1931 American Soccer League

Last updated

American Soccer League
-1931 Season-
Season1931
Champions New York Giants
Top goalscorer Bob McIntyre (38)
1930
1932

Statistics of American Soccer League in season 1931.

Contents

Overview

At the start of this season the American Soccer League was in decline, suffering from the effects of the Great Depression. Clubs had begun to fold, merge and disappear. The eventual champions, New Bedford Whalers, had been formed by Sam Mark following the merger of Fall River F.C. and New York Yankees. Long time ASL members Brooklyn Wanderers folded before the season. However New York Americans, later to become a perennial contender in the second ASL, made their debut.

The season began on February 29, 1931. The first half ended on May 31, 1931. The second half began September 19, 1931, and the season concluded on December 27, 1931. The season saw strong performances by New Bedford Whalers, New York Giants and a resurgent Pawtucket Rangers. Hakoah All-Stars improved markedly to take fourth place. Although the Whalers won this season, they lost the playoff series for the overall 1931 champion, being defeated by Spring 1931 champions New York Giants in a play-off. Whalers took the first game at home 8–3 before the Giants came back to win 6-0, taking the series on a 9-8 aggregate score.

League standings

First half

PlaceTeamGPWDLGFGAPTSPCT
1 New York Giants 171025422822.647
2 Brooklyn Wanderers 16925322720.625
3 New York Yankees 17935402721.619
4 Pawtucket Rangers 18936473321.583
5 Fall River [Note 1] 16826282518.558
6 Hakoah All-Stars 175210254112.353
7 Newark Americans 1341818299.346
8 New Bedford Whalers [Note 2] 1132618229.346
9 Boston Bears [Note 3] 710610302.143
  1. In late April 1931, the New Bedford Whalers merged with Fall River F.C. The combined team continued under the Fall River name.
  2. Following an April 19, 1931, game with Fall River, the New Bedford Whalers merged with Fall River.
  3. The Bears withdrew from the league in early April 1931, having lost six of their seven games. They re-entered the league for the fall half.

Second half

PlaceTeamGPWDLGFGAPTSPCT
1 New Bedford Whalers [Note 1] 211425603230.714
2 New York Giants 201145543826.650
3 Pawtucket Rangers 201307584226.650
4 Hakoah All-Stars 211146443426.615
5 Boston Bears [Note 2] 194312345011.289
6 New York Americans [Note 3] 20331432699.225
7 Newark Americans 1112816394.183
  1. During the mid-season break, Fall River F.C. failed. The New York Yankees then moved to New Bedford, obtained the rights to the name and players of both Fall River F.C. and the New Bedford Whalers. The Yankees then changed their name to the New Bedford Whalers.
  2. The Bears had withdrawn from the league during the first half of the season, but re-entered for the second half.
  3. The Americans were a new team that entered the league during the mid-season break.

Playoff

Team 1AggregateTeam 2First legSecond legAttendance
New York Giants 9–8 New Bedford Whalers 3–86–0January 1 • Battery Park ???
January 3 • Polo Grounds • 4,000

First leg

New Bedford Whalers 8–3 New York Giants
Billy Gonsalves Soccerball shade.svg8', Soccerball shade.svg
Werner Nilsen Soccerball shade.svg, Soccerball shade.svg50'
Tommy Florie Soccerball shade.svg, Soccerball shade.svg, Soccerball shade.svg
Hugh Lafferty Soccerball shade.svgo.g.'
Report Soccerball shade.svg, Soccerball shade.svg53' Bert Patenaude
Soccerball shade.svg83' Frank Tollan
Battery Park, New Bedford, Massachusetts
Referee: George Lambie

Second leg

New York Giants 6–0 New Bedford Whalers
Shamus O'Brien Soccerball shade.svg20', Soccerball shade.svg53'
Bert Patenaude Soccerball shade.svg23', Soccerball shade.svg80'
Bart McGhee Soccerball shade.svg30'
Jimmy Gallagher Soccerball shade.svg67'
Report
Polo Grounds, New York, New York
Attendance: 4,000

New York Giants won, 9–8, on aggregate.

Top goalscorers

RankScorerClubGPG
1 Bob McIntyre Pawtucket Rangers 3438
2 Bert Patenaude New York Yankees
New York Giants
3133
3 Willie Crilley Fall River F.C.
Brooklyn Wanderers
Newark Americans
2223
4 Tommy Florie New Bedford Whalers
Fall River F.C.
3622
5 Werner Nilsen New York Yankees
New Bedford Whalers
2921
6 Billy Gonsalves New York Yankees
New Bedford Whalers
3620
7 Davey Brown New York Giants 3018
Rudolph Nikolsberger Hakoah All-Stars 3518
9 Bill Paterson Brooklyn Wanderers
Fall River F.C.
3016
10 Jimmy McAuley Pawtucket Rangers 3515
Moritz Häusler Hakoah All-Stars 3815
11 Nib Hogg Fall River F.C.
Pawtucket Rangers
2714
12 Tec White New York Yankees
New Bedford Whalers
3813
13 Arthur Scott Pawtucket Rangers 3512
14 George Moorhouse New York Yankees
Newark Americans
3111
Bart McGhee New York Giants 3211
16 Herbert Carlsson New York Giants 3410

References