With the approach of the opening of the Major League Baseball and the recent debut of the Philadelphia Union, the PSP takes a look at the connection between baseball and soccer in Philadelphia soccer history and recounts the story of the Philadelphia Phillies’ short-lived soccer team of 1894.
Philadelphia Soccer History
Great moments in Philly soccer history: Philadelphia Hibernians beat the Pilgrims, 1909
It will probably come as no surprise that the history of English football snobbery directed toward America is almost as long as the history of the game itself. But such snobbery is not necessarily a bad thing. In 1905 and 1909 a team of gentleman amateurs called the Pilgrims landed […]
Great Philly soccer teams: Philadelphia Atoms, part II
This concludes the two-part “Great Philly soccer teams: Philadelphia Atoms.” You can read Part I here. Before Atoms coach Al Miller took the young team to England to train and to scout for some British players to fill out the roster, back in Philadelphia, Atoms general manager Bob Ehlinger’s marketing […]
Great Philly soccer teams: Philadelphia Atoms, part I
The Philadelphia Atoms joined the NASL as an expansion team in 1973. They were the first expansion team to win a championship in its first year in any American professional sport. That they accomplished this with a squad managed by an American coach that was largely made up of Americans […]
Great Philly soccer teams: Ukrainian Nationals
The Ukrainian Nationals, also known as “Tryzub” Philadelphia, played in the American Soccer League (ASL) from 1957 until 1970. Along the way they won six national championships, four U.S. Open Cups and two Lewis Cups. They won “the double” – the league championship and U.S. Open Cup – in 1961 […]
Great Philly soccer teams: Lighthouse
A powerhouse of mid 20th century American soccer, Lighthouse Boys Club won 5 U-19 national championships and provided players to local amateur and professional teams as well as the US national team.