NEWARKJOE R. MANSO reached his hand into a crowded display case one recent afternoon and pulled out a silver trophy that could have used a good polishing. It commemorated a soccer tournament — Portuguese v. Spaniards — played in Bayonne in April 1922.
Evoking the spirits of what must have been the immigrant players’ war-weary European brethren, the words, “In memory of all those who have lived and died for World Peace,” were etched in the metal cup.
Ninety years of immigrant soccer history in New Jersey are contained in this wall-length glass cabinet in the lobby of Newark’s Sport Clube Português. The sport club, which was founded in 1921 by Portuguese immigrants who came to work in the local tanneries and paint factories, is one of the state’s oldest ethnic soccer clubs. Read the rest of this entry »
