1930 American Soccer League
Introduction Statistics of American Soccer League in season 1930.
Overview In 1928, a dispute broke out between the American Soccer League and the United States Football Association regarding participation in the National Challenge Cup. The League decided to boycott the cup, but three teams, Bethlehem Steel, the Newark Skeeters and the New York Giants all entered the competition. When the league suspended the three teams, the USFA offered to bankroll the creation of a new league, the Eastern Professional Soccer League. This new league included the three ex-American Soccer League teams, four teams from the Southern New York Football Association and one newly created team, New York Hakoah. By the fall of 1929, the onset of the Great Depression and the competition between the ASL and EPSL had created significant financial problems for both leagues and the USFA. Consequently, the USFA and the two leagued came to an agreement to end the dispute on October 9, 1929.The two leagues entered into discussions to merge. By the first week of November 1929, the merger was complete with the new league taking the name of the Atlantic Coast Soccer League. The new league decided to run a two-part 1930 season. Oddly enough, they decided to play the first games of the 1930 season during the weekend of November 6, 1929.The first half of the season ended the last weekend of April 1930.During the summer of 1930, the league resumed the name American Soccer League, beginning the second half of the season in September and ending the first weekend of January 1931.Although the league attempted to continue operations as it had before the dispute with the USFA, it began to fail during the 1930 season. The dispute between the ASL and USFA financially weakened the league and its teams. The onset of the Great Depression in 1929 further exacerbated these problems. This resulted in significant changes in the lineup of teams in the league.===Team turmoil===Boston became the first team to fail, leaving the league and disbanding after only four games. The second team to fail was one which had just entered the ASL, Bridgeport Hungaria. Based in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania, the team moved to Newark, New Jersey after ten games, played another five in Newark, then withdrew from the league and disbanded. During the mid-season break, Bethlehem Steel F.C. withdrew and disbanded. Then, the New York Giants renamed themselves the New York Soccer Club. The New York Nationals immediately took the name Giants.===Champions===The Fall River Football Club finished top of the table in both the first and second half. The league saw no need for a playoff and declared the 'Marksmen' champions. The 'Marksmen' also won the league (Lewis) cup and the 1929–30 National Challenge Cup, giving it a treble. Having achieved this distinction, the 'Marksmen' promptly withdrew from the league and merged with the New York Soccer Club to form the New York Yankees for the 1931 season.
League standings ===First half (Atlantic Coast Soccer League)===PlaceTeamGPWLDGFGAPtsPct1 Fall River F.C.271917844044 '''.814'''2 New Bedford Whalers33121011565035 '''.530'''3 Hakoah All Stars3314127656135 '''.530'''4 Providence 2712114535628 '''.519'''5 New York Nationals 3314145888933 '''.500'''6 Pawtucket Rangers 2810117506127 '''.483'''7 Bethlehem Steel 2711124665426 '''.481'''8 New York Giants 3011136677728 '''.467'''9 Brooklyn Wanderers3291310636628 '''.438'''10 Bridgeport Hungaria/Newark15012321593 '''.100'''11 Boston4103592 '''.250'''===Second half (American Soccer League)===PlaceTeamGPWLDGFGAPtsPct1 Fall River F.C.271386544334 '''.630'''2 New Bedford Whalers301569756236 '''.600'''3 Hakoah All-Stars271089404228 '''.519'''4 Newark Americans2811611625528 '''.500'''5 New York Soccer Club (Giants)2712312515527 '''.500'''6 Providence 2912314462927 '''.466'''7 Brooklyn Wanderers 3010713575827 '''.450'''8 New York Giants (Nationals)319715648627 '''.435'''9 Pawtucket Rangers310814542626 '''.419'''
League Cup The winners of the League Cup final were awarded the H.E. Lewis Cup. Hakoah All-Stars and New York Nationals were forced to play a replay on May 22, 1930, to determine a winner after the first two matches ended in draws, and neither side scored in 30 minutes of extra time at the end of the second match.The first game of the two-game final was originally scheduled for May 25, 1930, but was cancelled due to rain. It took place at night at a neutral site, the Polo Grounds in New York, two days later. The second game of the final was then scheduled for May 28, but rain forced its cancellation as well. The game was continually rescheduled until it was finally played on October 23, 1930.===Bracket======Final==='''Fall River F.C.''' 5–1 Hakoah All-Stars 2–1  3–0  May 27 •  Polo Grounds • 5,000October 23 • Polo Grounds • 2,500====First leg========Second leg====''Fall River F.C. won Lewis Cup, 5–1, on aggregate.''
Goals leaders RankScorerClubGamesGoals1 Jerry Best Pawtucket RangersFall River F.C.New Bedford Whalers49522 John Nelson New York Nationals42453 Bert Patenaude Fall River F.C.Newark Americans44444 Archie Stark Bethlehem SteelNewark Americans38405 Bill Paterson ProvidenceNew Bedford Whalers44386 Billy Gonsalves Fall River F.C.53357 Werner Nilsen BostonFall River F.C.51278 Bob McIntyre Pawtucket Rangers3123 Davey BrownNew York Giants 5023 Josef Grünfeld Hakoah All-Stars562311 Tommy Florie New Bedford Whalers592212 Siegfried Wortmann Hakoah All-Stars5020 Jimmy Gallagher New York NationalsNew York Giants642014 Bobby YuleBrooklyn Wanderers491915 Janos Nehadoma Brooklyn Wanderers321816 Herbert Carlsson New York NationalsNew York Giants4617 Bart McGhee New York NationalsNew York Giants581718 James BrownNew York GiantsNew York Soccer Club3816 Red Ballantyne New York GiantsBrooklyn Wanderers491620 Max GrünwaldHakoah All-Stars521521 Tec White Fall River F.C.5014 Moritz HäuslerHakoah All-Stars561423 Jimmie Baillie New York Soccer Club2613 Billy OswaldProvidence3613 Jimmy McAuley Fall River F.C.Pawtucket Rangers4913 Mike McLeavyNew Bedford Whalers501327 Rudolph Nickolsburger  Hakoah All-Stars4912 József Eisenhoffer Brooklyn Wanderers5012 George MoorhouseNew York GiantsNew York Soccer Club551230 Johnny Harvey Pawtucket Rangers4611 Arthur Scott Pawtucket Rangers331132 Leslie Lyell Brooklyn Wanderers3110 Alex McNabFall River F.C.4410 Shamus O'BrienNew York GiantsNew York Soccer Club5110 Ernő Schwarz Hakoah All-Stars5110
References
External links * The Year in American Soccer - 1929