The Globe-Times – Bethlehem
May 3, 1926
SOCCER TEAMS WILL PLAY ON NEW PLAN
Each Pair Must Meet on Successive Days, the Total Score to Decide.
STEELMEN TIED WITH BOSTON

The semi-final and final round in the American Soccer League cup competition will be played on the home field, on a “home” basis, a system copied from the Canadian method. This was decided upon at a meeting of the league executives held in New York City on Saturday night.

Bethlehem Steel will meet he New York Giants in two games over the weekend of May 15, playing the Saturday game at New York. By the home-and-home-game method, the aggregate score of both games will decide the issue, with the team scoring the most goals in the two contest advancing to the final round.

A New Plan

The system is new in American soccer and is being employed in the league cup games more or less as an experiment. if it works out to good result it is possible that in the future all of the league cup affaris will be conducted under the same plan.

Because of the small gates at Bethlehem, the New York Giants threateneed to scratch their game with the Steel Workers in the semi-final unless assured a heavy guaranatee to cover the expenses in making the trip to Bethlehem. The Giants agreeed to play the game in Philadelphia or at Brooklyn on a fifty-fifty basis of the gate.

No definite action was taken by the local management, although it was intimiated this morning that Bethlehem, sooner than forfeit the right of playing one of the games on the home field, and in consideration to those who have been loyal in the support ofthe big league soccer here, will agree to the guarantees to have the Giants here for the game.

Bethlehem Steel has to eliminated the Giants to aspire to the top as finalists in the Metropolitan district. Up in the New England bracket, the clubs still eligible for the final are Boston, New Bedford and Providence. The final round will be played on the same basis of home-and-home games.

Although the date for the semi-final round was set for next weekend, the league executives yielded to pressure brought by several clubs in arranging a league schedule over the next weekend and postponing the semi-final in the cup competition until a week later. There were numerous protests but to no availa nad as a result a league game is given precedence over cup tilts for the first time in the history of American soccer.

2 Games This Weekend

The Steel Workers will have two league games over the coming weekend and incidentally both of them will be away from home. On Saturday the Steelmen meet New Bedford at the latter place and the follwoing day oppose Indiana Flooring in New York.

Owing to the lateness of the season, several clubs have forfeited the points in games still scheduled. Philadelphia forfeited four to Bethlehem and a like number was awarded to the Steel men at the expenese of Shawsheen. With ten points coming their way as a result, the Bethlehem team is now tied with Boston for third place, with a total fo 49 points. New Bedford is second with 55 points.

Bethlehem Steel Soccer Club