The Post – Pittsburgh
December 12, 1913
Braddock Loses at Soccer After Sensational Game
Bethlehem Wins Soccer Struggle on Forbes Field by Score of 3 Goals to 2 in Extra Period.

Before the largest crowd that ever witnessed a club soccer game in Pittsburgh, the Bethlehem team defeated Braddock yesterday by 3 goals to 2. The game was the best ever played here, extra time being necessary to determine the winner.


Forbes Field, Pittsburgh

Five minutes later Stevenson kicked off Bethlehem having won the toss and chosen to defend the north goal. The visitors’ left wing was the first to get going, but Howe was on the job and cleared easily. Fleming put in a nice center, but Galbraith headed over. It was apparent that the usually reliable Braddock defense was unsettled and nervous and the forwards were too anxious. Lawler cleared from Rattray and let Fleming away, but again Fleming put bye.

Braddock then took a brace and managed to get over the center line. Whyte twice giving McMann nice passes which were caught up by the Bethlehem halves. Marshal was the first goalkeeper to be tested, Galbraith being the cause. Offside against Donaghy, robbed the visitors of a good chance and then Lawler placed a free kick beautifully into goal. Marshall caught the ball, but was bustled off sans ceremony by Lewis and the Braddock goal had a very narrow escape, Howe clearing when all seemed lost. After 12 minutes play a penalty kick was awarded against Braddock for Howe handling inside the dreaded area, and Fleming converted the kick with a hard straight shot.


Forbes Field, Pittsburgh

From the center Donaghy headed into Marshall and then Stevenson made Love get busy, followed at once by some felling work on the part of Rattray, who raised the hopes of Braddock’s supporters by giving Love the hardest shot of the game to save, the goalkeeper saving with nothing to spare. A free-kick against Bethlehem brought no result and Beadling tried a shot which Peacock returned with a huge punt. Lewis picking up and giving to Lance, who kicked too hurriedly and the ball went harmlessly past. Stevenson endeavored to open up things, but McKelvey stepped in and let Donaghy show what he could do.

BRADDOCK TAKES BACK

Blackwood stopped the visitors inside left and Lowther had a try, but the ball was immediately returned to the eager Bethlehem forwards who wanted to add to their lead. The Braddock team was now playing a much better game. Beadling being very prominent with some fine tackling. Whyte and Blackwood had a few neat touches, then Stevenson, Rattray and Lowther brought the large crowd to its feet by splendid combination, which ended by McCann giving Love a hot shot, the custodian just scraping the sphere over the bar. The resulting corner was cleared by Lewis and at once the Braddock defenders had something to do.

OPPORTUNITY IS LOST

Lance had a great opportunity, but skied the leather high over the bar. A free-kick against Braddock came to nothing and the home team had two good runs, only great saving by the visiting backs keeping their goal intact. Toward half-time the pace slackened, with Braddock more on an equality with the Philadelphians. A corner for Braddock almost was the mans of the score being tied, Peacock eventually lifting the pressure, only to find McCann back again at once with a dandy attempt which was not improved upon. Morrison almost scored with the last kick of the first half, which found Bethlehem leading by the one goal scored. The visiting eleven had a shade the better of this half, although latterly there was little or nothing to choose between the teams.

SECOND HALF A HUMMER.

The second half opened with a rush on the part of Braddock, and for the first 10 or 15 minutes the home boys were all over their more experienced opponents, the pressure culminating in Kelly equalizing the score after 16 minutes had passed. Then the spectators gave vent to their feelings and pandemonium reigned for five minutes. On even terms again, both teams went after the winning goal. Each goalkeeper was visited in turn with Braddock apparently gaining strength as the game progressed.

After a nice piece of passing work by t he Braddock vanguard, McCann beat Love from close in, and Bethlehem saw its chances of appearing in the next round fading away, so strong was Braddock moving. Just one minute after McCann’s goal, Bethlehem was granted a free-kick 30 yards out, near the touchline. Fleming, of the golden locks, was entrusted with the kick, and, instead of centering the ball in the so-called orthodox manner, he drove direct for goal, catching Marshall unprepared, and the ball slid into the net at the near corner, the goalkeeper making a great but futile attempt to stop it. Exciting play followed.

Braddock forced a corner, but Rattray sent it wide. Fleming tried a run of his own in the closing minutes, but overran the ball. Lawler tricked several opponents and passed to Fleming, but the Bethlehem flier shot wide. When the regulation 90 minutes were up, the score was still tied and extra time was played to determine the winner.

THAT EXTRA PERIOD.

Braddock continued the pressure, and it looked as if Bethlehem had shot its bolt. Lawther had one great try, but it was a trifle high. Peacock was prominent for a spell, then Marshall had a marvelous save from the foot of Lance, who had not been very successful in his effort to keep the front rank moving, owing to the shadowing he received from Kelly. No further scoring took place in the first part of the extra time. At the beginning of the final period Braddock had another corner, and before the ball was got away the Bethlehem goal under went a series of the most narrow escapes ever seen on a soccer field. For a full minute the ball was never out of the penalty area, but in some miraculous manner Love kept his citadel safe.

Fleming dominated for the remainder of the time. He beat four Braddock defenders and shot hard and Marshall was luck to save his parting shot. Then the Bethlehem winger got the ball some 40 yards away, run up the field and finished with a shot that beat Marshall all the way, making his team lucky winners of the hardest game it has played in the past two years. The game finished two minutes later in Bethlehem territory.

The winners are a great eleven, admittedly, but they found their match in the opponents of yesterday. The star of the contest was Fleming, without whom the visitors would have been a beaten lot. The backs played a splendid game at all times and made few mistakes. Lawler was perhaps best of the halves, and forward the best were, after Fleming, Galbraith and Lance.

Braddock was unlucky to lose a tie that they seemed to have won in the second half. By its display against such renowned opponents, Braddock has put Pittsburgh on the soccer map for all time. Manager Trend of the Bethlehem team acknowledged that Braddock had given his eleven the hardest fight in any game in two years, and this is some compliment to the local eleven, when it is considered that Bethlehem has not lost a game this season and only lost one last year, defeating such teams as Tacony, West Philadelphia, Holyoke and others of similar class. The game was cleanly contested throughout and Braddock was defeated but not disgraced. The refereeing of I. Wilson was all that could be desired. The line-up:

BRADDOCK – 2 – BETHLEHEM – 3
Marshall – G -- Love
Blackwood – R. B. -- McKelvey
Howe – L. B. -- Peacock
Beagling – R. H. -- Stewart
Kelly – C. H. – Morrison
Whyte – L. H. -- Lawler
Anderson – O. R. -- Galbraith
Rattray – I. R. -- Lewis
Stevenson – C -- Lance
Lowther – I. L. -- Donaghy
McCann – O. L. -- Fleming
Referee – Isaac Wilson. Goals scored – Kelly, McCann and Fleming 3. Time of halves – 45 minutes.


Bethlehem Steel Soccer Club