Women's World Cup Has Jersey Appeal -- and Garden State Roots

The Women's World Cup finals on Sunday have Jersey appeal; five members of the team are Garden State born and bred. And if that's not enough to get locals cheering for the home team, consider this: a -- or possibly "the" -- "cradle of American Soccer" is Passaic Avenue in East Newark. A paved lot behind the Tops Diner was once Clark Field, says Tom McCabe, where soccer was first played in the area.

McCabe, a South Orange resident and Visiting Assistant Professor of History at Rutgers University-Newark, teachers "Topics in Transnational History: History of Soccer." "It's a dream course," explains McCabe, who taught a version of the class at Montclair State University previously.

"Soccer's the global game," Tom McCabe told Patch last year, as he considers the sport's impact on world history, economics and culture. 

Rutgers-Newark is considered the most diverse college campus in the country, according to McCabe. He notes that his students live locally, but represent a number of continents and, not incidentally, several World Cup teams. 

McCabe, himself, is New Jersey born and bred. Raised in South Orange, where he still lives, McCabe began playing soccer at age 5. He played Cougar soccer locally and played college soccer at Princeton. "My coach was Bob Bradley," recalls McCabe, "the current head coach of the U.S. Men's National Team. His son, Michael, was a young boy at the time and would always show up to practice." He later earned a Ph.D. in American History from Rutgers University.

McCabe continues to support local soccer, as his daughter now plays Cougar soccer. He describes the family's commitment to the sport as "total immersion." He considers soccer "a great game for kids. You meet the world on the soccer field."

He notes that, for much of the world, soccer is the dominant sport. McCabe and his students are considering the reasons for soccer's success, as well as its impact in many areas of life. 

Scottish immigrants, many of whom worked at the nearby Clark Thread Company or at Nairn Linoleum, brought the sport with them to New Jersey. The Kearny Scots American Club was established by Scots immigrants, whose reached extended into the Oranges and what became Maplewood. South Orange's Clark Street and East Clark Place were named for the same family of factory owners.

McCabe and his class pursued soccer through history. Class topics include "Global Diffusion of the Game," closer looks at Latin America and Africa, soccer in Communist Europe, its role in World War II, and the feminization of the sport. This topic is timely this year, as the US women head for the finals on Sunday. 

While the World Cup is—so far—anybody's game, McCabe and his class learn that soccer itself is everybody's game.