Soccer History

Early Boys’ Teams from High School Yearbooks & Newspapers
Shown at the Maine Soccer Coaches All-Star Banquet December 2025

Early Girls’ Teams from High School Yearbooks
Shown at the Maine Soccer Coaches All-Star Banquet December 2025

This archive spotlights early Maine teams like the 1924 Portland Soccer Club champions and the 1939 Cape Elizabeth squad. The records also detail the mid-century growth of the sport among schools and colleges, including Falmouth, Gorham, Hebron Academy, Colby, Bates, and Bowdoin. Click here to read more.

The evolution of soccer in the United States has been a long and winding journey, marked by periods of growth and decline. Here are some of the major years and events that shaped the soccer history in the U.S.

Soccer in U.S? When and Where?

Just when and where the first soccer game was played in America is a challenging question for historians, especially because the word “football” was used to describe sports that closely resemble the modern-day games of soccer, rugby and American football – along with hybrids of the three.

IS IT SOCCER?

Drawings of what a match in the late 1800s might have looked like.

Drawing of what a soccer match in the late 1800s might have looked like.

First Game of Soccer in U.S.?


A team of Trinity College students played against the Hartford Town Team. The Trinity students lost the match 3 – 0. The game was confirmed as a “kicking game,” with rules agreed upon by both sides beforehand.

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Or First Game of Soccer in U.S played under set rules?

While early forms of football may have been played in the United States as early as 1685, the first known organized soccer game in the United States, played under the 1863 London Football Association Laws was on October 11, 1866, in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

Click here to read more! Key Dates in the Evolution of Soccer in the U.S.

Carroll College vs Waukesha Town Team

1887 Bar Harbor Soccer Match

Soccer Football Played in Bar Harbor in 1887

What an incredible find! A random search through a 1906 Bangor Daily News led to the discovery of a photograph documenting a “soccer” football match played in Bar Harbor in 1887, showcasing an unexpected chapter of Maine’s sports history.

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Early Events in Soccer’s Evolution

Delve into a fascinating, forgotten chapter of American sports history with our timeline of key moments, including a surprising 1887 soccer match in Bar Harbor, Maine. Learn how the game began its early journey to becoming a mainstream sport in the United States.

Click here to see Key Dates in the Evolution of Soccer in the U.S.

When Fall River ruled U.S. soccer