| Player | Club at the time | League at the time |
|---|---|---|
| Auld, Andy | Providence Gold Bugs | ASL |
| Bookie, Mike | Cleveland Slavia | |
| Brown, Jim | NY Giants | ASL |
| Douglas, Jimmy | NY Nationals | ASL |
| Florie, Tom | New Bedford Whalers | ASL |
| Gallagher, Jimmy | NY Nationals | ASL |
| Gentle, James | Philadelphia Field Club | ASL |
| Gonsalves, Billy | Fall River Marksmen | ASL |
| McGhee, Bart | NY Nationals | ASL |
| Moorhouse, George | NY Giants | ASL |
| Oliver, Arnie | Lucitania Recreation | |
| Patenaude, Bert | Fall River Marksmen | ASL |
| Stone, Philip | NY Giants | ASL |
| Tracey, Raphael | Ben Millers | St Louis Soccer League |
| Vaughn, Frank | Ben Millers | St Louis Soccer League |
| Wood, Alexander | Detroit Holley Carburetor | Detroit Major League |
THE US NATIONAL TEAM AT THE 1930 WORLD CUP
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Jan 28, 2013) US Soccer Players – By the time the 1930 World Cup kicked off, the United States Soccer Federation (known at the time as the United States of America Football Association) was only 17 years old. Competitive soccer on an international level was still in its infancy. It was, however, an important time for the game. FIFA had finally decided to stage an international tournament for nations and put forth Uruguay, the 1928 Olympic gold medal champions, as hosts.
The decision to hold the competition in South America meant that most European nations, fearing a long and costly journey, boycotted the inaugural World Cup. Only four European teams – France, Belgium, Romania and Yugoslavia – agreed to participate. The US team traveled to Montevideo on the SS Munargo. The ship departed from Hoboken, NJ, and the players used their time on the boat to train. Once the tournament was underway, the Americans had earned the nickname “the shop-putters” because of their size.
The USA’s performance in 1930 surprised many mostly because of the team’s poor showing at the 1928 Olympic Games, which until the creation of the World Cup had been considered the globe’s premier soccer tournament. To put into perspective how poorly the United States had performed, it had been trounced 11-2 by Argentina in the first round at Amsterdam’s Olympic Stadium.
“I think the Americans did take some people by surprise,” said Roger Allaway, a soccer historian. “Of course, the biggest factor in the United States’ success in that World Cup may have been the fact that so many strong European teams weren’t there. I’d guess that England, Scotland, Italy, Austria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia all might have been capable of reaching the final if they had been there.” Read More
THE USA AT THE 1930 WORLD CUP
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Jul 13, 2020) US Soccer Players – World Cup history can often reveal some surprises, especially in the tournaments early era. Uruguay hosted the first World Cup 90 years ago this month. No one back then had any idea of what the tournament or the sport might become. The World Cup is now the planet’s most-watched sporting event and a commercial and marketing powerhouse.
Only 13 nations decided to embark on the long trip to the tiny South American nation. France, Yugoslavia, Romania and Belgium were the European countries making the transatlantic voyage. Yugoslavia would join the hosts, Argentina, and the United States in the semifinals. In a tournament where everything was new, the USA advancing may have been the biggest surprise.
This week mark’s the anniversary of the very first World Cup match. France’s 4-1 rout of Mexico at the Estadio Pocitos in the capital city Montevideo on July 13 and the USA’s 3-0 win against Belgium at the same time at the nearby Estadio Parque Central before 18,000 spectators. The United States would lose to eventual-runners up Argentina 6-1 in the semifinals. A FIFA report in 1986 would later credit the USA with finishing 3rd. It’s the best finish in the history of the USMNT program.
What was surprising about the USA’s run at the World Cup was what had happened at the 1928 Olympics. In Amsterdam, the United States lost to Argentina 11-2 in the opening round, one of the most lopsided results in international play. Uruguay was the gold medalist at those games, foreshadowing their victory at the first World Cup. Read More
