Accorded a rousing ovation by some three thousand or more soccer fans on their appearance on Hawthorne Field on Saturday afternoon the Bethlehem eleven responded to this reception with a brand of soccer that fairly dazzled the spectators and the highly touted Brooklyn Wanderers under a 5 to 2 score.
The Steel City booters were invincible and at no time in the entire game was there any comparison between the two teams. It was Bethlehem's farewell appearance in the metropolitan district and one that is certainly to remain vivid in the memory of those who witnessed it for a long time.
With the exception of one or two lapses in which momentary misunderstandings were evident in the defense, the Bethlehem team never game a finer performance this season with the possible exception of the playing in the final round with fall River at the Polo Ground.
The defense was a bulwark of strength and more often were the [. . . ] attacks broken up before they were fairly launched. Offensively the Bethlehem forwards ran rings around the Brooklyn defense and particularly was little Johnny Jaap an offender in this respect.
Brooklyn was licked and well beaten before the midway mark of the game was reached. Bethlehem scored three times before the home team found itself and at half time was leading 3 to 1. Bethlehem went further ahead in the second period and then Brooklyn cut the margin down to 4 to 2. In the closing minutes Bethlehem shot a fifth tally and finished the game with three goals to spare.
On all sides were the Bethlehem players and management commended on the manner in which this team conducted its affairs over the long period of twenty years. And on all sides were expressions of sincere regret registered on the action taken to disband. Rousing was the cheer when the players took the field but much more vociferous was the ovation when the team left the field triumphant.
Archie Stark, Bethlehem's peerless center, monopolized the early scoring, getting three goals in succession. Johnny Jaap accounted for the other two, his final goal a marvelous shot. Josef Eisenhoffer tallied once in each half for Brooklyn.
After both Stark and Jaap had missed tries, Reid was allowed a free kick when Tollan was fouled by Moore. Dick on the left wing connected with the ball and passed to Stark, who headed into Brooklyn's net for the first goal of the game. For nearly half an hour thereafter it was an even battle between two good elevens.
Midway in the period, the Wanders gamed two corners, both on the right wing and both were cleared. At 29 minutes, Stark again got the ball from Dick and racing past all opposition, gained a position from which he scored what was practically an open goal.
Bethlehem's first corner on the left came three minutes later, but Stark headed over the bar. Stark's third goal was shot off Tollan's pass seven minutes from half-time. With but four minutes to go, Eisenhoffer snapped up the ball from Robertson in a mix-up before Bethlehem's cage and scored Brooklyn's first goal.
Right after the restart, Brooklyn gained a corner on the right. Laszio substituted for Moore in the back division, but was later shifted to outside left when Devlin was taken out. From Dick's pass Stark reached the bar a corner resulting. From the corner kick Jaap headed into the net and made the score 4 to 1 for Bethlehem after eleven minutes.
Assisted by Robertson, Eisenhoffer accounted for Brooklyn's second tally after half an hour's play. Brooklyn gained another corner and, two minutes from the end, Jaap dashed through once more for Bethlehem's fifth and last tally.
Wanderers -- Bethlehem
Scullion -- G -- Fraser
Moore -- RFB -- Gibson
Grosz -- LFB -- McGregor
Brown -- RHB -- Massie
Maguire -- CHB -- Reid
Schneider -- LHB -- Pitt
Robertson -- OR -- Gillespie
Weisz -- IR -- Tollan
Nehadoma -- CF -- Stark
Devlin -- IL -- Jaap
Eisenhoffer-- OL -- Dick
Goals: Stark, 3, Jaap 2, Eisenhoffer 1. Substitutions: Laszio for Moore, Innocenti for Laszio, Laszio for Devlin.