The First Professional Soccer League in America and the Senators of Washington, Part One
A Moment of Brilliance: A Soccer History Blog, January 4, 2014
In the first post of this three-part series, I introduce the American League of Professional Football, covering its formation, rules, and participating cities. The Washington Senators also feature extensively in this initial post. This by no means is a complete history of the league or any of its clubs, but more of an introduction to America’s first professional soccer league. When most people think of professional soccer in the United States, they usually think of Major League Soccer and, inevitably, the North American Soccer League (NASL). Granted professional soccer in America has a checkered, albeit storied, history. Americans have played the game almost as long as they have baseball and it would be naïve to think that the NASL was the first professional league to kick the ball on American soil. The first professional soccer league, in fact, dates back to the 19th century, preceding the formation of professional basketball, football, and hockey leagues. In 1894, a group of baseball owners, looking to cre
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