York the following year, Bethlehem Steel won 2-0.

Playing in separate leagues, both teams continued to do well in the intervening years, with Ben Millers winning four league titles (1916, 1917, 1918, 1920) and one National Challenge Cup (1920), while Bethlehem Steel had won six league titles (1913, 1914, 1915, 1919, 1920, 1921), and a record four National Challenge Cups (1915, 1916, 1918, 1919). (The National Challenge Cup has since been renamed the US Open Cup.)

Bethlehem Steel reached the National Challenge Cup Final again in 1926 as Eastern Division champions, where they met Western Division champions Ben Millers. But despite the rivalry, it turned out to be one of the tournament's most lopsided matches, as Bethlehem Steel rolled to a 7-2 victory led by a hat-trick from Archie Stark.

It was the last appearance in the Final for either team, but Bethlehem Steel's five wins remain a record (though it is shared with Maccabi Los Angeles, who matched it in 1981).

10 September 1921 - The Philadelphia Experiment

On 10 September 1921, the American Soccer League's newest club, Philadelphia FC, played its first match, a 5-0 exhibition win over an all-Philadelphia side. The win was not surprising, as the "new" PFC was really just a relocated version of powerhouse club Bethlehem Steel (pictured, from 1919).

Formed in 1907 as Bethlehem FC, Bethlehem Steel went on to become the most dominant American team of the early part of the century, winning nine league titles and thirteen cups between 1912 and 1921. In 1919, they recorded a treble by winning the National Association Foot Ball League, the Challenge Cup and the American Cup.

In 1921, however, the owners inexplicably disbanded the club (who had again won the NAFBL title that season) and moved it to Philadelphia. Rebranded as Philadelphia FC, the club included most of the players from the previous incarnation. And they had just as much success, winning the new American Soccer League title in their very first - and only - season. Despite the title, financial pressures forced the owners to break the team up at the end of the season and the club returned to Bethlehem.

After a trophyless season in 1922-23, the club returned to its winning ways in 1924, winning the Challenge Cup. They went on to win one more cup and three more league titles before folding in 1930.

2 October 1928 - A "Renegade League" Sounds More Exciting Than It Actually Is, Unfortunately

On 2 October 1928, the United States Football Association suspended the nation's top league, the American Soccer League. Established in 1921, the ASL was the United States' first professional league. It was regional, with its teams based primarily around New York and Philadelphia.

The suspension arose from a dispute between the ASL and the USFA over the USFA-run National Challenge Cup (the forerunner of today's U.S. Open Cup). The Challenge Cup was played during the ASL season and was open to all clubs in the nation operating under the USFA umbrella. Thus, ASL clubs often found themselves interrupting their season to travel miles away and play against amateur teams in front of small crowds. The poor crowds combined with high travel expenses to strain the finances of the ASL clubs.

In 1928, the ASL boycotted the Challenge Cup (which they had also done in 1924). Nevertheless, three ASL clubs--Bethlehem Steel, New York Giants, and Newark Skeeters--ignored the boycott and entered the Cup competition. The ASL promptly suspended them, which in turn led the USFA, and later FIFA, to suspend the ASL.

The ASL operated as a renegade league for the rest of the 1928-29 season, while the USFA established a new professional league, the Eastern Professional Soccer League, to take its place. In 1929, at the start of the following season, the ASL agreed to comply with the USFA's demands.

The battle between the ASL and USFA irrevocably damaged the ASL, however, and the league, which had by then merged with the EPSL, dissolved in the spring of 1933.

2 September 1929 - Apparently, We Once Called It "Football," Too

On 2 September 1929, the Eastern Professional Soccer League (otherwise known as the Eastern Soccer League, or ESL) launched its second--and last--season.

The ESL was created as the result of a schism between the older American Soccer League and the United States Football Association. For financial and scheduling reasons, the ASL had objected to playing in the USFA-sponsored National Challenge Cup and boycotted the tournament. In response, the USFA suspended the ASL and helped launch the Eastern Professional Soccer League as a replacement.

The new league included eight teams, three from the former ASL (Bethlehem Steel FC (pictured, from 1924), Newark Skeeters and New York Giants), four from the Southern New York Soccer Association (New York Hispano, New York Celtics, Philadelphia Centennials and IRT Rangers), and one new team (New York Hakoah).

For the second season, Centennials and Celtic had dropped out and were replaced by Victoria Hungaria and Newark Portugeuse.

The ESL managed to play only half of its new season before financial pressures--including the October 1929 stock market crash--took their toll on the sport nationally. In November 1929, the ASL reconciled with the USFA and the Eastern Professional Soccer League was dissolved.

At the time, Bethlehem Steel were at the top of the standings and were thus declared champions.