American Soccer League
American Soccer League was the name of four different professional soccer leagues in the United States.
ASL 1
history
ASL 1 was the first notable professional football league in the USA. She played mainly in the northeastern United States, mainly in the area of New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia. The league was founded in 1921 by a number of representatives from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Football League. The impetus for this decision was provided by the teams' increasing certainty about the mismanagement of the NAFBL, as well as the efforts of the United States Football Association to establish a unified first soccer league in the USA.
From 1924, the combination of high pay and a high level of play in the league increasingly attracted talented players from Europe, especially from Scotland and England. However, this led to increased resentment in Europe, including threatened consequences for FIFA. Even an exclusion of the USFA from FIFA was under discussion at the time. However, the dispute was settled at the 16th annual FIFA meeting on June 4, 1927, when the USFA reached a compromise with the other member associations on transfer policy.
The ASL later fell out with NAFA when team owners criticized that requiring ASL teams to compete in the National Challenge Cup would place a heavy financial burden on them. The problem was that the National Challenge was held during the ASL season. For the participating ASL teams, this meant long bus and train journeys followed by an immediate return to the north-east to play the next league games straight away. The ASL then boycotted the National Challenge Cup of 1924. In the next season, however, they got back into the National Challenge Cup after the USFA reduced the portion of the income from the cup games to be paid to them from 33.3% to 15% would have. The ASL had reservations about the umbrella organization, however, and the situation escalated again in 1928 when the ASL boycotted the National Challenge Cup again.
However, when three clubs, above all Bethlehem Steel FC , reconciled the league by participating in the cup despite the official boycott, they were suspended from the league. In response, USFA and FIFA declared the ASL an "outlaw league". This triggered the so-called "Soccer War". However, the owners of the ASL teams did not care about this decision by FIFA, but continued to rely on the fact that the level and image of the league would be sufficient, despite the lack of recognition by FIFA, to be able to recruit players for their clubs. This also seemed to work until the USFA took part in the financing of a new league, the Eastern Professional Soccer League (ESL), as a rival league to the ASL. The three teams excluded from the ASL formed the ESL together with five teams from the Southern New York Soccer Association (SNYSA). However, this in turn led to SNYSA, under the leadership of Nat Agar, the owner of Brooklyn Wanderers , leaving the USFA and showing solidarity with the ASL. The resistance against the alliance of ASL and SNYSA, the establishment of a competing league and the poor economic situation in 1929 brought the ASL into financial difficulties. As a result, the league collapsed and turned back on the course of FIFA and USFA. In the fall of 1929/30, ESL and ASL finally merged to form the Atlantic Coast League, which began playing in the season from spring to autumn 1930. After the summer break, the league was finally renamed the American Soccer League, so it ended the season under a different name when it had started.
The "Soccer War" had permanently weakened the ASL, so that it finally collapsed in the 1930 season at the end of the preliminary round. FIFA and USAF had won their "war" and established themselves as the superordinate ASL. However, it was precisely this rule by a European organization over an American sports league that led many fans to turn away from football. From then on, football was seen as a sport controlled by foreigners. As a result, football played only a minor role in America for the next few decades.
List of all participating teams
- Bethlehem Steel FC (1921/22–1927/28, 1930, as Philadelphia Field Club in 1921/22)
- Boston Wonder Workers (1924 / 25–1930)
- Boston Bears (1931-1932)
- Bridgeport Hungaria (1930, for the last 5 games as Newark)
- Brooklyn Wanderers (1922 / 23-1931)
- Brooklyn Hakoah (1929, merger with New York Hakoah to form Hakoah All – 19Stars)
- Brooklyn Wanderers (1932-1933)
- Fall River Marksmen (1921-1930) originally Fall River United (1921/22); merges with New York Soccer Club to form New York Yankees
- Fall River FC I (1924 / 25-191931, as Providence Clamdiggers 1924 / 25-1927 / 28; as Providence Gold Bugs 1928 / 29-1930; as Fall River Football Club 1931; integrated during the 1931 spring season, the New Bedford Whalers ; were incorporated into the New York Yankees before the fall 1931 season)
- Fall River FC II (1932)
- Fleisher Yarn (1924/25)
- Hakoah All-Stars (1929 / 30–191932), merger of New York Hakoah and Brooklyn Hakoah
- Harrison Field Club (1921/22-1922/23, as Harrison Soccer Club in 1921/22)
- Hartford Americans (1927/28)
- Holyoke Falcos (1921/22)
- Jersey City Celtics (1921/22)
- Jersey City (1928/29)
- Newark Skeeters (1923 / 24–1928 / 29, participation withdrawn during the season)
- Newark Americans (1930-1932)
- New Bedford Whalers II
- New Bedford Whalers III, merger of New York Yankees and Fall River FC I.
- New York Field Club (1921/22–1923/24)
- New York Giants II, originally playing as Paterson Silk Sox, later changed their name to New York Soccer Club
- New York Giants III, previously called Indiana Flooring and New York Nationals
- New York Americans (1931-1933)
- New York Field Club (1932)
- New York Yankees, Fall River Marksmen and New York Soccer Club merged
- New York Brookhattan (1933)
- Pawtucket Rangers (1921 / 22–1932 / 33, as J&P Coats in 1921 / 22–1928 / 29)
- Philadelphia Celtic (1922 / 23–1927 / 28, 1922 / 23–1926 / 27 as Philadelphia Field Club)
- Philadelphia Field Club (1928-29)
- Philadelphia Field Club (1929, previously Bridgeport Bears)
- Queens Bohemians (1932-1933)
- Shawsheen Indians (1925-26)
- Springfield Babes (1926/27)
- Todd Shipyards (1921/22)
master
| year | Winner (number of titles) | Runner-up | Top scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1921-22 | Philadelphia FC (1) | New York Field Club | Harold Brittan |
| 1922-23 | J&P Coats (1) | Bethlehem Steel FC | Daniel McNiven |
| 1923-24 | Fall River Marksmen (1) | Bethlehem Steel FC | Archie Stark |
| 1924-25 | Fall River Marksmen (2) | Bethlehem Steel FC | Archie Stark |
| 1925-26 | Fall River Marksmen (3) | New Bedford Whalers | Andy Stevens |
| 1926-27 | Bethlehem Steel FC (4) | Boston Wonder Workers | Davey Brown |
| 1927-28 | Boston Wonder Workers (1) | New Bedford Whalers | Andy Stevens |
| 1928-29 | Fall River Marksmen (4) | Brooklyn Wanderers | Werner Nilsen János Nehadoma |
| Autumn 1929 | Fall River Marksmen (5) | Providence gold bugs | Bill Paterson |
| Spring 1930 | Fall River Marksmen (6) | New Bedford Whalers | John Nelson |
| Fall 1930 | Fall River Marksmen (7) | New Bedford Whalers | Jerry Best |
| Spring 1931 | New York Giants (1) | Brooklyn Wanderers | Bob McIntyre |
| Autumn 1931 | New Bedford Whalers (1) | New York Giants | Bert Patenaude |
| Spring 1932 | New Bedford Whalers (2) | Hakoah All-Stars | |
| Autumn 1932 | Fall River FC (1) | Brooklyn Wanderers |
ASL 2
history
In the fall of 1933 a second American Soccer League was introduced. This second division existed until 1983. Like the original ASL, this league was mostly played in the northeastern United States. In order to compete with the North American Soccer League, the ASL was extended to all of America in 1976. It expanded to the West Coast adding teams from Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento, Salte Lake City and Tacoma. Bob Cousy was hired as commissioner and the league aligned its point system with the NASL. The ASL originally awarded 5 points for a win, 2 for a draw and one additional point for each goal (max. 3 additional points per game). The NASL awarded 6 points for a win, 3 for a draw and max. 3 additional points for the goals scored. In the ASL, the number of foreigners eligible to play was also limited per game. This promised a higher popularity with the fans.
The league and especially the ASL teams could never compete financially with the NASL. An ASL team was therefore extremely rarely able to compete with a NASL team in offers for top players. On the other hand, it often happened that the top ASL players were offered significantly more money by a NASL club, which led to a migration of the top stars to the NASL. The ASL reached its peak in the 1976 season, in the LA Skyhawks game against NY Apollo. LA won 2-1 in front of more than 9,000 spectators. From 1979, however, the number of viewers fell, and the teams lost more and more money. The league finally existed until 1983. After the ASL II stopped playing, some of the former teams founded the United Soccer League, which existed in the 1984 and 1985 seasons.
master
| year | Winner (number of titles) | Runner-up | Top scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1933-1934 | Kearny Irish (1) | New York Americans |
Archie Stark Razzo Carroll |
| 1934-1935 | Philadelphia German-Americans (1) | New York Americans | Billard Lang |
| 1935-1936 | New York Americans (1) | Baltimore Canton | Alex Rae |
| 1936-1937 | Kearny Scots (1) | Brooklyn Hispano | Charlie Ernst |
| 1937-1938 | Kearny Scots (2) | Brooklyn St. Mary's Celtic | Fabri Salcedo |
| 1938-1939 | Kearny Scots (3) | Philadelphia German-Americans | Bert Patenaude |
| 1939-1940 | Kearny Scots (4) | Baltimore SC | Charlie Ernst |
| 1940-1941 | Kearny Scots (5) | Philadelphia German-Americans | Fabri Salcedo |
| 1941-1942 | Philadelphia Americans (2) | Brookhattan | John Nanoski |
| 1942-1943 | Brooklyn Hispano (1) | Brookhattan | Bill Sheppell |
| 1943-1944 | Philadelphia Americans (3) | Brooklyn Wanderers | Tommy Marshall |
| 1944-1945 | Brookhattan (1) | Philadelphia Americans | John Nanoski |
| 1945-1946 | Baltimore Americans (1) | Brooklyn Hispano | Fabri Salcedo |
| 1946-1947 | Philadelphia Americans (4) | Brooklyn Wanderers | Bill Fisher |
| 1947-1948 | Philadelphia Americans (5) | Kearny Scots | Nicholas Kropfelder |
| 1948-1949 | Philadelphia Nationals (1) | New York Americans | Piro Villanon |
| 1949-1950 | Philadelphia Nationals (2) | Kearny Celtic | Joe Gaetjens |
| 1950-1951 | Philadelphia Nationals (3) | Kearny Celtic | Nicholas Kropfelder |
| 1951-1952 | Philadelphia Americans (6) | Kearny Scots | Dick Roberts |
| 1952-1953 | Philadelphia Nationals (4) | Newark Portuguese | Pito Vilanon |
| 1953-1954 | New York Americans (2) | Brookhattan | Jack Calder |
| 1954-1955 | Uhrik Truckers (7) | Brooklyn Hispano | Jack Ferris |
| 1955-1956 | Uhrik Truckers (8) | Elizabeth Falcons | Gene Grabowski |
| 1956-1957 | New York Hakoah Americans (1) | Uhrik Truckers | George Brown |
| 1957-1958 | New York Hakoah Americans (2) | Ukrainian Nationals | Lloyd Monsen |
| 1958-1959 | New York Hakoah Americans (3) | Ukrainian Nationals | Pasquale Pepe |
| 1959-1960 | Colombo (1) | New York Hakoah | Mike Noha |
| 1960-1961 | Ukrainian Nationals (1) | Falcons SC | Herman Niss |
| 1961–1962 | Ukrainian Nationals (2) | Inter-Brooklyn Italians | Peter Millar |
| 1962-1963 | Ukrainian Nationals (3) | Inter SC | Ishmael Ferreyra |
| 1963-1964 | Ukrainian Nationals (4) | Boston metros | Walter Chyzowych |
| 1964-1965 | Hartford SC (1) | Newark Portuguese | Herculanio Riguerdo |
| 1965-1966 | Roma SC (1) | Newark Ukrainian Sitch | Walter Chyzowych |
| 1966-1967 | Baltimore St. Gerards (1) | Newark Ukrainian Sitch | Jorge Benitez |
| 1967-1968 | Ukrainian Nationals (5) | New York Inter | Ivan Paleto |
| 1968 | Washington darts | ||
| 1969 | Washington darts | ||
| 1970 | Philadelphia Ukrainians | ||
| 1971 | New York Greeks | ||
| 1972 | Cincinnati Comets | ||
| 1973 | New York Apollo | ||
| 1974 | Rhode Island Oceaneers | ||
| 1975 | Boston / Worcester Astros & New York Apollo (Co-Champions) | ||
| 1976 | Los Angeles Skyhawks | ||
| 1977 | New Jersey Americans (soccer) | ||
| 1978 | New York Apollo | ||
| 1979 | Sacramento Gold | ||
| 1980 | Pennsylvania Stoners | ||
| 1981 | Carolina lightnin ' | ||
| 1982 | Detroit Express | ||
| 1983 | Jacksonville Tea Men |
ASL 3
history
The next league, called the American Soccer League, played only two seasons, namely 1988 and 1989. This league consisted of ten teams, all of which were based on the Atlantic coast. In the second season, the ASL 3 champion, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, played a national championship game against the winner of the Western Soccer Alliance, San Diego Nomads. In 1990 ASL and WSA merged. This resulted in the American Professional Soccer League.
master
| year | Winner (number of titles) | Runner-up | Top scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Washington Diplomats (1) | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | Jorge Acosta |
| 1989 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1) | Boston Bolts |
Ricardo Alonso Mirko Castillo |
1990 Maryland Bays (Won USL Championship)
ASL 4
history
The fourth league, which was called ASL, started playing in August 2014. It is held in the northeastern region of the USA as a professional league. This is what distinguishes it from the NFSL or the PDF, for example
The league takes place under the umbrella of American Professional Soccer (SPS). The goal was to create a third-class league at professional level.
Teams
| team | city | Stadion | founding year |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFC Lancaster Lions | Ephrata, Pennsylvania | Ephrata High School | 2015 |
| Atlanta Futuro FC | Snellville, Georgia | Shiloh High School | 2015 |
| Long Island Express FC | Uniondale, New York | Mitchell Athletic Complex | 2016 |
| Mass United FC | Lynn, Massachusetts | Manning Field | 2009 |
| Philadelphia Atoms SC | Glenside, Pennsylvania | Jean Lenox West Field | 2017 |
| Philadelphia Fury | Glassboro, New Jersey | Richard Wackar Stadium | 2012 |
| Maryland SGFC Eagles | Silver Spring, Maryland | Paint Branch HS Athletic Stadium | 2017 |
| Virginia FC | Leesburg, Virginia | Evergreen Sport Complex | 2017 |
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b In 1921, Bethlehem Steel's owners moved the team to Philadelphia for the inaugural American Soccer League season. It competed under the name Philadelphia Field Club. In 1922, the team was back in Bethlehem
- ↑ a b c d e f g h The Philadelphia German-Americans were renamed the Philadelphia Americans in 1941. In 1953, it was renamed Uhrik Truckers, but remained the same team through these name changes.