S P O N S O R E D
C O N T E N T
HISTORY OF
SOCCER IN
RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island’ s soccer roots run deep, stretching all the way back to the late 1800s. The sport took off in the mill towns of Pawtucket and nearby Fall River, Massachusetts, where immigrant communities— especially from Portugal, Ireland and England— brought their passion for the game with them. These towns quickly became early hubs for American soccer, with teams like the Fall River Marksmen making a name for themselves in the original American Soccer League.
The state’ s connection to the U. S. Open Cup is just as rich. Coats Field in Pawtucket hosted the very first Open Cup Final in 1914 and remained a key venue for soccer through World War II, seeing multiple finals and big matches. Pawtucket’ s own Rangers were a powerhouse, reaching the finals four times between 1934 and 1942 and clinching the title in 1941.
Rhode Island’ s Open Cup story is full of milestones. The state’ s first home game in the tournament dates back to 1942, and the earliest championship final involving a Rhode Island team was played as far back as 1915.
The area’ s legacy includes being home to some of America’ s earliest Black professional soccer players, brothers Oliver and Fred Watson, who played for Rhode Island teams in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Fred Watson broke barriers by becoming the first African American to play
PHOTOGRAPHY:( THIS PAGE, TOP LEFT AND RIGHT) COURTESY OF PAWTUCKET PUBLIC LIBRARY;( LEFT AND BOTTOM) COURTESY OF DR. ROBERT CVORNYEK; COURTESY OF THE PAWTUCKET PUBLIC LIBRARY.( NEXT PAGE, TOP LEFT) COURTESY OF PAWTUCKET PUBLIC LIBRARY;( TOP RIGHT AND MIDDLE) COURTESY OF DR. ROBERT CVORNYEK; COURTESY OF THE FALL RIVER PUBLIC LIBRARY.
70 SUMMER OF SOCCER 2026