The east again showed its superiority over middle western soccer organizations on Saturday afternoon on the Bethlehem Steel athletic field when the champion Bethlehem Steel Workers easily defeated the crack eleven representing the Goodyear Rubber Co., of Akron, O., by a score of 5 goals to none in a fifth round National Cup game. It was Bethlehem from start to finish and although the Steel Workers went through the greater part of the game with only ten men, there was little difference if any in the advantage held by them.
The visitors put up a somewhat better game than the score would indicate, but their forwards were so well held in check by the Bethlehem defense that they seldom had an opportunity to get under way. One exceptionally prominent feature of the game produced by the visitors was the defensive work of Jones, the visitors' goal keeper, whose sensational style of play outclassed that of any other goal tender showing on the Bethlehem field this season. Several times in both halves he seemed completely beaten, but always managed to divert the ball for a corner or kick it out of danger, even with shots coming from short range. The shots that beat him were easily of the unsavable order, three of them being from close range. In the first half Bethlehem showed exceptionally brilliant football in the open but they were inclined to overdo the scientific end of it. In the second half they realized that goals were what were necessary to win cup games and they bent all their efforts to locating the net, with the result that the visitors were practically on the defensive during most of this period.
Bethlehem won the toss and elected to play with the sun and wind behind them. Millar was offside in the first few minutes and Ferguson cleared a raid from the visitors' right. Bethlehem left broke away, but Fleming was called up for offside. A nice cross from McKelvey gave Millar a good opportunity, but he drove wide with no one to beat but the goal keeper. Butler tested Jones and Forrest and Fleming went past when well placed. Campbell placed nicely to Fleming, but the latter's shot went wide when everybody expected to seem the ball safely in the net. The visitors' forwards broke away, but Campbell dropped back and made an effective clearance and once more Bethlehem attacked and Butler passed neatly to Millar who was standing unmarked and the latter opened the scoring with a beautiful low shot from eighteen yards range. Bethlehem continued the attack and shots from all the forwards rained in on Jones, but the marvelous play of the goal keeper nullified all their efforts. The first half was practically a continual bombardment of the visitors' goal only occasionally were the Rubberites able to get beyond the Bethlehem halfback line. With fifteen minutes of the first half to go, Fletcher over-exerted himself and had to retire from the field, with a torn ligament. Butler dropped back to right halfback and continued to play his steady game, but no further scoring took place despite the fact that the Steel Workers continued on the aggressive. The first half ended with Bethlehem one goal against none for the visitors.
In the first minute of the second half Fleming forced a corner, but Pepper shot past. The visitors' right broke away but Ferguson cleared. Once more the visitors returned the whole forward line moving up with the best piece of combination they had shown during the game and Campbell was forced to concede a corner. The corner was well placed, but Ferguson headed clear and the next minute the Akron inside left relieved the pressure by getting offside.
Bethlehem took up the attack once more but McKelvey missed the upright when a cross would have been more profitable, as the inside men were all in position. Once more Bethlehem attacked, but Jones saved from Millar. The visitors' left wing became prominent in a well executed movement, but Wilson kicked into [...] when apparently beaten. Ainslough, the visitors' center forward, on a nice individual run, was forced to shoot from long range and Duncan easily cleared. A good first time drive by Butler was well handled by Jones and Bethlehem forced three corners in rapid succession but all were fruitless, Jones clearing the third attempt by taking the ball from Forrest's head as he endeavored to placed it into the net. A miss-kick by Wilson looked bad for Bethlehem, but Ferguson covered well and the danger was averted. Once more the Bethlehem right broke away and Jones saved from McKelvey, but was unable to make an effective clearance and Millar breasted a rebound into the net for the second goal. Bethlehem were now playing with ten men, but despite this handicap continued to have the best of the game, even the halfbacks making efforts to break into the scoring column, but long range shots had little effect on Jones, as he made spectacular clearances on two fine shots from Butler. Fleming and Forrest executed a clever movement passing and re-passing down the wing and Fleming's final cross found McKelvey well placed, and the latter made the score three to nothing by beating Jones from six yards' range. The visitors seemed to lose heart after this reverse and only occasional bursts of aggressiveness on the part of their wings kept the interest intact and it was easily realized it was only a matter of how many goals Bethlehem would get. In the closing stages Bethlehem attacked vigorously and Millar made the score fourth counter by a low drive that completely beat Jones. This goal was the direct result of a nice mass combination by Bethlehem halfbacks, Campbell finally slipping the ball to Millar after drawing the defense on himself leaving Millar uncovered. With a few minutes more to go, Forrest forced a corner and Fleming placed beautifully. Three Bethlehem players jumped in to head the ball in, but Campbell was in the best position and with a deft touch sent the ball into the net, with Jones making a desperate effort to clear. The visitors made the last rush toward Bethlehem's goal with a nice movement by Marshall and Simpson, but Wilson intercepted and kicked into touch and the final whistle found the champions easy winner.
The score:
Bethlehem -- Akron
Duncan -- G -- Jones
Wilson -- RFB -- Tilley
Ferguson -- LFB -- Pointon
Fletcher -- RHB -- McCulley
Campbell -- CHB -- Simmons
Pepper -- LHB -- Campbell
McKelvey -- OR -- McDonald
Butler -- IR -- Valentine
Millar -- CF -- Ainscaugh
Forrest -- IL -- Marshall
Fleming -- OL -- Simpson
Goals - Millar 3, McKelvey 1, Campbell 1. Referee -- Caldicott of New York. 45 minute halves.