The Globe-Times -- Bethlehem
April 22, 1927

A Swing Along Athletic Row Not Temperament; Rough Play
Rough tactics by Boston and partiality by the referee are blamed by the Uruguay soccer team as partly responsible for the near riot which broke up their match against Boston on Sunday, says the Associated Press in presenting the explanation made by the Uruguay team. That leaves out temperament, insofar as the tourists are concerned, a frame of mind to which was attributed the frequent flare-ups in games played by Uruguay teams. Perhaps the same reason is to blame at Newark and Brooklyn where games with the South Americans also were close to riots. In defense of the American clubs, all members of the American Soccer League, might not the aggressive tactics of these clubs have been misconstrued as deliberate roughness? At any rate, unless such is the case, it will be a bad impression of American soccer the Uruguay team will take along back home. T he explanation of the Boston fuss, in which several people were injured and one of the touring players suspended, as viewed by the Uruguay team follows: "The Boston center started rough tactics early in the game, finally grabbing Andrade by the throat. Recoba then was badly kicked and was forced to retire. Next, a Boston player jumped on Santos Ordinarian, who suffered severe injuries to the instep. He was carried from the field and probably will be incapacitated for a month. The players gradually began to lose their self-control. About 20 minutes from time rough play increased. A Boston and a Uruguay player engaged in a fist fight and a few spectators ran on the field. Priestly, a Boston player, ran over and Petrone, thinking he was going to be attacked, kicked him. When spectators ran on the field, our players, fearing attack withdrew to the dressing room and play was discontinued. Our club has so many men injured now we have difficulty fielding a team. We have suspended Petrone. In the future we intend to use only players who will not retaliate if the play is rough. We are prepared to use our reserves and lose games rather than have a repetition of unfortunate occurrences. We feel that the referee was extremely partial to the Boston team."

A Little Suggestion
Assuming that the American Soccer League clubs, in the opinion of the tourists, resort to deliberate roughness, it might be suggest that the touring outfit lamp the Eastern final in the National Cup, in which Bethlehem will oppose Fall River on Sunday. Perhaps opinion of "roughness" will be materially altered. The American clubs have injected into their play the aggressive spirit so dominant in other American sports and anyone prejudiced or laboring under a false impression can easily construe the aggressive tactics as deliberate roughness. Bethlehem's game against Newark, one of the teams the Uruguay crowed had a fall-out with, waged rough at times, but was inspired purely by the determined efforts to win and without any deliberate design. After all, it's all in the light in which one sees things. The Fall River-Bethlehem game is going to be a hard one. Penalties may occur for fouling and there may be some injuries. But it is not believed that any deliberate attempts will be made to injure players. As for the referees, that has been a bone of contention in American soccer for years. Efficiency with some is lacking, but again the argument, "it's all in the light in which one sees thing." The referee or ump is not infallible. They miss them the same as you or I. And sometimes call them wrong. So that's that.