Globe-Times -- Bethlehem
Thursday, January 2, 1930
HAKOAHS TWO GOALS EARN LEAGUE VICTORY
Desperate on Defense Visitors Successful in Frustrating Bethlehem's Sustained Attack
DICK SCORES LONE GOAL

Unable to hit the stride characteristic of the last two games the Bethlehem soccer team got away to a rather disastrous beginning of the New Year losing its league game here to Hakoah All-Stars by the score of 2 goals to 1. The holiday attraction brought out the biggest crowd of the season, who witnessed a fast and aggressive game in which the comeback of the Jewish stars was quite stunning to the home patrons.

Bethlehem awoke too late to the situation and then in spite of the most aggressive attacking and having by far the preponderance of play Hakoah playing desperately succeeded in defending the one goal margin up to the final whistle. Scoring a goal in the first half and another shortly after the restart, the New Yorkers, who dropped a 4 to 0 game to Bethlehem on Sunday afternoon, were two up on the Steelmen.

More than holding their own in the first half Bethlehem was unable to hit its stride and seemingly lacked the fire and dash or the form displayed on the home field less than a week ago. The perfect coordination was seemingly lacking and the dash and spirit which quite recently established a league record of goals in two games was missing. But the second half was a different story in which Bethlehem stepped out determined to overcome the two goal lead but found its steady bombardment frustrated by Hakoah, swarming the goal in packs, and successful in defending against the shots fairly rained at the rigging.

The field was heavy with mud and the footing was bad but in spite of these conditions some clever soccer was witnessed. The heavy and wet ball brought about no few miskicks. Timing, too, suffered and on one particular occasion when the ball was dumped in front of Stark within yards of the goal mouth, and a goal seemingly inevitable, the center forward missed completely when the mud logged ball stopped dead where it landed.

The waning minutes produced thrill upon thrill and probably one of the most determined and sustained attacks by Bethlehem ever witnessed on the home field. More than once Fischer, the Jewish custodian was called upon to handle and the manner in which he disposed of the rifle shots was nothing short of remarkable. During these minutes Hakoah frequently kicked out in its efforts to relieve the pressure and when Bethlehem had the ball within scoring range the final efforts were frustrated by a human barrier, thickly packed in goal.

Early in the game McGregor, paired at fullback with Finlayson, met with misfortune when he injured his leg, interfering considerably with his speed. Finlayson, too, seemed to lack somewhat in the sterling performance he has displayed in a back position, being off in tackling and seemingly unable to connect solidly with his kicks on the wet ball.

Playing as though possessed, the visitors had a breakaway early in the game and Schwartz beat the defense, but shot bye. Almost an instant later Bethlehem was attacking and Fischer earned the plaudits of the spectators with a great stop on Stark's drive. Bethlehem continued to attack and forced two successive corners. Dick took the kick, but not any proved productive. The ball traveled back and forth and thirty minutes of play elapsed when Hakoah scored first blood. Hauesler placed nicely and Gruenwald meeting the ball sent it into the corner of the net. Gruenwald had an opportunity to test Beveridge shortly afterward when the Bethlehem goalie handled well his rifle shot. Bethlehem was pressing when the half ended with the score 1 to 0 in favor of the visitors.

After the restart Bethlehem was a quite different team and in view of the continuous attacking it appeared but a matter of time before the homesters would be leading. Finally Hakoah had one of their spasmodic breakaways and it was on one of these after ten minutes of play that bore fruit. Two successive corners were forced and on the second Schwartz sent the ball across, well away from goal. It looked as though Bethlehem would be successful in clearing when Gold, the visitors' halfback, met the sphere, the ball coming to Carnihan and deflected in its course by the Bethlehem center halfback, and rolled into the corner of the net. Beveridge could well have handled and undoubtedly would have but for Carnihan, the latter stating after the game that the ball was deflected in its course by him.

With that second goal as an incentive Bethlehem opened up with a determined attack while Hakoah, satisfied by the point margin, massed its efforts to defensive tactics. Fifteen minutes remained to be played when Dick scored his team's first and only goal, converting a pass from Stark, and drove it through a mass of Jewish players in front of him and well out of the reach of Fischer. The bombardment continued excellent opportunities by Stark and Jaap were thwarted and the game ended with Hakoah avenging the recent defeat on the home grounds. The lineup:

Hakoah -- Bethlehem
Fischer -- G -- Beveridge
Grosz -- RFB -- Finlayson
Steinberg -- LFB -- McGregor
Gold -- RHB -- Reid
Drucker - -CHB -- Carnihan
Mahrer -- LHB -- Pitt
Hauesler -- OR -- Gillespie
Greenfield - -IR -- Jaap
Gruenwald -- CF -- Stark
Wortman -- IL -- Massie
Schwartz -- OL -- Dick
Goals: Gruenwald, Gold, Dick. Referee: John Walders. Linesmen, Fred Pepper and William Forrest. Time of halves. 45 minutes.


1929-1930
Bethlehem Steel Soccer Club