Break in Weather Bethlehem's Advantage
Unless it blows up cold by tomorrow and the playing turf is frozen as hard as it was last week, the Bethlehem Steel soccer team should be favored with an advantage over the Newark F. C. in the replay of the semi-final round National Cup competition insofar as the grounds are concerned. The hard frozen and jagged turf on which the game was staged last Saturday proved a decided disadvantage to the clever Bethlehem dribblers and it was really not until the extra period of thirty minutes that the Steel Workers seemed to thoroughly diagnose the conditions and gave their best display. Advices from Philadelphia are to the effect that the Phillies' management will have the grounds in much better condition for the replay and one of the means of improving the condition was to roll out the hilly spots.
Newark Crowd Confident of Victory
Contended that the Steel Workers were luck in getting a penalty which enabled them to make the grade in the cup competition and inspired by their success against the crack Bethlehem team, word from Newark is to the effect that the Jersey booters are confident of turning the trick in the fracas tomorrow afternoon and remaining in the cup competition as opponents of Fall River in the Eastern final. Rumor to the effect that Sam Fletcher, the former star Bethlehem defender, would be missing because of injury is denied and the Newark captain and coach is expected to be very much in the replay. Fletcher was injured in a league game played last Sunday afternoon but like Jock Ferguson, the Bethlehem veteran, who was also slightly injured, promises to be very much in evidence when the teams square off in the Phillies' ball park tomorrow afternoon.
Highfield Again to Play Goal
While it is probable that Harry "Dutch" Oellerman, the St. Louis acquisition to the Steel Workers, would have received the assignment as custodian of the citadel in the replay tomorrow, it is now certain that the elongated Bill Highfield will be the individual selected. Bill performed between the uprights in the game last Saturday. Oellerman would probably have been given preference in tomorrow's tilt, not because his work has proven superior to that of Highfield, but is practically on an equal par and his inclusion in the lineup would have been merely to give him another crash in a cup game. Players and friends of the St. Louis product extend their sympathies to Oellerman who is hurrying to St. Louis to respond to a telegram received which announced the sudden death of his mother.
No Change in the Lineup
At the club house of the Steel Workers' team this morning it was announced that in all likelihood the lineup to face the Newark eleven tomorrow afternoon will be identically the same as the team which took the field last Saturday. It is expected that "Sturdy" Maxwell, the clever inside forward, would be available for the game but after a workout yesterday, it was noticed that the injury he sustained in the game with the National Giants on the home lot two weeks ago still annoyed him. This means that Granger will continue at the inside position, pairing off with Alec Jackson, while Turner and Goldie will gain resume the responsibility on the wings. The halfbacks will be Capt. Carnihan, McGregor and Robertson with the Ferguson brothers, Jock and Davy, the fullbacks and Bill Highfield in goal. This gang is out to redeem themselves and it is possible just as well that the management decided to continue with the lineup in tact.