Still a Fighting Chance
Fall River has a decided advantage but the Bethlehem Steel soccer team still has a fighting chance and watch them fight, chirped one of the persons associated with the Steel Workers in reference to the chances of the local clan in the American Soccer League race in which Fall River is topping the list of clubs with a margin of five points over Bethlehem. The closing stages of the league race have assumed an aspect similar to that of last year when the last two games to be played the Steel Workers had the chance to tie for the honors. Fans will remember that J & P Coats was to play in Bethlehem on a Saturday and the following day at Paterson. A defeat in either one of these games would have give n Bethlehem a better chance. Rather than risk the chance of losing one game by playing two over the weekend the Coats eleven failed to appear on the Bethlehem Field and was satisfied to forfeit the game to be in the best condition to meet Paterson, which club was then defeated.
Spirited Games for Local Fans
With the season rapidly drawing to a close, the games still to be played in Bethlehem and in fact all remaining games on the Bethlehem list, promise to be the most interesting attractions of the season. Three is no denying that the Bethlehems have slumped greatly in the last several weeks but players and management alike feel that the breaks are bound to turn. By Bethlehem's defeat and tie over the weekend the New York F. C. has edged into the running as a contender and as a result the remaining battles will center around the three leading teams. Bethlehem has two more games to play with Fall River, the National champion coming here for one of the tilts and Bethlehem journeying to Fall River for the other. New York likewise has two more games to play with Fall River one at home and the other away, and fans who know the fighting characteristics of the Gotham dribblers know that they fight at their best when hard pressed. This same New York clan has two more games to play with Bethlehem, one at home and the other away, so that really it is the New York eleven that is in the position to decide the issue between Fall River and Bethlehem. At this late date in the season the Steel Workers will have ten more games to play to complete their schedule, no less than five of which will be staged at home. This means that the schedule will run into May for the Steel Workers with a trip to St. Louis arranged over the weekend will be idle in league competition. Then also there are several more rounds in the American Cup competition before the season winds up.
Fall River in Position to Clean Up
With the National title for this season safely tucked away, leading the American Soccer League race with a margin of five points over its closest rivals and semi-finalists in the American Cup competition, it does look as though Fall River might make a clean sweep of all the soccer honors possible in this country. It is up to Bethlehem Steel or New York F. C. to decide otherwise for the issue seems to center exclusively with these two clubs. Bethlehem lost an opportunity to climb within two points of the league leaders in losing to Coats and tying with the National Giants over the weekend. Instead of netting four points which would have resulted with victory in both games, the Steel Workers annexed only one. However, Bethlehem has still one more game to play to bring its total number to that played by Fall River. The standing of these two clubs to date follows:
Played |
Won |
Drew |
Lost |
Goals For |
Goals Against |
Points |
|
Fall River |
21 |
15 |
5 |
1 |
46 |
16 |
35 |
Bethlehem |
20 |
13 |
4 |
3 |
46 |
22 |
30 |