Who Scored the First Goal in American Soccer History?

It's a question shrouded in controversy, but we seem to have finally found an answer that takes us all the way back to pro soccer in 1894. This week, we look back at the murky story of the first official goal in our country’s history. Plus, we remember the “Real Madrid” of American indoor soccer, examine an Open Cup scandal, dive into the potential host cities for the 2031 Women’s World Cup, and much more.

This week’s stories:

• 💪 Building the US Men’s Deaf National Team

• 👑 The “Real Madrid” of American Indoor Soccer

• 🤔 Who Scored the First Goal in American Soccer History?

• 🚲 Bike to Bike

• 🗳️ Poll + Last Week’s Answers

• ➡️ And More

CLUBELEVEN
Building the US Men’s Deaf National Team

As independent storytellers, this was a special one.

Earlier this month, we had the chance to interview longtime US Men’s Deaf National Team player Raul Silva, a veteran leader who helped the squad go from self-funded to an official part of US Soccer.

It’s a story we wouldn’t have been able to tell without the trust of Volkswagen, and it’s probably our biggest partner collaboration to date.

Watch and support the full episode HERE. It’ll help us bring more untold stories like Raul’s to light!

OUR HISTORY
The “Real Madrid” of American Indoor Soccer

Imagine winning ten indoor titles in eleven years.

Well, that’s exactly what the San Diego Sockers did while playing in the MISL and indoor NASL.

It’s a fascinating story, considering the team owner lost an estimated $9 million while guiding the franchise to all these titles. Money is temporary, glory is forever…

COVER STORY
Who Scored the First Goal in American Soccer History?

It’s one of the biggest mysteries in the long and fascinating soccer history of our country: who actually scored the first professional goal in America?

To find the answer, we have to go all the way back to 1894, the year when the first two professional leagues in our country were born—the American League of Professional Football (ALPF) and the American Association of Professional Football (AAPF).

The ALPF began play on October 6th of that year, while the AAPF got the jump on this rival league and held its opening two games just a week prior, on September 29th.

From there, we know that the two opening games took place in Newark, NJ, and Philadelphia, PA, although it’s unclear at what times the matches kicked off. The game in Newark had a list of all the scorers, but unfortunately, there was no indication of when the goals went into the net.

However, there is somewhat clearer information about the game played in Philadelphia, with local newspapers actually listing the order of scorers in the 11-1 victory for Trenton. Unfortunately, there are a few conflicting accounts when it comes to the order, with two papers listing different sequences. But if we are to believe the newspaper with the closest relationship to the Trenton squad, then one name stands alone as the one to net the first goal of the match:

Charles Sudell Jr.

Sudell was born in England but moved to the United States as a child, where he eventually became a known figure among all-city teams that squared off against select teams from NJ and NY. And well, he might be the player with the most substantial evidence to claim he was the first to score a professional goal in the history of the United States.

(Credit to historian and Amherst lecturer Brian D. Bunk for the incredible research to get to the bottom of this mystery. Find his article here!)

COLLEGE
Bike to Bike

Fresh off the news that college soccer may implement pro/rel in the future, we got an absolute banger out of the Charleston vs William & Mary game last week.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like it, to be honest. A bicycle kick assisted by another bicycle kick.

Absolutely brilliant. Watch it here.

CLUBELEVEN
The Supporters Section

Let us know about the best goal you’ve scored! We’ll highlight your answers next week.

CLUBELEVEN
Aggregates

Farewell, Alex: It was a special night in Philly. Not a dry eye in the house.

Best PL Pub: Another city, another Premier League bar. We’ve been getting a lot of great suggestions lately — drop yours here.

Next Gen Star: Incredible mentality from 20-year-old Olivia Moultrie after scoring a brace against Portugal. Great to hear this.

PPG: With their win over the weekend, LouCity broke the record for highest points-per-game in a USL season. They even surpassed the legendary 2012 Orlando City side.

Solving the Mystery: Is Ozark United ever going to play in the USL Championship? Tom Franklin, aka The Soccer Zombie, went down to Arkansas to find out what’s really going on. Check it out here!

POLITICS
The Sharktopus Scandal

This one rocked the grassroots soccer world.

Midway through the Open Cup qualifying match between Bellevue Athletic and Sharktopus FC, Sharktopus manager Leo Ohannesian noticed something fishy going on with the referee.

Following the game, Sharktopus FC filed a complaint to US Soccer, and the governing body ordered a complete replay of the game. It was the right decision.

WC2031
Host Cities for the 2031 Women’s World Cup

Last Monday, U.S. Soccer announced that its 2031 Women's World Cup bid will include Mexico, Jamaica, and Costa Rica.

Over the course of the week, new details emerged, and this official slide outlines the cities that have expressed interest in hosting a game.

Just imagine World Cup games in Detroit, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Denver, Oklahoma City… unreal!!

CLUBELEVEN
Your Takes 🗯️ 

Last week, we asked you: Would you like to see pro/rel implemented at the college level? Here are some of your answers:

• “Yes. How can one possibly vote ‘No’ on this one? :)”- TM

• “Yes. I love chaos.” - E. Maguire

• “Yes. It would make the college game more attractive and better for young players.” - JD

In the poll, “Yes” won fairly convincingly with nearly 64% of the vote.

UP NEXT
Playoff Mode

On Sunday, I was lucky to be at San Diego FC’s first-ever playoff game. The atmosphere was electric, and it reminded me of why the Fall is such an exciting time of the year.

We’re hoping to cover more playoff games across the soccer pyramid in the coming months, so stay tuned!

Enjoying This?

Make sure to forward this email to a friend and help us spread the soccer gospel far and wide! We’ll see you next week with even more untold stories of soccer.

Have a great Tuesday!

Pablo