After the demise of college soccer in 1876, working class communities in the US adopted the game, taking on the rugby/gridiron form of soccer. It is interesting to note that this trend took place at the same time in Europe and the US. The development could be seen in New Jersey, Philadelphia and New York City, also spreading rapidly to Fall River and New Redford (MA) by 1870s. The game also clashed with the popular sport of baseball in the US, considered as American past time. Beginning in the early 1890s, soccer witnessed an average growth in Denver, Cincinnati, Cleveland and even San Francisco and Los Angeles by the end of the century. Owing to corporate sponsorships, some leagues attained semi-pro statistics. The American League of Professional …show more content…
The establishment of American Soccer League in 1921 was a mark as there was now a league that could compete with European players. In 1930, the US participated in the first World Cup in Uruguay, and the teams from Atlantic Coast league subjugated the roster. The roster by now had added famous players like Bert Patenaude and Billy Gonsalves who performed well both in the World Cup and all through the 1930's. In the 1950s, the US National team returned to the World Cup with a magnificent victory over England with a goal by Joe Gaetjens. The 1970s saw soccer being flocked with participation from the youth and 1980s saw a downfall for soccer in the US. With the decline of the NASL in 1984, and the abrupt end of the United Soccer League in 1985, only the Western Soccer League, which had just finished its first season, remained playing outdoor soccer, with four surviving teams. The 1994 World Cup is considered the biggest moment in the history of American