Albert “Al” Harker was a U.S. soccer player who was a member of the U.S. team at the 1934 FIFA World Cup

1934 FIFA World Cup

The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....

. During his Hall of Fame

National Soccer Hall of Fame

The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 that honors soccer achievements in the United States.-History:...

 career, he won three American Soccer League

American Soccer League

The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...

 championships, two league cups, a U.S. Amateur Cup title and the 1935 U.S. Open Cup.

Youth and college

Harker attended Girard College

Girard College

Girard College is an independent boarding school on a 43-acre campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States.Girard is for academically capable students, grades one through 12, and awards a full scholarship with a yearly value of approximately $42,000 to every child admitted to the...

 where he played on the men’s soccer team from 1926 to 1929.

Professional

Following his graduation from Girard, he signed with Corinthians of the National Soccer League of Philadelphia. In 1930, he moved to Upper Darby and in 1931 to the Kensington Blue Bells. In 1932, he moved to the Philadelphia German-Americans. When the second American Soccer League

American Soccer League

The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...

 formed in 1933, the German-Americans moved to the new league. That year, the team won the National Amateur Cup

National Amateur Cup

The National Amateur Cup is an American soccer competition open to all amateur teams affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation...

 and the U.S. Open Cup in 1935. The team became known as the Philadelphia Americans in 1941. Under its new name, Harker and his team mates won the ASL championship in 1942, 1944 and 1947, as well as the league cup in 1941 and 1943.

National team

Harker was called into the for the 1934 FIFA World Cup

1934 FIFA World Cup

The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....

, but did not see time in the lone U.S. game of the cup, a 7-1 loss to eventual champion Italy

Italy national football team

The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...

.^{http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/edition=3/teams/team=43921.html} He was also called into the U.S. Olympic soccer team for the 1936 Summer Olympics

1936 Summer Olympics

The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...

, but declined because he was unable to take two months off work.

He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame

National Soccer Hall of Fame

The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 that honors soccer achievements in the United States.-History:...

 in 1979 and the Girard College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006.^{http://www.girardalumni.org/news/bog/2006/BOG%20Minutes,%20061010.doc?PHPSESSID=8f7ce6b4bdace293a629f70a41869c66}

Personal

Harker died on April 8, 2006, at a nursing home in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, eight days before his 96th birthday. He was the last surviving member of the 1930 World Cup squad. Even in his later years Al would sit with his great-granddaughter and recall the days of playing with his teammates. He would recall how they would come over to the house during the summer and pick up a game of volleyball in the backyard. Al always held those fond memories of soccer close to his heart. Seventy-three years later he still wore his National Amateur Cup ring.

External links

• National Soccer Hall of Fame