American Soccer League
The Metropolitan Division of the American Soccer League featured some close races this season, and a return to top form for a former league champion. The Kearny Scots won the National Division, beating Brooklyn St. Mary’s by 3 points, and gaining revenge for St. Mary’s close win the previous season. The New York Americans pulled up enough to finish in a tie for third with Philadelphia Passon. There was considerable turbulence in the American Division. Brookhattan was a greatly improved team this year, and put their last place finish of 1936-37 behind them as they battled with the German-Americans for the division title, with the Philadelphians hanging on to take the division by 2 points. Brooklyn Hispano simply fell apart, dropping to the cellar.
In the playoffs, Brookhattan lost to Brooklyn St. Mary’s in 2 straight. Meanwhile in a battle of the third place teams, Kearny Irish dispatched the Americans in a split pair, winning on goals aggregate. In the semi-finals, the battle of the division champs saw Kearny Scots score 12 goals in their defeat of the German-Americans in a pair of high scoring matches, while Brooklyn and St. Mary’s had a more defensive series as the St. Mary’s prevailed 1-0 and 2-1. In the championship, Kearny Scots got off to a quick start, taking the first game 4-2. In the rejoinder, Brooklyn St. Mary’s held them to a 2-2 draw, but it wasn’t enough, and the Scots prevailed on goals aggregate to take the League championship. This would be the first of five consecutive league championships for the Kearny Scots. Fabri Salcedo of Brooklyn Hispano was the leading scorer with 17 goals.
In the New England Division, Providence again won the divisional title in a close race with the Thornton Vics, with Boston Celtics and Lusitania Recreation finishing tied for third.
Final American Soccer League Standings, 1937-38
G W T L GF GA PTS
National Division
Kearny Scots 18 8 4 6 38 39 20
Brooklyn St. Mary's Celtics 18 8 1 9 34 42 17
New York Americans 18 6 3 9 31 31 15
Philadelphia Passon 18 5 5 8 39 40 15
Paterson Caledonians 18 6 2 10 28 39 14
American Division
Philadelphia German American 18 11 3 4 38 28 25
New York Brookhattan 18 10 3 5 46 41 23
Kearny Irish 18 8 4 6 32 27 20
Baltimore S.C. 18 7 3 8 32 32 17
Brooklyn Hispano 18 6 2 10 48 60 14
First Round: Brooklyn St. Mary’s defeated New York Brookhattan 3-2, 1-0.
Kearny Irish defeated New York Americans 3-1, 5-4
Semi-Finals: Kearny Scots defeated Philadelphia German-American 4-2, 8-4
Brooklyn St. Mary’s defeated Kearny Irish 1-0, 2-1
CHAMPIONSHIP: Kearny Scots defeated Brooklyn St. Mary's, 4-2, 2-2
LEADING SCORER: Fabri Salcedo, Brooklyn Hispano (17 goals)
- New England Division -
GP W T L PTS
Providence 17 11 2 4 26
Thornton Vics 17 10 3 4 24
Boston Celtics 16 8 4 4 20
Lusitania Recreation 17 9 6 2 20
Lusitano 17 7 5 5 19
Swedish-Americans 16 7 7 2 16
Springfield 16 3 8 5 11
Scandinavians 16 3 11 2 8
Moores 16 2 11 3 7
Pawtucket FC 3 1 2 0 1 [per 10/4/37 Pawtucket Times]
St. Louis Soccer League
The struggling St. Louis League lost all of its teams except for the defending champion Burke Undertakers. The lost teams were replaced with St. Matthews, St. Patricks and the South Sides team. Obviously the league selected well, as Burke fell to last place, with St. Matthews winning the league title decisively over St. Patricks with the South Sides coming in third.
1937-38 SLSL Final League standings
GP W L T GF GA Pts
St. Matthews 10 6 0 4 32 15 16
St. Patricks 10 3 4 3 17 16 9
South Sides 10 3 5 2 12 24 8
Burke Undertakers 10 0 3 7 16 20 7
Champion: St. Matthews
Municipal League Champion: Schumachers
Leading scorers: G
Willie Murphy, St. Matthews 7
R. "Bob" Corbett, St. Patricks 6
John "Dinty" Moore, St. Matthews 5
Benny Nash, St. Matthews 5
Lou Garcia, Burke 5
Otto Hilker, St. Patricks 4
Jack Delaney, Burke 4
Amateur League & Cup Champions
New York State Senior Challenge Cup: Danish
New York State Qualifying Cup: Flatbush Wanderers
German-American Soccer League (New York): S. C. Elizabeth (Major Division); Eintracht (Premier Division)
Metropolitan League (New York): Hakoah (Premier Division); Flatbush Wanderers (1st Division); Metropolitan Cup: Danish
New Jersey State Challenge Cup: Caledonias
West Penn Challenge Cup: German Sport & Castle Shannon (co-winners)
Keystone League (Pittsburgh): Monongahela
Washington County League (Pittsburgh): Lincoln Hill
Rowland Cup (Maryland State Open): St. Gerard’s
Stewart Cup (MD): Corinthians
Peel Cup (Illinois State): Manhattans
National Soccer League of Chicago: Sparta
California Senior Challenge Cup: West Pacific (Sacramento)
John O. Bellis Perpetual Trophy: Rovers
National Team
The United States National team was not active this year. The United States withdrew from the 1938 World Cup (held in France) due to the tense political situation in Europe at the time.
International Tours
There were no international tours to or from the United States in 1938.
The College Game
Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association Champion: Penn State
Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Soccer League: Haverford Middle Atlantic States Athletic Conference: Haverford New England Intercollegiate Soccer League: Harvard California Intercollegiate Soccer Conference Champion: California
College All-American Squad, 1938:
- Middle Atlantic District -
G - Decker, Pennsylvania
RF - Johnson, Princeton
LF - Lewis, Haverford
RH - Watts, Princeton
CH - Faust, Pennsylvania
LH - Evans, Haverford
OR - Crosby, Cornell
IR - W. Evans, Haverford
CF - Mears, Haverford
IL - White, Swarthmore
OL - Richardson, Princeton
- New England District -
G - Williams, Harvard
RF - Hunt, Amherst
LF - Hardenbaugh, Harvard
RH - Dickinson, Yale
CH - Jacobson, Harvard
LH - Fox, Williams
OR - Johnson, Harvard
IR - Gray, Springfield
CF - McEwen, Worcester Tech
IL - Herguth, MIT
OL - Mendel, Harvard
Other Action
1938 National Challenge Cup Final: On April 17 and 24, Chicago Sparta defeated Brooklyn St. Mary’s Celtic 4-0 and 4-0 to take the Cup.
1938 National Amateur Cup Final: On May 1, Fall River Ponta Delgada defeated Pittsburgh Heidelberg SC 2-1.
National Junior Cup Champion: Lighthouse Boys Club, Philadelphia.