Triumphant in their cup conquests to advance to Eastern finalists in the National Challenge Cup competition of the U. S. F. A., the Bethlehem Steel soccer team will again swing into action in league games on Saturday afternoon when New Bedford comes here. The kickoff will be at 3 o'clock.
The appearance of the Steelmen will be the first on home loam for several weeks and the first since they played their way through the semi-final and final round of the cup classic, eliminating in these game New York Giants and J & P Coats.
Although inconsistent in their playing in early season, when lost games cost heavily, the Steel Workers seem to have struck their stride, and in coming along slowly arrived at the peak of perfection at a time when cup laurels were possible.
According to the management there will be very few, if any, changes in the lineup over the combination of players who garnered the Eastern cup honors. Opinion is that by playing the club intact, it will keep the team on edge and primed for the invasion to the West for the grand final.
Johnny Granger, inside right, was sadly missed in the Coats game last Sunday and it is more than likely that the veteran front liner will be on the bench in Saturday's affray. He is just recovering from a leg injury, received in the Giant setto. Jim Purvis will have the call if Granger cannot get in the lineup.
Although Fall River is strongly entrenched in the top position in the league race, the Steelmen have not entirely given up hope of over-hauling them. Mathematically, there is such a possibility, and for that reason the Bethlehems will be out to capture all the league games the can. Because of the cup play, they are trailing along behind in the number of games played by other clubs, particularly the league leaders, thus far. However, the weekend will give them an opportunity to make up lost ground, for after the New Bedford game here, on Saturday, the Steelmen go to Brooklyn, on Sunday, for a game with the latter club. The league standing to date follows:
|
P |
W |
D |
L |
Pts. |
|
|
Fall River |
33 |
23 |
8 |
2 |
54 |
|
New Bedford |
36 |
24 |
2 |
10 |
50 |
|
Boston |
34 |
19 |
4 |
11 |
42 |
|
Providence |
33 |
17 |
4 |
12 |
38 |
|
Bethlehem |
27 |
16 |
3 |
8 |
35 |
|
Indiana |
32 |
14 |
4 |
14 |
32 |
|
Brooklyn |
33 |
11 |
6 |
16 |
28 |
|
Shawsheen |
28 |
11 |
3 |
14 |
25 |
|
Coats |
27 |
10 |
3 |
14 |
23 |
|
Giants |
25 |
9 |
4 |
12 |
22 |
|
Philadelphia |
31 |
3 |
3 |
25 |
9 |
|
Newark |
27 |
2 |
4 |
21 |
8 |