Yesterday was the "Jonah" day for Bethlehem in soccer circles, two representatives of this city going down to defeat. At St. Louis, the All-Stars earned the edge on Bethlehem by administering a 4-to-3 defeat while earllier in the week the same two teams palyed to a draw at one goal apiece. The North End team, of the Blue Mountain League, journeyed to Philadelphia for a little tilt with the Germantown Boys' Club and returned a badly defeated lot.
To the All-Stars goes the credit of being the first team to defeat the champions this season and that the make-up of the team abounds with strength is indicated by the hard run the same combination gave the champions on Sunday. Every effort was made to persuade the champions to remain over until next Sunday and play off the tie but this is impossible since the Steel Workers are scheduled to play a National League game in this city on Saturday afternoon.
Probably the happiest soccer player in St. Louis following the game was "Bob" Lancaster, the former Bethlehem player. "Bob" left here several weeks ago, peeved because he was not included in the regular line-up and returned to his home. Like in the first game, the former member of the champion squad again appeared in the line-up and played a rattling good game. During his weeks of practice her he became fully acquainted with the Steel Workers' style of play and as a result the champions meeting a star aggregation of players at their own scientific style of play completely baffled them. However, theey fought hard and kept the final result in doubt up to the last second.
Capt. Campbell did not get into any of the two big games, it being understood that due to illness he was unfit to play. Several other changes were noticed in the Bethlehem line-up yesterday towards that which faced the All-Stars in the initial contest. In addition to these players, several of the other players were shifted into new positions. Pepper took the place of Butler, Fleming was back in the game instead of Graham, and Ferguson instead of Morrison. The only change in the All-Star line-up was Corrigan for Mulligan.
The defeat of the Bethlehem team was the first one this year and the second in two years. As the St. Louis series now stands, it is a victory for each and a draw.
Many soccer enthusiasts contend that the Steel Workers are playing too many games and the hard pace is beginning to tell. To be successful, a team must be in perfect physical condition and this is believed interfered with the play in St. Louis. The champions arrived in that city early Saturday morning, leaving Bethlehem in a hurry on Thursday afternoon at 4 o'clock. With but one night's rest, they tackled the Innisfalls on Saturday and came back the next day against a star St. Louis aggregation, followed by the game yesterday. All season the champions have been playing the strongest teams in the East and apparently deserving of a rest. Probably over-confidence because of their previous success may have thrown them off their guard.
Clashing for the third time this season the New York and Paterson football clubs met yesterday in New York before a good crowd of soccer followers whose enthusiasm was not dampened by the weather. New York won by 1 goal to 0, thereby taking the lead in the series, which until yesterday had been even.
New York Ship soccer team, leaders of the Delaware River Shipyard Soccer League, and the Merchant A team of the big ship plant, at Harriman, Pa., battled to a one-goal tie, at Philadelphia, yesterday afternoon. It was an exhibition game and despite the drenching rain which fell during the greater part of the 70 minutes' play, a crowd of several hundred spectators turned out and remained to the finish.