Soccer Warships in Honolulu

Two fierce battleships landed in Hawaii back in March of 1901. Little did they know they’d end up changing the course of soccer history on the island forever. This week, we take a look at the fateful encounter between two Royal Navy ships, a ball, and a group of Honolulu locals. Plus, we revisit the first-ever futsal game on American soil, peek at some DMs with Sacha Kljestan, and much more.

This week’s stories:

• ☝️ The First Futsal Game

• 👹 A True Menace

• 🚢 Soccer Warships in Honolulu

• 🔮 The Future of Refereeing

• 🗳️ Poll

• ➡️ And More

OUR HISTORY
The First Futsal Game

It was March 2002, and the US Futsal National Team geared up to play its first-ever match on American soil. 

The program had been founded in the ‘80s, but they’d never actually played an official game at home. Strange, for sure. But that would all change in 2002 when they faced Canada at UMBC in Maryland and Mexico at American University in DC.

The US defeated Canada 10-0 in that first game, and that score still stands as the largest margin of victory by our national futsal team. 

The extra fun fact of the week is that the term “Futsal” was first coined in California in 1986, and then spread internationally. Never let them tell you we’re bad at naming soccer things.

OPEN CUP
A True Menace

By this point, you’ve probably heard former MLS star and now pundit Sacha Kljestan suited up for the fourth-division Des Moines Menace at an Open Cup game. But there’s way more to it. 

The owner of the club actually interviewed himself about how he managed to pull off this unexpected signing. And it really doesn’t disappoint. 

It all started with a cycling class plus a string of very forward DMs, and it culminated with Sacha helping Des Moines to a first-round victory. Getting insight from the owner himself on how this madness happened is truly a treasure. He went into every detail in his blog post. 

COVER STORY
Soccer Warships in Honolulu

This week in 1901, Hawaii hosted the most important string of matches in the island’s nascent soccer history. 

Hawaii had recently established its first-ever soccer clubs, and in December of 1900, they’d had the chance to measure their prowess against the HMS Icarus and the HMS Warspite – two British ships known for having some of the best naval players across the seven seas. 

As expected, the two warships left the port undefeated in December, but the island players anxiously awaited their return in March of 1901.

Not only was this a chance to see how much they’d improved during those four months, but it was the perfect opportunity to market the very first soccer league in Hawaii, which they’d just founded after the ships left their original visit. 

The games took place at the Makiki Grounds in Honolulu, and two local clubs from the island – plus an “all-star” team of Hawaiian players – handily defeated the Icarus and the Warspite. A paper from the time documented one of those wins, and showed how much it meant to the island community. 

The visits by these ships ultimately helped solidify the Hawaiian Association Football League in the local sporting landscape, and more importantly, they helped kick off soccer on the island for good. 

ROAD TO 2026
Shots Fired

A villain in victory and defeat. That’s how it’s usually been with Gregg Berhalter, and it was never more apparent than this past week. 

First, the USMNT was 20 seconds away from losing the Nations League Semis against Jamaica, and then they went on to win the whole thing against Mexico on Sunday with a cheeky Dos a Cero. Crazy. But the real story was the shots Gregg fired in a presser after the Jamaica game.

He lit up beef with former USMNT coaching candidate Jesse Marsch, who’s now doing commentary on CBS. The high school-level drama with this team is almost as common as beating Mexico these days. 

CLUBELEVEN
The Supporters Section

We’ll keep you posted on your answers next week!

CLUBELEVEN
Aggregates

How Nike Stole Germany: It was the biggest story in world soccer last week. But this is how the American brand made it happen and what challenges they’ll face in the market now that they won the battle against Adidas.

Pesky Labor Laws: Imagine not being able to make your pro debut because of child labor laws. That’s what happened to 15-year-old Julian Hall at the Red Bulls. Here’s the full story behind the loophole the club exploited. 

NWSL x Liga MX Femenil: It was inevitable. We’ve seen these international cup competitions already sprout in the men’s game, and now it’s happening in WoSo. The details are pretty wild, but it’ll surely grow the game in both countries. 

A Historic Moment: It was the first NorCal/SoCal derby in NWSL and our good friends Cassidy and Lorena were down in LA to capture it. Here’s the full piece on what the experience was like on the ground. 

Existential Threat: From within a week of losing their stadium to selling it out consistently. A true gem from USL. 

ART & FASHION
Spirit’s First Creative Director

You don’t often see these types of appointments in soccer. Once again, the NWSL stays ahead of the curve as the Washington Spirit tapped Domo Wells as their first-ever Creative Director & Designer. 

Domo is a DMV native, and in this role, she’ll spearhead the design direction for the team’s merchandise, specifically when it comes to updating core collections and developing limited edition drops. 

If this Cherry Blossom Capsule is any indication to go by, the Spirit are in very good hands. 

INNOVATION
The Future of Refereeing

We saw them do it at the 2023 PL Summer Series in North America, but now European clubs have taken it a step further. 

The Bundesliga mic’d up their refs and strapped them with a camera to provide insights into how games are managed and provide post-match reports. 

This innovative approach may solve some of the refereeing troubles of late, and it seems like we might need it after all the controversies from this season in MLS. This is how they implemented it in Germany. 

UP NEXT
‘Round and ‘Round

We’re only just recovering from the whirlwind that was the Open Cup First Round. We managed to visit six different cities, and we’ll be showing you what it was like to chase this mythical tournament across a few of these towns. 

The second round of the cup is fast approaching, so feel free to let us know which cities we should try to hit next. And keep your eyes peeled for a very special piece on America’s greatest-ever goalscorer you might’ve not heard about.

Having a good time?

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We’ll see you next week with even more untold stories of soccer.

Have a great Tuesday!

Pablo