Bethlehem Steel: The Forefathers of American Soccer

Greatest American soccer team.

Thank you Bethlehem Steel for the sport we love and watch today!

Thnx for helping teach me a little more about the history of soccer. I didn't actually know soccer has been played here for that long, now I understand the Union 3rd kit

I'm so proud to have grown up in Bethlehem.

Oldest club in the usa is ornedia or something which

Ornedia first club for the usa. 1862

what a great vid, super educational.

There were other groups before Bethlehem steel. There has been evidence of football/soccer being played with the first settlers coming over.

These videos give me the goosebumps

my home town

Great Story mad Respect

I remember reading about Bethlehem Steel years ago. Glad someone finally created a video about them!

Those Union throwback jerseys are sick.

I'm a big Red Bulls fan but I love those third kits

For me, there is no more iconic or greater club in the history of soccer in the United States than Bethlehem Steel F.C. When I heard the Union would be honoring Bethlehem with their 3rd kit, I was absolutely thrilled. I did a project on BSFC and their history back in high school...it was so fascinating to go back through the history of this club and early soccer here in the United States from the 1910s and 1920s. Incredible players like Tommy Fleming and Archie Stark too. Great mini-doc.

Heard that before.. Aah Mad Men!

Its because MLS wants to pain the picture that soccer never existed before their league. They want to legitimize their system, the single-entity system.

You do realize this whole video is about the history of soccer in this country, and that the video is made by mls, right?

What about the Philadelphia Fury (from NASL)? ... LOL, just kidding!

Just one video doesnt constitute them acknowledging soccer in the past. There were hundreds of clubs that were popular, and there still hundreds of clubs throughout American that are still in existence. Hoboken FC is like 85 years old. MLS likes make us believe that the soccer in this country doesnt exist. So they can claim breakthrough status.

Bethlehem Steel...Best Steel America Ever made and Best Soccer Team.

I am an American Outlaw supporter and MLS fan and now I respect more the Philadelphia Union respect to you.

I find it funny when the Glen Becks of this world act like its a foreign game when in reality the US and Canada was playing the sport long before many other countries were including some European one's and it was a combination of bad luck that stopped footballs continued growth in North America especially the Great Depression. The US came 3rd in the 1930 World Cup and I think many American's would also be surprised to find out the US rugby team won gold in the last 2 rugby tournaments in the 1920 and 1924 Olympics and many American's such as Teddy Roosevelt actually preferred Rugby to American Football. Unfortunately though its usually the same types who wave flags, are very nationalistic and xenophobic and spout crap like "its not American" also usually end up knowing very little real history of the country they profess to love so much.

I think it might be a bit disrespectful calling it Bethlehem Steel soccer club. He should call it how it was meant to be call Bethlehem Steel Football Club! Too much using soccer

I'm Uruguayan.

In 1930  the very first World Cup was held in Montevideo Uruguay, back then there were no qualifiers because of the war and post Economic Crisis and everyone in Europe and the Americas were invited, USA accepted the invitation and not only they reached third place making this their best performance as of yet but Bert  Paternaude scored the very first Hat-Trick in a World Cup ever.

Anyways you guys might be glad to know that the influence of the club kept on going even during it's last days. The coach of the 1930 USA National Team was Bob Millar, former player who played during the very first days of Bethlehem Steel FC up until the days of Archie Stark (albeit in a different team). Bob Millar was one exceptionally talented young man as well, of the best players in Bethlehem Steel FC and American history.

Where's this football club now?

A lot of people and soccer/Football fans dont know this but the American Soccer League in the 1910s and 20s was at the time considered to be one of the best in the world at the time. Most of that is because Bethlehem Steel was backed with a lot of money at the time to spend on international talent. And of course one of the best USA players at the time and probably greatest ever Archie Stark was on the team as well. Its CRAZY to think we had so much going for us to be a future powerhouse but it all went away when the USSF blocked the league. Because of them not playing in the US Open. Which i wished they just played in because this would have grown the sport and we probably would be a powerhouse country in soccer today if USSF and ASL got along. But also the Great Depression really effected and messed up everything as well. Its such a shame no one knows how good we really were in the early 20th century. And what we could have already been if it continued. Now we had to restart in the 90s, and now it's starting to really blow up in popularity. Our mens team is not there but our Women's team is amazing and best in history. Cant wait for the future of soccer in this country.

The American Soccer League was our golden age for soccer in America in the 1920s. We had clear success and was highly popular only following Baseball. We even beat out the NFL when the league had just started. That was our time to become a powerhouse in football. But no we ruined it over disagreements on ASL clubs playing in the US Open, then stealing foreign players from Scotland and England and almost getting banned by FIFA, then when we settled that. The next thing was the stupid Great Depression. That's what went wrong for us Americans in soccer. And why it's not as popular as in other parts of the world. Everything that could go wrong went wrong, and there's nothing we can do about it. Only thing I would like to see is to bring 2 of the first big time clubs to the USL Championship. Like the Bethlehem Steel with the original clubs black and white colors. Not the Philadelphia Union rip off of the name. And also bring back the Marksman that won 6 out of the 10 ASL titles. And do something for the first 2 big name American players Archie Stark and Billy Gonsalves. We really need to remember this history it's important for when we do finally become world class.

It doesn't matter if you call the game Soccer or Football. It the same thing and no one should attack you for calling it Soccer.

Is this Bethlehem ny

Check out schaeffertown under us soccer amateur open champ also a Bethlehem steel town Cornwall pa where they owned some mines

My grandfather, William Duncan was the goalie and is seen many times in the film.

This team needs to come back at least in the USL Championship.