# 1931 National Challenge Cup

The 1931 National Challenge Cup was the annual open cup held by the United States Football Association now known as the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

## History

By the spring of 1931, the twin ravages of the Great Depression and the "Soccer Wars" had taken their toll on the American Soccer League. As a result, Sam Mark moved his Fall River F.C. to New York, hoping that a new market there would be more lucrative. Once there he merged the club with New York Soccer Club and renamed them the New York Yankees. Before the merger was finalised, however, Fall River F.C. had entered the National Challenge Cup and Mark was unable to re-register them as the Yankees. As a result, the Spring 1931 season saw them continue to play in the Challenge Cup as the Fall River F.C. while at the same time playing as the New York Yankees in the ASL. While the Yankees only managed to finish third in the ASL, the Marksmen won the cup. Largely on the goalscoring strength of Billy Gonsalves, with 9, and Bert Patenaude, with 13, they reached the final where they eventually beat Chicago Bricklayers in a final played as a three-game series. The last of these three games is officially regarded as the last game the 'Marksmen' ever played. The first leg of the final was played on April 5 at the Polo Grounds, where the 'Marksmen' won 6–2, and seemingly established a clear lead. Patenaude scored five goals in that game while Bill McPherson added the other. A week later at Mills Stadium in Chicago, the Bricklayers kept the series alive by earning a 1–1 draw. This time Gonsalves got on the score sheet. Sparta Stadium in Chicago attracted 4,500 for the deciding game on April 19. The 'Marksmen' could only field 10 players after their captain, Alex McNab, broke his arm in a midweek friendly and the club had neglected to bring along any reserves. Despite this they still managed to win 2–0 with goals from Patenaude and Gordon Burness.
The 'Marksmen' were not the only club to relocate, merge or disappear. This has made it difficult to follow the teams as they progressed through this year's competition. To muddy the waters more, the Providence F.C. had been bought by a group of Fall River businessmen and moved to that city to replace the 'Marksmen'. The 'Gold Bugs' were then renamed Fall River F.C. Furthermore, after the 'Gold Bugs' had moved to Fall River to become Fall River F.C., it merged with the New Bedford Whalers. As these teams had all played initial Challenge Cup games, the results become difficult to follow.

## Eastern Division

| First round | First round | Second round | Second round | | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | | Final | Final |
| January 10 - February 1 | January 10 - February 1 | | | | | | |
| Fall River F.C. | 1st | | | | | | |
| Providence F.C. | 2nd | | | | | | |
| Providence F.C. | 2nd | Fall River F.C. | | | | | |
| | | Won Round Robin | | | | | |
| New Bedford Whalers | 3rd | Won Round Robin | | | | | |
| New Bedford Whalers | 3rd | | | | February 23 - New Bedford | February 23 - New Bedford | | |
| Pawtucket Rangers | 4th | | | | February 23 - New Bedford | February 23 - New Bedford | |
| Pawtucket Rangers | 4th | | | | Fall River F.C. | 6 | |
| January 11 - Rochester | January 11 - Rochester | | | | | Fall River F.C. | 6 | |
| January 11 - Rochester | January 11 - Rochester | | | | New York Galicia | 2 | |
| Rochester Celtic | 2 | | | | New York Galicia | 2 | |
| Rochester Celtic | 2 | January 25 - Quincy | January 25 - Quincy | | | | | |
| Fore River | 3 | January 25 - Quincy | January 25 - Quincy | | | | |
| Fore River | 3 | Fore River | 2 | | | | |
| January 11 - New York | January 11 - New York | | Fore River | 2 | | | | |
| January 11 - New York | January 11 - New York | New York Galicia | 5 | | | | |
| New York Galicia | 2 | New York Galicia | 5 | | | | |
| New York Galicia | 2 | | | | | | | March 22 - New York | March 22 - New York |
| Tappen Post | 1 | | | | | | | March 22 - New York | March 22 - New York |
| Tappen Post | 1 | | | | | | | Fall River F.C. | 6 |
| January 11 - February 15 | January 11 - February 15 | | | | | | | | Fall River F.C. | 6 |
| January 11 - February 15 | January 11 - February 15 | | | | | | | Newark Americans | 1 |
| Hakoah All-Stars | 1st | | | | | | | Newark Americans | 1 |
| New York Giants | 2nd | | | | | | | | |
| New York Giants | 2nd | Hakoah All-Stars | | | | | | | |
| | | Won Round Robin | | | | | | | |
| New York Soccer Club | 3rd | Won Round Robin | | | | | | | |
| New York Soccer Club | 3rd | | | | February 22/March 15 | February 22/March 15 | | | | |
| Brooklyn Wanderers | 4th | | | | February 22/March 15 | February 22/March 15 | | | |
| Brooklyn Wanderers | 4th | | | | Hakoah All-Stars | 1-0 | | | |
| January 11 - Newark | January 11 - Newark | | | | | Hakoah All-Stars | 1-0 | | | |
| January 11 - Newark | January 11 - Newark | | | | Newark Americans | 2-2 | |
| Newark Americans | 3 | | | | Newark Americans | 2-2 | |
| Newark Americans | 3 | January 25 - Newark | January 25 - Newark | | | | | |
| Newark Portuguese | 0 | January 25 - Newark | January 25 - Newark | | | | |
| Newark Portuguese | 0 | Newark Americans | 6 | | | | |
| January 11 - Dundalk | January 11 - Dundalk | | Newark Americans | 6 | | | | |
| January 11 - Dundalk | January 11 - Dundalk | BS Baltimore | 1 | | | | |
| BS Baltimore | 7 | BS Baltimore | 1 | | | | |
| Trenton Highlanders | 1 | | | | | | |

## Western Division

| First round | First round | Second round | Second round | | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | | Final | Final |
| January 11 - St. Louis | January 11 - St. Louis | | | | | | |
| Ben Millers | 5 | | | | | | |
| Ben Millers | 5 | February 8 - St. Louis | February 8 - St. Louis | | | | | |
| Tablers | 3 | February 8 - St. Louis | February 8 - St. Louis | | | | |
| Tablers | 3 | Ben Millers | 2 | | | | |
| January 31 - St. Louis | January 31 - St. Louis | | Ben Millers | 2 | | | | |
| January 31 - St. Louis | January 31 - St. Louis | Kavanaughs | 1 | | | | |
| Kavanaughs | 8 | Kavanaughs | 1 | | | | |
| Kavanaughs | 8 | | | | March 1 - St. Louis | March 1 - St. Louis | | |
| Hellrungs and Grimm | 2 | | | | March 1 - St. Louis | March 1 - St. Louis | |
| Hellrungs and Grimm | 2 | | | | Ben Millers | 2 | |
| January 25 - Cleveland | January 25 - Cleveland | | | | | Ben Millers | 2 | |
| January 25 - Cleveland | January 25 - Cleveland | | | | Cleveland Slavia | 1 | |
| Cleveland Slavia | 3 | | | | Cleveland Slavia | 1 | |
| Cleveland Slavia | 3 | February 22 - Cleveland | February 22 - Cleveland | | | | | |
| Bruell Hungarian | 2 | February 22 - Cleveland | February 22 - Cleveland | | | | |
| Bruell Hungarian | 2 | Cleveland Slavia | 2 | | | | |
| February 16 - Cleveland | February 16 - Cleveland | | Cleveland Slavia | 2 | | | | |
| February 16 - Cleveland | February 16 - Cleveland | Morgan F.C. | 1 | | | | |
| Cleveland Shamrock | 1 | Morgan F.C. | 1 | | | | |
| Cleveland Shamrock | 1 | | | | | | | March 8, 15 | March 8, 15 |
| Morgan F.C. | 3 | | | | | | | March 8, 15 | March 8, 15 |
| Morgan F.C. | 3 | | | | | | | Ben Millers | 2-0 |
| February 8 - Chicago | February 8 - Chicago | | | | | | | | Ben Millers | 2-0 |
| February 8 - Chicago | February 8 - Chicago | | | | | | | Chicago Bricklayers | 7-1 |
| Chicago Bricklayers | 3 | | | | | | | Chicago Bricklayers | 7-1 |
| Chicago Bricklayers | 3 | February 15 - Chicago | February 15 - Chicago | | | | | | |
| Olympia F.C. | 0 | February 15 - Chicago | February 15 - Chicago | | | | | | |
| Olympia F.C. | 0 | Chicago Bricklayers | 2 | | | | | | |
| February 8 - Chicago | February 8 - Chicago | | Chicago Bricklayers | 2 | | | | | | |
| February 8 - Chicago | February 8 - Chicago | Sparta ABA | 1 | | | | | | |
| Sparta ABA | 4 | Sparta ABA | 1 | | | | | | |
| Sparta ABA | 4 | | | | March 1 - Chicago | March 1 - Chicago | | | | |
| Maccabee All-Stars | 0 | | | | March 1 - Chicago | March 1 - Chicago | | | |
| Maccabee All-Stars | 0 | | | | Chicago Bricklayers | 4 | | | |
| February 8 - Chicago | February 8 - Chicago | | | | | Chicago Bricklayers | 4 | | | |
| February 8 - Chicago | February 8 - Chicago | | | | Swedish Americans | 1 | |
| Swedish Americans | 4 | | | | Swedish Americans | 1 | |
| Swedish Americans | 4 | February 15, 22 - Chicago | February 15, 22 - Chicago | | | | | |
| Norwegian Americans | 0 | February 15, 22 - Chicago | February 15, 22 - Chicago | | | | |
| Norwegian Americans | 0 | Swedish Americans | 4-2 | | | | |
| February 1 - Detroit | February 1 - Detroit | | Swedish Americans | 4-2 | | | | |
| February 1 - Detroit | February 1 - Detroit | Workers A.C. | 4-1 | | | | |
| Liberty F.C. | 0 | Workers A.C. | 4-1 | | | | |
| Workers A.C. | 2 | | | | | | |
Round Robin groups for Quarterfinal qualifying.
| New York | Pts | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD |
| Hakoah All-Stars | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 9 | -2 |
| New York Giants | 7 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 13 | +4 |
| New York Soccer Club | 5 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 12 | +1 |
| Brooklyn Wanderers | 4 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 16 | -5 |
| New England | Pts | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD |
| Fall River F.C. | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 7 | +12 |
| Providence F.C. | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 9 | +2 |
| New Bedford Whalers | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 13 | -2 |
| Pawtucket Rangers | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 21 | -12 |

## Sources

* Jose, Colin (1998). American Soccer League, 1921-1931 (Hardback). The Scarecrow Press. (ISBN 0-8108-3429-4).
* 1931 U.S. Open Cup Results