US Open Cup History Part 2: 1939 to 1957

Описание: (excerpt from the New York Times article by Ted Westervelt)

This is the second of a four-part series on the U.S. Open Cup.

The U.S. Open Cup experienced tremendous growth and interest in its first 25 years. The next 20 years brought fresh challenges, most notably World War II, which focused suspicion on immigrants who made up the core of soccer's players and supporters. Interest initally waned as the war raged in Europe, but two years after the start of the war, crowds for the final rebounded.

Teams from New York, Fall River (Mass.), Chicago and St. Louis remained fixtures in the competition, white western Pennsylvania sealed its Cup legacy, and Southern California began one.

Billy Gonsalves dominated the tournament's early years and continued to star. Records of the "man mountain goal getter's" prowess have been lost, but he probably surpassed 1,000 goals in his career. When American sports fans were asked to name their top athlete as part of a 1944 war bond drive, he was one of the soccer players that polled in the top 100.

The Cup's first and second eras included stars from U.S. World Cup teams. Gonsalves's teammate Bert Patenaude was the first man to notch a hat trick in the first World Cup, in Uruguay in 1930. They gave way to new generation of players. The 1950 World Cup team, which defeated England in Brazil, included players who have been canonized: Borghi, Barr, Gaetjens, Keough, Mendoza, Columbo, Souza. All cut their teeth in the Open Cup; each appeared in at least one final.

Professional teams continued to play a major role, but amateur clubs began to have an impact. So strong were two amateur champs — Kutis of St. Louis and Ponta Delgada of Fall River — both were drafted intact to represent the United States in international competition during the '40s and '50s.

With the approach of the 1960s, the U.S. Open Cup remained the only national soccer competition open to teams, professional and amateur, at all levels of the game. Leagues (with shocking frequency) and clubs came and went. Despite myriad challenges, the Open Cup carried on.