[game-by-game record omitted]

With the close of the 1914-15 season the Bethlehem soccer team, champions of the United States and winners of the American League of Philadelphia, ended one of the most successful seasons since it was organized, the staging of the final game of the United States Cup Competition in the Lehigh Stadium, Lehigh University, South Bethlehem, which attraction drew close to 7,000 spectators, clearly shows that the game has come to stay in the Lehigh Valley, due entirely to the untiring and persevering efforts of such men as J.M. Herbig [President of Bethlehem F.C.], H.W. Bischoff [vice-president], H.E. Lewis [manager], A.N. Roberts [treasurer], R.A. Lewis [director], S.T. Harleman [director] and H.W. Trend [secretary], officials of the Bethlehem club.

The Bethlehem team, having won the American Cup, the First Division of the Allied League of Philadelphia and the Allied Amateur Cup of Pennsylvania during the 1913-14 season, decided to go after new honors in 1914-15, and with this in mind Manager H.E. Lewis secured one of the greatest aggregation of soccer stars ever gotten together in this country. They played their first game on August 1, 1914, at the Caledonian games held at Point Breeze Park, Philadelphia, when they lined up against an all-star team of the Allied League of Philadelphia. This game was for the handsome Caledonia Cup and gold stickpins, which Bethlehem won by the score of 5 goals to 0. Shortly afterwards Bethlehem entered the new American League of Philadelphia, which was composed of eight of the strongest teams in that city, including such clubs as Hibernians, Victor F.C., Tacony (now the Henry Disston F.C.), Schuylkill Falls, West Philadelphia and others. This league was won by Bethlehem without a defeat.

The Bethlehem Club also entered the United States National Challenge Cup Competition, also the American Cup Competition. In the latter competition they lost their only game of the season, in the semi-final round, to the Brooklyn Celtics, on the Brooklyn grounds, by the score of 2 goals to 1. In the United States National Cup competition, in which 82 clubs entered from all parts of the country, the Bethlehem team finally won out. In the fourth round of this competition they defeated Scottish-Americans, winners of the American Cup, by the score of 3 goals to 0. In the semi-final they defeated the Homestead team of Pittsburgh, western champions, by the score of 4 goals to 1, and in the final round of the United States National Cup competition Bethlehem defeated the Brooklyn Celtics by the score of 3 goals to 1 and thereby ended one of the most successful seasons in its history. The record of 34 games played, of which 30 games were won, one lost and three tied, with 162 goals for and 27 goals against, speaks for itself and clearly shows the remarkable offensive and defensive strength of the champions of the United States during the 1914-15 season.

That it took more than the ordinary effort to accomplish the above there is not the least doubt and special credit must be given to Manager H.E. Lewis for the way in which he took his team through a long, hard and gruelling season and finally brought to Bethlehem the highest of all soccer honors, the championship of the United States.

Credit must also be given to the team, who went through one of the hardest soccer seasons in the history of the Bethlehem club. The playing of 34 games from August 1, 1914, to May 1, 1915, with only one defeat, is a record of which any team might well be proud. The record was accomplished only by the steady, consistent training of the team, who always took the field in the best of condition, and which more than once helped them on to victory.

It might be well to mention that the missionary work done by the Bethlehem club during the last three years is in a measure largely responsible for the present standing of soccer in the Lehigh Valley today. When one bears in mind that there was only one club in the Lehigh Valley two years ago, namely the Bethlehem club, and that today there are fourteen, with small clubs springing up here and there, the Lehigh Valley bids fair to become one of the leading soccer centers in the East.