The Americans Storm Back

On This Day in 1926, the United States Overcomes Canada in Brooklyn, Sparked by Brown's and Auld's Brace

The fall of 1926 marked a pivotal moment for American soccer. The professional American Soccer League was thriving in its fifth season, drawing respectable crowds to matches across the Northeast corridor. Yet the United States Football Association harbored grander ambitions—to transform international matches from occasional curiosities into annual fixtures that could rival the prestige these contests held in Europe and South America.

"Soccer's growth in this country has persuaded the officials of the United States Football Association that the time has come to hold international matches here on a more pretentious scale," declared promotional materials for the upcoming Canada match. The USFA envisioned a future where teams from soccer-mad nations would make regular visits to American shores, with the proceeds devoted to developing amateur and schoolboy soccer throughout the country.

The November 6 encounter at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn represented the third meeting between the neighboring nations. The previous year had produced a split result—Canada claiming a 1-0 victory in Toronto on June 27 before the United States responded with a commanding 6-1 triumph in Brooklyn that November. This third match would determine which country held the series advantage, with a fourth contest scheduled for Canada in the spring.

The USFA was also laying the groundwork for enhanced international participation. Rule changes were being formulated to align American soccer with FIFA requirements, potentially opening the door for stars currently ineligible for international duty to represent the United States in the 1927-28 season. "Wherever soccer has become thoroughly organized—and that is in nearly forty nations now—international contests are the outstanding events of the season," noted The Brooklyn Citizen. The ambition was clear: establish the international "cap" as a mark of distinction for American players just as it was abroad.

Weather conditions on that November afternoon were ideal for soccer, with the Ebbets Field pitch in perfect condition—a stark contrast to the rain-soaked surface that had complicated the previous year's meeting. Yet the pull of college football proved formidable, limiting the crowd to estimates ranging from 2,500 to 8,000 spectators, depending on the account. Canada, wearing blue sweaters against the Americans' all-white kit, won the toss and kicked off in the middle of the afternoon. What followed was a disastrous opening minute for the home side. The Dominion players rushed down the field, and Roy Faulkner netted the ball within 60 seconds. The stunned American crowd had barely settled into their seats.

For the opening 21 minutes, things looked bleak for the United States' chances. The Canadians appeared fresher, with their combination play more fluid. The American stars failed to live up to their reputations. Canada controlled possession, with Faulkner repeatedly fed the ball on the right wing. Malcolm Moon of the Lachine Football Club of Montreal, substituting at right halfback, made the strongest impression of any visiting player. The second Canadian goal arrived at the twenty-two-minute mark when George Graham converted a center from Jimmy Baillie on the left. The American defense appeared overwhelmed.

The breakthrough came at 26 minutes, marked by a controversial moment. Davey Brown, the New York Giants center forward and the only native American on the United States side, forced Canadian goalkeeper Joe Kennaway over his own goal line. The Canadians immediately protested the closeness of the decision, but referee C.E. Creighton remained unmoved, awarding the goal. According to The Brooklyn Daily Times, Kennaway had stepped over the line into the mouth of the goal while picking up the ball after blocking a shot, and Brown "rushed into the cage and netted the ball."

The contentious tally shifted momentum. Two corners followed in rapid succession for the United States on the right wing, and Bill Carnihan, the tall Bethlehem halfback who had been playing well in defense, nearly equalized when he lifted the ball just over the bar. Still, Canada maintained their 2-1 advantage at halftime. The American transformation in the second half was total. After 10 or so minutes of what a New York Times reporter described as "more or less listless" play, the United States finally "got into their proper swing." Ten minutes into the half, the Americans forced a corner. Tome Florie kicked to Andy Auld at inside left, whose shot through a tangle of legs to level the score at 2-2.

Two minutes later, Florie himself converted from Auld's pass, placing the United States ahead 3-2 for the first time. The Americans began to dominate. 20 minutes into the second half, the Americans were awarded a free kick after Bill Dinnie committed a foul. Jock Marshall, the heavily built but speedy 200-pound fullback from Newark, stepped up and drove home the fourth goal. Just one minute later, Marshall drove up the field to Auld, who passed to Brown. "Using his knee for a catapult, Brown sent the ball into the net" for his second goal and the Americans' fifth, as the New York Times described it. Brown, the American League's leading goal scorer, had delivered when his team needed him most. The rout was completed when Auld received a short pass from George Moorehouse and netted the final tally, bringing the score to 6-2.

The one-sided final margin came as a surprise after the Canadiens' strong first 20 minutes, placing the United States ahead in the series with two victories against one defeat. More significantly, the match demonstrated that American soccer could mount successful international events on home soil—a necessary step if the USFA's vision of annual fixtures against European and South American powers was to be realized.

The comeback victory also showcased the resilience that would become characteristic of American international teams: outplayed for extended periods, relying on determination and fitness rather than technical superiority, but capable of explosive scoring runs when circumstances aligned. Brown's and Auld's braces, Florie's contribution and Marshall's thunderbolt from defense represented the kind of collective effort that gave American soccer credibility even as the sport struggled for attention in a nation captivated by baseball and football.

For the spectators who chose soccer over college football that November afternoon, they witnessed not just a convincing victory, but a glimpse of what American soccer might become with proper organization and international competition. In this sport, players earned their "caps" with pride and represented their nation on equal footing with the world's soccer powers.