The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) governs most levels of soccer in the United States, including the national teams, professional leagues, and amateur leagues, being the highest soccer authority in the country. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) governs most colleges; secondary schools are governed by state-level associations, with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) setting the rules at that level. The match regulations are generally the same between the three governing bodies although there are many subtle differences.
Association football is the most popular sport in Argentina and part of the culture in the country. It is the one with the most players and is the most popular recreational sport, played from childhood into old age. The percentage of Argentines that declare allegiance to an Argentine football club is about 90%.
Fall River Rovers were a United States soccer club, based in Fall River, Massachusetts. They won the 1888 and 1889 American Cups as well as the 1917 National Challenge Cup. In 1921 Rovers were disbanded and a new team, Fall River United were formed to enter the newly established American Soccer League.
The American Football Association (AFA) was the first attempt in the United States to form an organizing soccer body. It was the second oldest sports league to form, behind the National League of baseball in 1876, as well as being the oldest soccer organization in the United States.
The history of association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, stretches back at least to medieval times. Some predecessors of football may date back to ancient Greece and Rome, and similar games were played in ancient China and Japan. The history of football in Britain dates at least to the eighth century CE.
New Bedford Whalers was the name of three American soccer teams based in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The first Whalers played in the Southern New England Soccer League between 1914 and 1918. The second Whalers played in the American Soccer League between 1924 and 1931 before merging into Fall River F.C. The third Whalers were then formed when Fall River merged with New York Yankees. They played in the ASL between 1931 and 1932.
The United States had recently entered World War I, and the soccer world felt the effects as increasing numbers of players joined the armed forces to wage battle in Europe. Soccer was not as hard-hit as some other sports, but all leagues felt the impact; in fact the Čechie team of Chicago lost every member of its roster to enlistment. The United States Soccer Football Association issued a call to its member associations for teams to resist the temptation to strengthen their teams at the expense of others — when wealthy, but decimated teams eye the poorer but complete teams, their wallets and checkbooks should remain pocketed in the name of fair play. A welcome consequence of the war situation was a willingness of the USFA's own warring factions to end their dispute and work together in relative harmony during those trying times. Many soccer organizations launched fund raising campaigns and benefit matches to raise money to provide support for U.S. soldiers through, among other means, the provision of soccer equipment and gear to enhance their recreational opportunities. One such project was the Soccer Football Chain Letter Fund launched by Thomas Cahill and the USFA.
Archibald McPherson Stark was a soccer player who became the dominant player in U.S. leagues during the 1920s and early 1930s. He spent nine seasons in the National Association Football League and another twelve in the American Soccer League. He also earned two caps, scoring five goals, as a member of the U.S. national team. He holds the U.S. single-season scoring record with 67 goals scored during the 1924–25 season which is the current World Record. He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1950.
Charles Henry Ellis (1890-1954) was an American soccer player who is best known for scoring a goal in each of the U.S. national team's first two games.
Thomas W. Cahill was one of the founding fathers of soccer in the United States, and is considered the most important administrator in U.S. Soccer before World War II. Cahill formed the United States Football Association in 1913, which later became the United States Soccer Federation. In 1916 he became the first coach of the United States men's national soccer team. Cahill was enshrined in the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1950.
The Eastern Professional Soccer League, better known as the Eastern Soccer League (ESL), was an American soccer league which existed for only a season and a half in 1928 and 1929. Born of the internecine strife between soccer organizations in the United States known as the “Soccer War”, the ESL was created by the United States Football Association (USFA) as a counter to the professional American Soccer League which was contesting USFA control of professional soccer in the country.
The American Amateur Football Association Cup was an American soccer competition open to amateur teams affiliated with the American Amateur Football Association (AAFA). It played only two years, 1912 and 1913 before being superseded by the National Challenge Cup, now known as the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Hollywood Inn F.C. was a U.S. soccer team which played in Yonkers, New York during the early twentieth century. While an amateur team for much of its existence, it played a single season in the professional National Association Football League. In 1913, it went to the final of the American Amateur Football Association Cup where it lost to Yonkers F.C.
The 1924–25 National Challenge Cup was the annual open cup held by the United States Football Association now known as the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is an American soccer competition open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League Soccer. The following is the history of the U.S. Open Cup tournament.
Soccer in the United States has a varied history. Research indicates that the modern game entered the country during the 1850s with New Orleans' Scottish, Irish, German and Italian immigrants. Some of the first organized games, using modern English rules, were played in that city.
The 1923 National Amateur Cup was the USFA's first attempt to stage a national knockout competition strictly for amateur soccer teams. This edition however did not reach a conclusion and no overall winner was crowned. The tournament suffered numerous delays. Among the worst instances was an early round game between Swedish Americans of Chicago and Gary, Indiana scheduled for mid December. Poor field conditions due to bad weather prevented the completion of their matchup until the end of March. Consequently, no national final or semifinals were played. Ten years prior, the USFA's earlier incarnation, the AAFA, had conducted two tournaments on the amateur level. Both were successful in the sense that they were completed expeditiously however they were able to draw few if any teams from beyond the New York area. The 1923 amateur tournament drew 68 teams ranging from Chicago, Illinois to Rumford, Maine including even a team from San Francisco, California, the Olympic Club though their entry was rejected as a matter of logistics.
The American Soccer League, established in 1921, was the first of four different professional soccer sports leagues in the United States to use the ASL name. It was formed by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For several years the ASL's popularity rivaled the popularity of the National Football League. Disputes with the United States Football Association and FIFA, as well as the onset of the Great Depression, led to the league's collapse in spring 1933.
The 1913 AAFA Cup featured twenty-four teams from New York and New Jersey. The 'Wasps' of Yonkers defeated the 'Black and White Brigade' of Hollywood Inn 3–0 to win the tournament. This was the second and final edition as the AAFA Cup. The association became the USFA and awarded the Dewar Trophy for the 1913 edition of the the AAFA cup. The Dewar Trophy was also awarded to the National Challenge Cup winners beginning in the 1913–14 season.
