The lead of the Bethlehem soccer team in the Eastern Soccer League will be seriously challenged over the weekend when the locals engage in probably two of their hardest games since campaigning in the new loop.
In the I. R. T. Rangers, the local booters will meet a team recently almost completely revamped and one that expense and time was not spared in trying to bolster the strength of the club on a par with that of the other strong teams in the circuit.
Prominent of the new talent secured by the Rangers is McEachern, a center forward who starred at Fall River and later with Boston. It is also understood that several Coats players have joined the Rangers in addition to McClure, former New York Giant goalie who came to Bethlehem when Edwards was nursing injury and has since been released to play with the Rangers.
The Rangers come to Bethlehem on Saturday afternoon as one of the four teams in the top flight of the league standing. While this game is expected to furnish keen competition another game that the local booters are more than concerned about will be played in New York on Sunday afternoon when the New York Hakoahs will be the opponents.
Heretofore fortunate in having personnel of players large enough to lay up some of the talent for the hard twin bill, Bethlehem will probably have to call upon the same men for the Sunday games who will also be necessary in the Rangers game here on Saturday. However, the players welcome the change and are well conditioned to stand up under the grueling test of two games.
The veterans retained are all seasoned men and look forward to hard competition with keen anticipation. Bethlehem's complete rout of the Phillies in the election day exhibition game indicates that the team is hitting on a winning stride and barring injuries or illness will be a hard club to stop. The games scheduled for the weekend and the standing of the teams follows:
P |
W |
D |
L |
P |
P.C. |
|
Bethlehem |
6 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
1.000 |
Hakoah |
5 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
8 |
.840 |
N. Y. Giants |
7 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
9 |
.643 |
I. R. T. Rangers |
5 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
.333 |
Philadelphia |
4 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
.250 |
Hispano |
5 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
2 |
.200 |
N. Y. Celtic |
5 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
.167 |