1919 National Challenge Cup

100 years ago, the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup (then known as the National Challenge Cup) crowned its sixth national champion. Prior to the 106th edition of the US Open Cup Final last August, TheCup.us began a five-part series that jumps in a time machine back a full century to see what obstacles the 1918/1919 tournament faced. The game and the world itself was very different a century ago. World War I was wrapping up in Europe and there was an outbreak of the Spanish Flu around the country. The United States and the game of soccer were likely unrecognizable to the modern fan, so we decided to take a look back to see how it all played out.

Editor’s note: As you read this, you’ll notice a lot of players with just one name. This is not an oversight on our part, but rather, many of the sources of this information (newspapers, publications etc.) only use the last name of players in their stories. If you have confirmation of any of their names, or any other details that would add to our historical records, feel free to reach out to us HERE. We are always looking for help with historical research.

Check out the other entries in this five-part series: Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals & Final

1919 National Challenge Cup – Quarterfinals

Six inches of snow greeted Paterson FC’s players when they arrived in Quincy, Mass. on Feb. 22 for their Quarterfinal encounter with Fore River FC. The home club managed to clear the field with plows pulled by automobiles, and while the field was cleared of snow, a muddy mess was left behind.

Despite the poor field conditions, each team had numerous scoring chances. Rudy Hunziker had an excellent chance to put Paterson ahead in the first half, making a solo run from midfield, only to have his shot saved by Lambie. By halftime neither team had found the net and the two teams were so caked in mud they were nearly indistinguishable.

The second half brought more end-to-end action. At one point, a scrimmage formed in front of the Fore River goal but Fore River defender Littlejohn managed to hold the ball between his knees before being cleared by teammate Lowe. Jack Kershaw had an excellent chance to add to his seven tournament goals when he stepped up to take a penalty kick after being held in the penalty area, but butchered the opportunity, sending his shot well over the crossbar. This turned out to be the last good chance for the hosts to score, and they were able to hold Patterson out of the goal as well for the remainder of the 90 minutes. Through extra time both teams continued to attack, but the mud had taken its toll on the tiring players, leaving the game finished in a scoreless draw.

The replay was set for the very next week in Paterson at Olympic Park. About 100 Fore River supporters followed the team from Quincy, Mass., unfurling a six-foot banner that read “Play up Fore River”. Some of the Paterson fans offered the visiting rooters 8-to-5 and then 2-to-1 betting odds but found few interested takers. The teams picked up where they left off the week before, immediately threatening the opposing goal. Ten minutes into the game, Fore River defender Stewart miscalculated his jump when heading the ball and landed awkwardly, breaking his ankle. With no substitutions allowed, the visitors were forced to finish the game with 10 men. Paterson struck first later in the half when a shot from Hunziker was saved by Lambie. Tommy Stark rushed in when Lambie dropped the ball, putting Paterson ahead 1-0.

Fore River pulled even in the second half on a sequence that would easily make today’s highlights. Stradan made a long run with the ball, easily avoiding Paterson halfbacks, before sending a cross into the goal mouth. Jack Kershaw dashed in for a header that Paterson goalkeeper Healy had no chance to save.

Afterwards Paterson began to pressure the Fore River goal to regain the lead. After a few missed attempts on goal, Davy Brown headed in a cross from Hunziker to put Paterson back on top. Brown knocked himself out when he hit the ground and had to leave the game for a few minutes. Fore River desperately tried to find an equalizer, but Paterson held them off to advance to the Semifinals.

At Bethlehem Steel Athletic Field on March 1, the hometown Bethlehem Steel made easy work of Akron’s Goodyear FC with a 5-0 win. The hosts managed only one goal in the opening half with Bob Millar scoring from 18 yards out after a pass from Butler. Bethlehem defender San Fletcher was forced to leave the game with a knee injury with 15 minutes left in the first, but the handicap did not phase the Steelmen.

In the second half, Millar scored goal number two after Goodyear goalkeeper Jones failed to properly clear a shot from George McKelvey. Bethlehem continued to batter the Goodyear goal with shots, and goalkeeper Jones played spectacularly to keep the score from getting out of hand.

McKelvey scored Bethlehem’s third goal from six yards out on a cross from Tommy Fleming. Near the end of the game, Millar secured a hat trick on a low drive. The final goal for the winners came off a corner kick from Fleming, which James Campbell headed past Jones.

The next day at the Lenox Oval in Manhattan, Morse Dry Dock got the better of New York FC, 2-0, as both goals came within five minutes of one another in the first half. Fred Beardsworth scored the first after 25 minutes on a pass from Holgate, and five minutes later, Holgate provided the assist once again, this time to McGreevey.

The last of the Quarterfinal games kicked off on March 9 between Chicago’s Bricklayers and Masons and Detroit’s Roses FC at Bricklayers Field in Chicago. The field was covered in several inches of snow. The field conditions slowed the lighter and faster Roses players, and the Bricklayers played aggressively, jumping out to a 2-1 halftime lead which led to a 5-2 victory. Herron notched a hat trick and Heath added two more goals for the home side, while Allison and McLize tallied for Roses.

1918/1919 National Challenge Cup – Quarterfinal Results

February 21, 1919

Fore River FC 0:0 (AET) Paterson FC
Fore River Field – Quincy, MA

LINEUPS

Fore River: Lambie, Clawson, Tommy Littlejohn, Lowe, Stewart, Black, Reid, Page, Kershaw, Daly, Stradan

Paterson: Denby, Post, Murray, Meyerdierks, Vandeweghe, Broadbent, Knowles, Hunziler, Clarke, A. Stark, D. Brown

Referee: George Lambie | Linesmen: Bleich, Bradford

March 2, 1919

(REPLAY) Paterson FC 2:1 Fore River FC
Olympic Field – Paterson, New Jersey

SCORING SUMMARY

Patterson: Tommy Stark – 1st Half
Patterson: Davey Brown (Archie Stark) – 2nd Half
Fore River: Jack Kershaw (Straden) – 2nd Half

LINEUPS

Paterson: G. Healy, Post, Murray, Broadbent, A. Vandeweghe, Meyerdierks, Knowles, Hunziker, Tommy Stark. Archie Stark, Brown

Fore River: G. Lambie, Clawson, Littlejohn, Lowe, Stewart*, Black, Reid, Page, Kershaw, Daly, Straden

*Stewart left game after five minutes due to a broken ankle

Referee: George Lambie | Linesmen: S. Denby, D. Meldrum

—————————————————————-

March 1, 1919

Bethlehem Steel 5-0 Goodyear  F.C.
Bethlehem Steel Athletic Field – Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

SCORING SUMMARY

Bethlehem: Bob Millar (Butler) – 1st Half
Bethlehem: Bob Millar (Unassisted) – 2nd Half
Bethlehem: George McKelvey (Tommy Fleming) – 2nd Half
Bethlehem: Bob Millar (Campbell) – 2nd Half
Bethlehem: James Campbell (Tommy Fleming) – 2nd Half

LINEUPS

Goodyear: Jones, Tilley, Pointon, McCulley, Simmons, Campbell, McDonald, Valentine, Ainscaugh, Marshall, Simpson

Bethlehem: William Duncan, Wilson, Jock Ferguson, Fletcher*, Campbell, Fred Pepper, Butler, George McKelvey, George Forrest, Bob Millar, Tommy Fleming

*Fletcher left game at 30th minute due to injury, Bethlehem played with 10 men the rest of the game

Referee: George Caldicott

—————————————————————-

March 2, 1919

New York FC 0:2 Morse Dry Dock
Lenox Oval – Harlem, NY

SCORING SUMMARY

Morse Dry Dock: Fred Beardsworth (Holgate) – 25th min.
Morse Dry Dock: McGreevey (Holgate) – 30th min.

LINEUPS

New York: Ferro, Ferguson, Kelly, Morrison, McWilliams, Vandeweghe, O’Halloran, Callahan, Quinn, Koelsch, Petrie

Morse: Albin, Booth, Burns, Mackie, Bustard, McCann, Holgate, Beardsworth, McGreevey, Cartwright, Cullerton

Referee: C. Ward | Linesmen: C. Meyers, W. Hollywood

—————————————————————-

March 9, 1919

Bricklayers & Masons FC 5:2 Roses FC
Bricklayers Field – Chicago, IL

SCORING SUMMARY

Bricklayers: Herron
Bricklayers: Herron
Bricklayers: Herron
Bricklayers: Heath
Bricklayers: Heath
Roses: Allison
Roses: McLize

*goal times unknown

LINEUPS

Bricklayers: Holmes, Sneddor, Stewart, Blockey, Bromley, Shaw, Dixon, Heath, Herron, Hawke, Vidano

Roses: Goodwin, McMillan, F. Higgins, Moore, H. Higgins, Marshall, Preston, McLize, Fishbach, Allison, Dyson

Referee: J. Johnston | Linesmen: Cummings, Stark

100 years ago, the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup (then known as the National Challenge Cup) crowned its sixth national champion. Prior to the 106th edition of the US Open Cup Final last month, TheCup.us begins a five-part series that jumps in a time machine back a full century to see what obstacles the 1918/1919 tournament faced. The game and the world itself was very different 100 years ago. World War I was wrapping up in Europe and there was an outbreak of the Spanish Flu around the country. The United States and the game of soccer were likely unrecognizable to the modern fan, so we decided to take a look back to see how it all played out.

Editor’s note: As you read this, you’ll notice a lot of players with just one name. This is not an oversight on our part, but rather, many of the sources of this information (newspapers, publications etc.) only use the last name of players in their stories. If you have confirmation of any of their names, or any other details that would add to our historical records, feel free to reach out to us HERE. We are always looking for help with historical research so we can continue to tell these stories for future generations.

Check out the other entries in this five-part series: Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals & Final

1918/1919 National Challenge Cup – Third Round

EASTERN BRACKET

The Eastern bracket’s third round schedule kicked off on Dec. 21 in Pawtucket, RI as J & P Coats played host to Fore River FC. Fifteen minutes into the game, the Shipbuilders from Quincy, Mass. opened the scoring when Daly drew the Coats defense out with a run up the middle before passing to Andy Straden, who put Fore River ahead 1-0. Coats responded 23 minutes later when Turner sent a corner kick into the goalmouth where Allcock easily headed it home to tie the game. Fore River took the lead back just three minutes later through Jack Kershaw’s seventh goal of the tournament. Kershaw took hold of a cross from Straden and came in so fast on the shot that he lost his balance and crashed into the goalpost, injuring his knee and forcing him off the field for the remainder of the half.

Coats held the advantage early in the second half but missed several good chances to equalize. By the end of the game, Coats were clearly slowing down, and Fore River took advantage. With five minutes remaining, Brown extended Fore River’s lead to 3-1, and two minutes later, Straden scored his second of the game from the penalty spot after Kershaw was fouled.

The next day Paterson FC (N.J.) traveled to Todd Field in Brooklyn to face Robins Dry Dock. The game was a half-hour late in kicking off, which would be an important fact later on. After a scoreless, evenly-played first half, Paterson took control early in the second half and at the 55 minute mark, scored the first goal when Bobby Lennox tallied from a Davey Brown pass. Paterson stayed on the attack and seven minutes later got their second goal. Future Hall of Famer Archie Stark sent in a hard shot that Robins’ goalkeeper Wilson cleared, but before Wilson could regain his footing, Rudy Hunziker sent in a high shot for a 2-0 lead. Around the 70th minute, Robins finally broke through when Monroe’s corner kick found the head of fullback Laverty.

In the 75th minute, referee Cunningham put a halt to the match due to darkness. Robins protested the game, citing the half-hour delay in starting the match. The United States Football Association (USFA, now the United States Soccer Federation) ordered a replay back at Todd Field, and Paterson did not fight the decision.

The teams met again at Todd Field on Dec. 29, and Paterson held a 2-0 halftime lead on goals from Harry Bleisch and Stark. Robins struck back ten minutes into the second half when Ernie Garside headed in a Laverty corner kick. Fifteen minutes later, Robins had another corner kick, which was cleared by Paterson defender Murray. Hunziker took hold of the ball and raced down the field with the Robins team chasing him, scoring with a high shot that just missed the crossbar, finishing the scoring and giving Paterson a 3-1 win.

On the same day as the Paterson-Robins replay, Scottish American FC played host to New York FC at Clark’s Field in Newark, N.J. The New Yorkers came away with a relatively easy 2-0 victory. Kelly converted a penalty kick after 30 minutes, and Young netted a pass from J. Vandeweghe after ten minutes of the second half to put New York into the Quarterfinals.

The final game of the round in the East kicked off at Clark’s Field in Newark on Jan. 5, with Federal Shipyard and Morse Dry Dock playing to a scoreless draw after extra time. The replay a week later at Lenox Oval in New York featured many more goals. John Sullivan, who played with 1918 Cup champions Fall River Rovers, scored the opening goal for Morse after 12 minutes. Fifteen minutes later, Fisher put the Federals level off a cross from Edmonson, and soon after, Ingram’s shot glanced off Morse defender McCann for a 2-1 Federal lead. O’Donnell put Morse level in the second half, and the score stood at 2-2 through the end of 90 minutes. In extra time, the Federals defense fell apart and Morse scored three times in the first fifteen minutes with O’Donnell scoring from a scrimmage, and Sullivan netting two off passes from Colgate and McNaughton.

WESTERN BRACKET

All three Western third round games kicked off on Dec. 22. The fourth game, scheduled between Bethlehem Steel and Homestead Steel Works, was a walkover for Bethlehem when Homestead was forced to withdraw due to being short players coming back from World War I. Ironically, Homestead won by forfeit in the second round when Pittsburgh FC had to withdraw for the same reason. The Steelmen, who already held the tournament record for the longest unbeaten streak with 19 (1915-17), extended their latest streak to nine games.

In Chicago, Bricklayers and Masons moved on to the Quarterfinals with a 2-0 win over Scottish American FC. Dixon scored the first goal when he scored from a rebound off a shot by Bromley that struck the crossbar. Soon after, Ton took advantage of a miskick from a Scottish American defender and sent in a shot that was partially blocked by goalkeeper Brichall but rolled into the goal.

In Akron, Ohio, Goodyear rolled past Cleveland’s Magyar American FC, 6-1. Although the Hungarians played with just 10 men, they managed to hold Goodyear to a 1-1 halftime score. Goodyear took advantage of the handicap in the latter half, scoring five unanswered goals. Pidwell tallied twice for the Akron club with Simpson, McDonald, Valentine and Hardman supplying the others. Bolke scored the lone goal for Magyar. The Magyars protested the game because of the poor condition of Seiberling Field, but nothing came of it.

The game of the day took place at Solvay Park in Detroit, where a pair of Motor City teams squared off. Roses FC outlasted Detroit FC 4-3 after extra time to advance to the Quarterfinals. Roses began the game with several good chances and capitalized when Fishbach put the ball into the back of the net. The tide turned Detroit FC’s way when they were awarded a penalty for a Roses handball, and Miller converted the spot kick to tie the score. Early in the second half, Miller scored his second to put Detroit up 2-1, and near the end of the game McLive saved Roses with a goal to send the game to extra time.

Detroit regained the lead in extra time when Shankland passed to Hornsby, and after the goalkeeper blocked the cross into the goalmouth, Shankland swooped in and scored on the rebound. Early in the second period of extra time Dyson made the score 3-3, and the Detroit Free Press noted that the pace of the game got faster despite the extra half hour. Just before the final whistle blew Dyson struck again to send Roses into the Quarterfinals.

1918/1919 National Challenge Cup – Third Round Results

December 21, 1918

J & P Coats 1:4 Fore River FC
Coats Field – Pawtucket, RI

SCORING SUMMARY
J & P: Allcock (Turner) 38’
Fore River: Andy Straden (Daly) 15’, 87’ (PK), Jack Kershaw (Stradan) 41’, Brown 85’

December 22, 1918

Robins Dry Dock 1-2 Paterson FC*
Todd Field – Brooklyn, NY

SCORING SUMMARY
Robins: J. Laverty (Monroe) 2nd Half
Paterson: Bobby Lennox (Brown) 55’, Rudy Hunziker 62’

*Match abandoned in the 74th minute due to darkness & rain, Robins protested due to game starting 30 minutes late (Replay ordered)

Bricklayers & Masons FC 2:0 Scottish American FC
Bricklayers Field – Chicago, IL

SCORING SUMMARY
Bricklayers: Dixon, Ton

Roses FC 4:3 (AET) Detroit FC
Solvay Park – Detroit, MI

Roses: Dyson Extra Time, Dyson Extra Time, Fischbach 1st Half, McLive 2nd Half
Detroit: Miller (PK) 1st Half, 2nd Half, Shankland Extra Time

Goodyear FC 6:1 Magyar American FC
Seiberling Field – Akron, OH

Goodyear: Pidwell (2), Simpson, McDonald, Valentine, Hardman
Magyar: Bolke

Bethlehem Steel W:L* Homestead Steel Works
*Homestead withdrew due to lack of player availability (World War I enlistments)

December 29, 1918

(REPLAY) Robins Dry Rock 1:3 Paterson FC
Todd Field – Brooklyn, NY

SCORING SUMMARY
Robins: E. Garside 55′
Patterson: Harry Bleisch 20′, Archie Stark 30′, Rudy Hunziker 80′

Scottish American FC 0:2 New York FC
Clark’s Field – Newark, NJ

SCORING SUMMARY
New York: Kelly (PK) 30′, Young 50′

January 5, 1919

Federal Shipyard 0:0 (AET) Morse Dry Dock
Clark’s Field – Newark, NJ

January 12, 1919

(REPLAY) Federal Shipyard 3:5 (AET) Morse Dry Dock
Lenox Oval – Manhattan, NY

SCORING SUMMARY
Federal Shipyard: Fisher 27’, Ingram 1st Half
Morse Dry Dock: John Sullivan 12’, Extra Time (Colgate), Extra Time (McNaughton), O’Donnell 2nd Half & ET

100 years ago, the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup (then known as the National Challenge Cup) crowned its sixth national champion. Prior to Tuesday’s 106th edition of the US Open Cup Final, TheCup.us begins a five-part series that jumps in a time machine back a full century to see what obstacles the 1918/1919 tournament faced. The game and the world itself was very different 100 years ago. World War I was wrapping up in Europe and there was an outbreak of the Spanish Flu around the country. The United States and the game of soccer were likely unrecognizable to the modern fan, so we decided to take a look back to see how it all played out.

Editor’s note: As you read this, you’ll notice a lot of players with just one name. This is not an oversight on our part, but rather, many of the sources of this information (newspapers, publications etc.) only use the last name of players in their stories. If you have confirmation of any of their names, or any other details that would add to our historical records, feel free to reach out to us HERE. We are always looking for help with historical research.

Check out the other entries in this five-part series: Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals & Final

1918/1919 National Challenge Cup – Second Round

Eastern Bracket

With the Spanish Influenza threat cleared, the Second Round of the 1918/1919 National Challenge Cup got under way in November of 1918. The first two games in the East were a pair of 6-0 blowouts in New England as tournament favorites J & P Coats and Fore River FC cruised to easy victories. On Nov. 16, Coats took on Olneyville Oaks of Providence, RI at Coats Field in Pawtucket, and Bob Carroll and Allcock each scored twice as Coats scored all six of their goals in the first half. The next week in Methuen, Mass., Fore River FC overwhelmed hosts Merrimack Valley, 6-0. Clawson, Bradford and Daley gave the shipbuilders a 3-0 first half lead, before Jack Kershaw added two more and Stradon another in the final half.

When play resumed on Dec. 1, the day’s card featured a mix of protested games and forfeits. In the opener of a doubleheader at Clark’s Field in Newark, N.J., Scottish American FC had an easy time with Teitjen & Lang Drydock. The Scots received two goals from Allen, and one each from Chadwick, Eadie, Seigel and Adamson in their 6-0 win. The Scots would get bad news from the United States Football Association (USFA, now known as the United States Soccer Federation) a week later, as James C. Chadwick was suspended until Feb. 1, 1919 for striking Teijten & Lang halfback J. Craig.

The second contest of the day featured the most controversial game of the tournament between Federal Shipyard and Merchant Shipbuilding B. With Merchants pushing toward the Federal goal, referee William Russell accidentally blew his whistle after coughing. When play stopped, instead of calling for play to resume, Russell picked up the ball and bounced it on the ground to resume play. Federal Ship won the game 2-1, but Merchants successfully protested the result and the USFA called for a replay on Dec. 25 at the same venue. The teams played a back-and-forth affair, as Ingram and Fisher twice gave Federal a lead in the first half only for Nolan and Graham to equalize for the Merchants. As extra time loomed, the Federals came out on top when Moran scored in the final minute.

Paterson FC had an easy day against Jersey AC, winning 9-2 at Olympic Park in Paterson, N.J., powered by a hat trick from Rudy Hunziker and two goals from Harry Blaisch.

By far the closest game of the round was at Todd Field in Brooklyn, where Robins Dry Dock edged Bridgeport City 2-1. Garside and Hayes gave Robins a 2-0 halftime lead, but Bridgeport cut the lead in half in the second half on a 30-yard drive from Shaw. Bridgeport failed to find the net again, although Robins defender Robertson didn’t help matters by repeatedly kicking the ball over the fence in order to waste time.

Finally, Morse Dry Dock gained a forfeit victory when Chinese Students FC failed to appear, and New York FC won by walkover when Viking FC failed to secure a ground to play the game However, the nature of the forfeits were explained on Dec. 8 by the USFA during the draw for the Third Round. The Chinese Students FC’s failure to appear at Lenox Oval was due to Morse Dry Dock changing the time of the kickoff without consulting them. Viking FC’s failure to secure a ground was the result of New York FC not allowing them to use their ground for the game. The USFA reprimanded both clubs, but surprisingly allowed the forfeits to stand.

WESTERN BRACKET

The Second Round in the West kicked off in Detroit and Chicago.

On Nov. 10 in Detroit, Roses FC blanked Solvay FC 4-0 at Solvay Park, and Detroit FC won by forfeit over Corinthians FC.

In Chicago, the Scottish American FC staged a comeback to defeat Harvey FC. The visitors from Harvey, Ill. took a 2-0 lead at halftime on goals from Pierce and Guthrie. The Scots answered by scoring five in the second half, one each for Brown and Mair, and a hat-trick from Crosby. A week later in Chicago, Bricklayers & Masons FC were edged by Lincoln Park 1-0.

In Cleveland, the Magyar American FC plated to a 1-1 draw with Hydraulic Pressed Steel at Luna Park. Engelke scored for the Magyars and Dalziel scored from the penalty spot for Hydraulic. In the replay a week later, Gyma put Magyar in front after 10 minutes, and Todd answered for Hydraulic 10 minutes later off a cross from Curran. Hoffman put Magyar back in front in the 50th minute, and Mathison extended the lead five minutes later on a penalty kick after Hoffman was brought down in the penalty area. Dalziel scored a 90th minute consolation goal for the losers.

Elsewhere, in a rare Thanksgiving Day game, the Akron tire makers, Goodyear, thrashed Goodrich, 8-1.

In Pennsylvania, two cup games were scheduled for Nov. 23, but only one took place. Homestead Steel got a free pass to the Third Round when Pittsburgh FC withdrew due to a shortage of players yet to return from the war.

At Bethlehem Steel Athletic Field, the visiting Merchant Shipyard A team had a little more incentive to beat Bethlehem Steel. Club President William T. Wilson promised to buy all his players gold watches if they pulled off the upset over the Steelmen. The gesture must have worked as the underdog shipbuilders pushed the defending champions to their limit.

Merchants scored first after 12 minutes through Hyslop. Then, Bethlehem took control, with George McKelvey leveling the score around the 30th minute off a cross, and Jimmy Easton putting his side ahead three minutes later from 18 yards out. Butler put Bethlehem up 3-1 soon after on a cross from Tommy Fleming. Bethlehem gave a goal back just before the break, as Fletcher was called for a hand ball inside the penalty area, and Dugan converted the subsequent spot kick to leave Bethlehem ahead 3-2 at the half.

About 22 minutes into the second half, Heminsley gained possession from a thrown-in and put Merchants even at 3-3. The remainder of the 90 minutes was a 50/50 game between the teams, with neither able to pull ahead. Seven minutes into extra time, Merchants defender McKay handled the ball in the box and Tommy Fleming scored on the penalty kick to give Bethlehem a 4-3 lead that they would hold on to for the remainder of extra time, denying Merchants an upset win, and a set of gold watches.

1919 National Challenge Cup
Second Round Results

November 10, 1918

Roses FC 4:0 Solvay FC
Solvay Park – Detroit, MI

Detroit FC W:L Corinthians FC
Solvay Park – Detroit, MI
Detroit FC advances via forfeit

Scottish American FC 5:2 Harvey FC
42nd Ave. & Chicago Street – Chicago, IL

Scoring Summary
Scottish: Crosby (3), Brown, Mair
Harvey: Pierce, Guthrie

November 16, 1918

J & P Coats 6:0 Olneyville Oaks FC
Coats Field – Pawtucket, RI

Scoring Summary
J & P Coats: Bob Carroll 17’ 2nd Half, Allcock 1st Half (Taylor) 1st Half (Carroll), Bennie Taylor 15’, Turner 1st Half (Allcock)

November 17, 1918

Bricklayers & Masons FC 1:0 Lincoln Park
Chicago, IL

November 18, 1918

Magyar American FC 1:1 (AET) Hydraulic Pressed Steel
Luna Park – Cleveland, OH

Scoring Summary
Magyar: Engelke (Hoffman)
Hydraulic: Dalziel (PK)

November 23, 1918

Merrimack Valley 0:6 Fore River FC
Methune, MA

Scoring Summary
Fore River: Jack Kershaw 2nd Half, 2nd Half, Clawson 15’, Bradford 20’, Daley 1st Half, Stradon 2nd Half

Bethlehem Steel 4:3 (AET) Merchant Shipyard A
Bethlehem Steel Athletic Field – Bethlehem, PA

Scoring Summary
Bethlehem: George McKelvey 30’, Jimmy Easton 33’, Butler 1st Half, Tommy Fleming (PK) 97’
Merchants: Hyslop 12’, Dugan (PK) 1st Half, Heminsley 67’

Homestead Steel W:L Pittsburgh FC
Homestead Steel advances after Pittsburgh FC forfeits due to World War I enlistments

November 24, 1918

(REPLAY) Magyar American FC 3:2 Hydraulic Pressed Steel
Luna Park – Cleveland, OH

Scoring Summary
Magyar: Gyma (Hoffman) 10′, Hoffman 50′, Mathison (PK) 55′
Hydraulic: Todd (Curran) 20′, Dalziel 90′

November 28, 1918

Goodrich FC 1:8 Goodyear FC
Goodrich Field – Akron, OH

December 1, 1918

Federal Shipyard 2:1* Merchant Shipbuilding B
Clark’s Field – Newark, NJ
*Merchants Ship protest due to referee error upheld, replay ordered

Scottish American FC 6:0 Teitjen & Lang Drydock
Clark’s Field – Newark, NJ

Scoring Summary
Scottish American: Allen 2nd Half, 2nd Half, Chadwick 1st Half, Eadie (Chadwick) 1st Half, Seigel 1st Half, Adamson 1st Half

Paterson FC 9:2 Jersey AC
Olympic Park – Paterson, NJ

Scoring Summary
Paterson: Hunziker 1st Half, 1st Half (Brown), 2nd Half (Brown), Harry Blaisch 1st Half, 2nd Half, Davey Brown (Blaish) 1’, Morell 45’, Shanholdt 2nd Half, Spence 2nd Half (Own Goal)
Jersey AC: Kay 2nd Half, Barclay 2nd Half

Robins Dry Dock 2:1 Bridgeport City
Todd Field – Brooklyn, NY

Robins: Garside, Hayes
Bridgeport City: Hirst

Morse Dry Dock W:L Chinese Students FC
Lenox Oval – Manhattan, NY
Morse Dry Dock advances after Chinese Students FC forfeit (failure to appear)

New York FC W:L Viking FC
Viking FC forfeit, failure to secure a field

December 25, 1918

(REPLAY) Federal Shipyard 3:2 Merchant Shipbuilding B
Clark’s Field – Newark, NJ

Scoring Summary
Federal: Ingram 8′, Fisher, Moran 90′
Merchants: Nolan 25′, Graham (PK)

100 years ago, the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup (then known as the National Challenge Cup) crowned its sixth national champion. Prior to Tuesday’s 106th edition of the US Open Cup Final, TheCup.us begins a five-part series that jumps in a time machine back a full century to see the challenges that the 1918/1919 tournament faced. The game and the world was very different 100 years ago. World War I was wrapping up and there was an outbreak of the Spanish Flu. The United States and the game of soccer was likely unrecognizable to the modern fan, so we decided to take a look back to see how it all played out.

Editor’s note: As you read this, you’ll notice a lot of players with just one name. This is not an oversight on our part, but rather, many of the sources of this information (newspapers, publications etc.) only use the last name of players in their stories.

Check out the other entries in this five-part series: Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals & Final

1918/1919 National Challenge Cup

A mere five years after the inaugural National Challenge Cup, the tournament found itself in a difficult situation. With the United States becoming involved in World War I in 1917, many teams were left short of players due to war enlistments. The 1917 tournament attracted only 54 teams, down from 88 the previous season. For the 1919 edition, only 48 clubs put their names in the hat, and as the competition moved on, a few more teams were forced to drop out due to a lack of players. Of the four semifinalists from the previous season, only one returned for 1919. Joliet Steel Works, Fall River Rovers and West Hudson AA either folded or suspended operations, leaving only defending champions Bethlehem Steel to carry on.

The National Challenge Cup wasn’t the only soccer competition in the country affected by the war for the 1918-19 season. The National Association Football League dropped from eight to six teams, and the Southern New England Soccer League cancelled their 1918-19 season due to a lack of clubs. The American Football Association Cup saw only 25 teams enter their tournament. The 1919 tournament would also be the last without teams from St. Louis.

One unique effect of the war on the tournament was that the eastern side of the bracket featured many teams representing shipyards in the New York and New Jersey area, similar to how college (American) football would later feature many strong teams from military training bases during World War II.

On Oct. 6, 1918 the National Challenge Cup Competition Committee made the First Round draw at the Broadway Central Hotel in New York City. For the sake of convenience, the Second Round draw of the Western districts were made as well, so those clubs could try and get the games played before the risk of weather delays set in.

1918/1919 National Challenge Cup Draw Eastern Division New York District Bye: Chinese Students Soccer Club Clan MacDuff FC vs. New York FC Morse Dry Dock and Repair Company (Brooklyn) vs. Standard Ship FC (Shooters Island) Viking FC vs. Tebo Yacht Basin FC (Brooklyn) Robins Dry Dock and Repair Company (Brooklyn) vs. Longfellows FC (Brooklyn) New Jersey Bye: Tietjen and Lang Dry Dock (Hoboken) Federal Ship FC (East Newark) vs. Babcock & Wilcox FC (Bayonne) Swedish AC (Passiac) vs. Jersey AC (Jersey City) Scottish American FC (East Newark) vs. Crescent Ship FC (Elizabeth) Kinley FC (Harrison) vs. Paterson FC Connecticut Swedish AC (Bridgeport) vs. Bridgeport City FC Northern Massachusetts Fisk Red Tops (Chicopee Falls) vs. Fore River FC (Quincy) Boston Rovers FC vs. Merrimac Valley FC (Methuen) Southern New England Bye: Olneyville FC (Providence, RI) Pan American FC (Fall River, MA) vs. J & P Coates (Pawtucket, RI) Eastern Pennsylvania Disston AA (Tacony, PA) vs. Merchant Ship FC B (Harriman, PA) Hog Island AA FC (Hog Island, PA) vs. Merchant Ship FC A (Harriman, PA) Bethlehem Steel (Bethlehem, PA) vs. New York Ship (Camden, NJ) Western Division Western Pennsylvania Second Round Homestead Steel FC (Homestead, PA) vs. Pittsburgh FC Ohio Second Round Magyar American FC (Cleveland) vs. Hydraulic Pressed Steel FC (Cleveland) Goodrich FC (Akron) vs. Goodyear FC (Akron) Michigan Second Round Solvay FC (Detroit) vs. Roses FC (Detroit) Corinthian FC (Detroit) vs. Detroit FC Illinois First Round Bricklayers and Masons FC (Chicago) vs. American Hungarian FC (Chicago) Second Round Harvey FC (Harvey, IL) vs. Scottish American FC (Chicago) Bricklayers and Masons FC or American Hungarian FC vs. Lincoln Park FC (Lincoln Park, IL)

Before the First Round could kick off, the tournament was dealt another blow. On Oct. 13, a week before the first games were set to be played, the United States Football Association (USFA, now known as the US Soccer Federation) announced they were authorizing the postponement of games in the East and West due to a new outbreak of the deadly Spanish Flu that had already ravaged the United States and many parts of the world.

All told, 12 matches in New England, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois scheduled for Oct. 20 were postponed, as large public gatherings were strongly discouraged in those areas. The only places in the East deemed “safe” were New York City and Connecticut. Some of the Second Round games in the West were put off three or four weeks, and the eastern first round wouldn’t be completed until three weeks after the USFA’s original Oct. 20 deadline.

1919 National Challenge Cup – First Round

New York & Connecticut

As a result of the new Spanish Flu threat in the East and the Midwest, only five games were scheduled for the opening weekend of Oct. 20, and four were played. The contest between Tebo Yacht Basin and Viking FC was cancelled due to Tebo being forced to withdraw for not being affiliated with the New York State Football Association.

Morse Dry Dock posted the biggest rout of the opening week, cruising by Standard Shipbuilding 4-0 at Hawthorne Field in Brooklyn. The core of the newly-founded Morse team included five players (goalkeeper Jack Albion, Frank Booth, John Sullivan, Fred Beardsworth and Holmes) from the Fall River Rovers team that reached the 1918 final, as well as midfielder Holgate (Pawtucket) and forward McNaughton (Pullman FC of Chicago). Holgate opened the scoring in the first half, and Beardsworth followed for a 2-0 halftime lead. Beardsworth added a penalty kick in the second half and Holgate scored his second goal to lock down the victory.

At Todd Field in Brooklyn, Robins Dry Dock cruised by Longfellows FC 3-0. Robertson scored for Robins after 10 minutes from a free kick. Longfellows then had the run of play and were awarded a penalty when Meyers was tripped by Robins’ Duffy. Lomas took the spot kick but was saved by Robin’s GK Spittle. From this point it was all Robins, with John Laverty putting Robins up 2-0 at the half. Mitchell pushed the lead to 3-0 for Robins.

Unlike their Brooklyn counterparts, New York FC had a tougher time with their opponents, Clan MacDuff FC. Despite playing with just ten men, New York FC managed to jump out to lead after 20 minutes when Petrie scored. Five minutes later, Petrie struck again, this time from 20 yards out. Demby pulled Clan MacDuff to within one shortly before halftime, but that’s as close as the Scots got. Twenty minutes into the second half O’Halloran put NYFC back up by two with a long run. Demby headed in MacDuff’s second goal, but the rally ended there as NYFC advanced to Round 2.

The final game of the day was a showdown of two Bridgeport, Conn. clubs, Swedish AC and Bridgeport City AFC at The Meadows in Bridgeport. The opening minutes saw Bridgeport City nearly score twice, and City jumped in front ten minutes into the game as Satterwaite passed to Hurst from the center circle. Hurst made his way past the Swedish defenders and fired a long shot past Swedish goalkeeper Larson.

Bridgeport City nearly scored again a few minutes later. On a counterattack from a cleared Swedish corner kick, a shot from Wragg just missed the post by a few inches. In the 25th minute, the Swedish found the tying goal, Santeson scoring off a corner kick, driving his shot to the lower right corner past City goalkeeper Rosenberg. For the rest of the half the Swedes dominated play, although City did have one more chance in the half in which Butterworth sent his shot over the crossbar. A minute before the halftime whistle a series of passes finished with Santeson sending the ball to Lilja, who scored to give the Swedish AC a 2-1 lead.

Five minutes into the second half City equalized through Hurst’s second goal. The Swedish made an appeal for offside, but referee Miller stood firm on his decision. Twenty minutes later Hirst completed his hat trick with what would prove to be the winning goal.

New Jersey

Three games kicked off in New Jersey on Oct. 27, and the biggest mismatch, by far, was in Paterson, N.J. between Paterson FC and Kinley FC. Van de Weghe scored twice, and Davey Brown added another to give Paterson a 3-0 halftime lead, but that was only the beginning. Just five minutes into the second half, Rudy Hunziker scored from a Davey Brown pass and soon after Van de Weghe completed his hat trick. Stanholt made the score 6-0 and Davey Brown added two more for his own hat trick to top off the 8-0 rout.

At Clark’s Field in Newark, the Scottish American FC faced off with Crescent Ship FC, a new team put together for the 1918-19 season. The teams exchanged goals in the first half, Stout for Scots American and Nugent for Crescent. Eadie and Adamson put the Scots ahead for good in the second half.

The second game at Clark’s Field saw Federal Ship take on Babcock & Wilcox. The clubs played to a 1-1 draw, and in the replay a week later in Jersey City, Federal Ship triumphed 3-1.

Eastern Pennsylvania

 

First Round action began in Eastern Pennsylvania on Oct. 27 with Merchant Shipyard A traveling to Philadelphia to face Hog Island FC. Hog Island took the field minus two of their best players, McMillan and Kevis. To make matters worse, Hog Island were reduced to 10 men early in the second half when center forward Owens had to leave after being kicked in the knee (There were no substitutions in those days). With three minutes remaining, it seemed as though the home side would push the shipbuilders to extra time, but goalkeeper Alf Pearce made the mistake of venturing too far out from his goal to try and clear the ball. This resulted in Merchants center forward Hemingsley having an uncontested shot at goal for a 1-0 victory. One interesting note, Harry Pearce, brother of Alf, was the goalkeeper for Merchants.

On Nov. 2, Disston AA and Merchant Shipyard B engaged in a 12-goal extra time thriller. The first half ended with Disston on top 4-2, but the Merchants rallied to finish the 90 minutes tied 5-5. The shipbuilders continued their momentum in extra time, scoring twice more for the 7-5 victory. The Philadelphia Inquirer described Disstons’ Eastwood as having the best goal of the game. Eastwood took a pass from Cleary near midfield and maneuvered past the Merchants defenders Ploegaerts and Cleary to put his shot out of reach of the goalkeeper Kerr.

A week later, the defending champion Bethlehem Steel faced New York Shipbuilding to begin their 1918/19 National Challenge Cup campaign. New York Ship gave Bethlehem a hard time in the opening half, as it took the Steelmen 40 minutes to find the opening goal through George Fleming’s fifteen-yard shot. Twelve minutes into the second half Bethlehem extended their lead when a run by Harry Ratican led to a second goal for Forrest. With 15 minutes left Tommy Fleming was awarded a penalty after a foul from Spaulding, but Fleming missed by sending his shot past the post. Fleming redeemed himself a few minutes later by beating New York goalkeeper Ness with a curved shot for the final goal in Bethlehem’s 3-0 win.

Massachusetts & New England

The three opening round games from Massachusetts and New England featured a combined 23 goals between the six teams. Opening the action on Oct. 26 at Lawrence, Mass. was Merrimack Valley hosting Boston Rovers. McLeish scored all three of the Rovers goals, but Merrimack Valley doubled their count with four goals from Butler and two from Morley. Boston was put at a disadvantage when forward Law was sent off.

A week later, Quincy’s Fore River FC traveled to Springfield, Mass. and overpowered the Fisk Red Tops 8-2. Fore Rover’s Jack Kershaw scored four goals and was involved in the other four. The first half ended favorable for the Red Tops, as Bill Dowdall and Logan scored to match Kershaw’s first two for Fore River. In the second half, it was all Fore River as Kershaw and David Page added two goals each, and Brown and Stradan added one each.

The final opening round match in the New England area was a 3-1 victory by J & P Coats over Fall River’s Pan American FC at the Bedford Street Grounds in Fall River. Jack Rego gave Pan American the lead after 16 minutes, and the Fall River club held that lead through much of the game. Coats came on strong in the second half, and blew past Pan American in the final 15 minutes. In the 75th minute, Roger Smith got hold of the ball from a scrum in front of the goal and evened the score. Five minutes later, Bennie Taylor headed in a cross from Turner to finally put Coats on top. With just a few minutes remaining, Smith took the ball near midfield and sped past the tiring Fisk defenders to make the final score 3-1 in favor of J & P Coats.

Illinois

The lone first round contest in the West saw Bricklayers & Masons FC get past American Hungarian FC 3-1 on Nov. 10 in Chicago.

1918/1919 National Challenge Cup – First Round Results

October 20, 1918
Morse Dry Dock 4:0 Standard Shipyard
Hawthorne Field – Brooklyn, NY

Scoring Summary
Morse: Holgate 1st Half, 2nd Half
Morse: Fred Beardsworth 1st half, 2nd half (PK)

Robbins Dry Rock 3:0 Longfellows FC
Todd Field – Brooklyn, NY

Scoring Summary
Robins: Robertson 10’, John Laverty 1st half, Mitchell 2nd half

New York FC 3:2 Clan MacDuff FC
Lenox Oval – Manhattan, NY

Scoring Summary
New York – Petrie 20’ 25’, Rodney O’Halloran 65’
MacDuff – Demby (2)

Swedish AC 2:3 Bridgeport City
The Meadows – Bridgeport, CT

Scoring Summary
Swedish: Santeson 25′, Lilja (Santeson) 44′
City: Hirst 10’, 50′, 70′

October 26, 1918

Merrimack Valley 6:3 Boston Rovers
Lawrence, MA

Scoring Summary
Merrimack: Butler (4 goals), Morley (2 goals)
Rovers: McLeish (3 goals)

October 27, 1918

Paterson FC 8:0 Kinley FC
Olympic Park – Paterson, NJ

Paterson:
Vandeweghe 1st half, 1st half, 1st half (Hunziker) 60’ … Davey Brown (Hunziker) 1st half 2H (Vandeweghe) 2H, Hunziker 50’ (Brown), Stanholt 2H (Brown)

Scottish American FC 3:1 Crescent Ship
Clark’s Field – Newark, NJ

Scoring Summary
Scottish: Stout 1H, Eadie 2H, Adamson 2H
Crescent – Nugent 1H

Federal Shipyard 1:1 Babcock & Wilcox
Clark’s Field – Newark, NJ

Hog Island FC 0-1 Merchant Shipyard A
Hog Island Athletic Field – Philadelphia, PA

Scoring Summary
Merchant Shipyard A: Heminsley 87’

November 2, 1918

Pan American FC 1:3 J & P Coats
Bedford St. Grounds – Fall River, MA

Scoring Summary
Pan American: Jack Rego 16’
J & P Coats: Roger Smith 75’ & 2H … Bennie Taylor (Turner) 80’

Fisk Red Tops 2:8 Fore River FC
League Park – Springfield, MA

Scoring Summary
Fisk: William Dowdall 1H, Logan 1H
Fore River : Jack Kershaw 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H … David Page 2H, 2H, Brown 2H, Stradan 2H

November 3, 1918

Disston AA 5:7 (AET) Merchant Shipyard B
Disston Ballpark – Philadelphia, PA

Scoring Summary
Disston: Cleary (2), Ernest Dutcher (PK), Gilmore (Own Goal), Eastwood 1H
Merchant Shipyard B: Taylor (2), Barrett (2), Brown, Graham, Nolan

Jersey AC 1:0 Swedish AC
Olympic Park – Paterson, NJ

Scoring Summary
Jersey AC: Shannon 65’

REPLAY >> Federal Ship 3:1 Babcock & Wilcox
Jersey City Baseball Park – Jersey City, NJ

November 9, 1918

Bethlehem Steel 3:0 New York Shipbuilding
Bethlehem Steel Athletic Field – Bethlehem, PA

Scoring Summary
Bethlehem: George Forrest 40’, 58’ … Tommy Fleming 2H

November 10, 1918

Bricklayers & Masons 3:1 American Hungarian
Chicago, IL