The Globe -- South Bethlehem
December 26, 1916
BETH. LOSES AND DRAWS
WITH ST. LOUIS SOCCER TEAMS
Local Team Humbled by All-Stars, 3-1 -- Holds Ben Millers to 2-2 Score.

St. Louis, Dec. 26 -- Seventy-five hundred persons at Robinson Field Sunday saw the St. Louis All-Stars vanquish the Bethlehem Steel company soccer team, South Bethlehem, Pa., victor in nineteen consecutive games with the strongest elevens of the country. The score was 3-1. Inasmuch as the record of the Steelworkers for the last two seasons gives them an indisputable claim to the soccer championship, the series with the local teams, which began with Sunday's contest, is looked upon as competition for the national title.

The counterpart of Sunday's engagement has never been seen in this city. Trailing the visitors, 1-0, at the end of the first half, and apparently outclassed by ten times the margin of the score, the St. Louis representatives staged a thrilling rally in the final period.

Some idea of the lop-sided character of the play may be gleaned from the fact that only five times in the first half was the ball within scoring range of the Bethlehem goal. Three local players tried shots, but all went wild. Another tried to read the ball into the net with no success. A corner kick proved a failure. Still more astonishing was the fact that the St. Louis men, famed for their fierce attacks, were actually "outroughed" by the visitors.

One could have written his own ticket on the outcome at the end of the half, but when the All-Stars came on the field for the second half they presented a rearranged forward line and the fans' hope revived a trifle. "Duke" Brannigan had moved from outside to inside left, Schwartz had relieved Maender at center forward, the latter going to outside left; Mulligan was at inside right and Kehrman was at outside right.

Thirty seconds after the kickoff it was evident that a marvelous change had been wrought in both the execution and spirit of the home team. The Stars played whirlwind but systematic football and the visitors were swept off their feet by the fierce attack. It was the greatest reversal of form ever seen in this city. All Stars -- Bethlehem
Sheehan -- goal -- Duncan
Abstein -- left fullback -- Ferguson
Brady -- right fullback -- Fletcher
Harris -- left halfback -- Kirkpatrick
Callahan -- center halfback -- Campbell
Miller -- right halfback -- Murray
Maender -- outside left -- Fleming
J. Brannigan -- inside left -- Butler
Schwartz -- center -- Ratican
Mulligan -- inside right -- Pepper
Kehrman -- outside right -- McDonald
Goals -- Schwartz, Callahan, Kehrman, Ratican. Substitution -- P. Brannigan For Mulligan. Referee -- Kavanaugh. Time -- 45 minutes halves.

Draw in Second Game.

Themselves using the rough-and-ready tactics of St. Louis soccer, the Bethlehem Steel company soccer team yesterday fought a two-to-two draw with the Ben Millers at Robinson Field. A crowd estimated at 6,000 saw the game.

St. Louis now has a legitimate claim to premier ranking in soccer having taken the series with the champion.

You might even go so far as to credit six of the seven goals to St. Louis, for Harry Ratican, a local product, counted two of the Bethlehem markers. Take it any way you wish, you must award the crown to St. Louis.

Yesterday's game, though fiercely fought throughout, was not as spectacular as the Sunday battle. Even though the Bethlehems roughed it with the Millers right from the start, receiving the same treatment in return, that wild enthusiasm of the series' opener was absent. The fact that the visitors had already suffered defeat here no doubt tended to take something out of the game, from a spectator's standpoint.

It was not until thirty-five minutes of play in the first half that either side scored. Then Harry Ratican headed the ball into the net. IN the course of the scrimmage Goalkeeper King had wandered from his post. Ratican didn't wait for King to come back. Shooting the first goal of the game seems to be a habit with Harry.

Len Zarchel and Bill Quinn were the big stars for the Millers. They were all over the field, never out of the play. Murphy, McHenry and Potee also did some fancy work. Fletcher, Clarke, Campbell, Fleming, Easton and Ratican did the heavy work for the visitors. Clarke, the Bethlehem center halfback, is as good as ever showed in these parts. Lineup:

Millers -- Bethlehem
King -- goal -- Duncan
Shea -- left halfback -- McKelvey
Lancaster -- right halfback -- Fletcher
Quinn -- left halfback -- Murray
Zarchel -- center halfback -- Clarke
Murphy -- right halfback -- Campbell
Potee -- outside left -- Fleming
Marre -- inside left -- Easton
Fitzgibbons -- center right -- Ratican
Dunn -- inside right -- Kirkpatrick
McHenry -- outside right -- Pepper
Goals -- Potee, McHenry, Ratican, Fleming. Substitutions -- Easton for Duncan, McDonald for Easton. Time of halves -- 45 minutes. Referee -- Kavanaugh.


Bethlehem Steel Soccer Club