Ralph Caraffi
Encyclopedia
Ralph Caraffi was a U.S. soccer midfielder
. He played on season in the professional American Soccer League
. The remainder of his nineteen year career was with semi-professional and amateur leagues. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame
which competed in an obscure Pennsylvania league. He left Vestaburg in 1917 after which there is a two year gap in the record of his career. However, the U.S. involvement in World War I
caused the suspension of several leagues due to the loss of players to military service. Caraffi’s National Soccer Hall of Fame
profile notes that he played for the U.S. Army team in Europe and this may account for those missing two years. In 1919, Caraffi signed with the Fall River Rovers
of the semi-professional Southern New England Soccer League
. He spent two seasons with the Rovers until the team and the league folded in 1921. That occurred in response to the establishment of the American Soccer League
which was formed by several of the top SNESL and National Association Football League teams. The Rovers were disbanded and a new, fully professional, team, Fall River United
was formed and entered the ASL. Caraffi moved to Fall River United, playing six games that season. There is another between 1922 and 1926 when he is on record as playing for the semi-professional American Hungarians of the Northeastern Ohio major league in Cleveland, Ohio
. In 1929, Caraffi joined Cleveland Bruell Insurance
in the newly established Midwest Professional Soccer League. In 1930, Bruell Insurance went to the final of the National Challenge Cup before falling to the Fall River Marksmen
.
Caraffi was inducted as one of the first classes into the National Soccer Hall of Fame
in 1959 and the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.
His wife continued to live in the Cleveland Area until her death in 2008. His family still resides in the Greater Cleveland Area.
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
. He played on season in the professional 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...
. The remainder of his nineteen year career was with semi-professional and amateur leagues. He is a member of 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:...
Playing
In 1915, Caraffi, who was fifteen at the time, began playing with the semi-professional VestaburgVestaburg SC
Vestaburg S.C. was an amateur U.S. soccer team which existed during the early twentieth century. Based out of Vestaburg, Pennsylvania, little is known about the team and its history other than it won the 1925 West Penn Challenge Cup, went to the quarterfinals of the 1925 National Challenge Cup and...
which competed in an obscure Pennsylvania league. He left Vestaburg in 1917 after which there is a two year gap in the record of his career. However, the U.S. involvement in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
caused the suspension of several leagues due to the loss of players to military service. Caraffi’s 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:...
profile notes that he played for the U.S. Army team in Europe and this may account for those missing two years. In 1919, Caraffi signed with the Fall River Rovers
Fall River Rovers
Fall River Rovers were a United States soccer club, based in Fall River, Massachusetts. They won the 1888 and 1889 American Cups as well as the 1917 National Challenge Cup. In 1921 Rovers were disbanded and a new team, Fall River United were formed to enter the newly established American Soccer...
of the semi-professional Southern New England Soccer League
Southern New England Soccer League
The Southern New England Soccer League was a semi-professional soccer league based in New England which was established in 1914 and collapsed in 1921. During its short existence, it featured some of the top teams in the northeast United States...
. He spent two seasons with the Rovers until the team and the league folded in 1921. That occurred in response to the establishment of the 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...
which was formed by several of the top SNESL and National Association Football League teams. The Rovers were disbanded and a new, fully professional, team, Fall River United
Fall River United
Fall River United was a name used by two United States soccer clubs, based in Fall River, Massachusetts. Both teams played in the American Soccer League, one during the 1921-22 season and other during the 1933-34 season.-Fall River United I:...
was formed and entered the ASL. Caraffi moved to Fall River United, playing six games that season. There is another between 1922 and 1926 when he is on record as playing for the semi-professional American Hungarians of the Northeastern Ohio major league in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. In 1929, Caraffi joined Cleveland Bruell Insurance
Cleveland Bruell Insurance
Cleveland Bruell Insurance, also known as Bruell F.C., Cleveland Bruells, Bruell American Hungarians and the Cleveland Bruell Hungarian-Americans was an early twentieth century U.S. soccer team from Cleveland, Ohio-History:...
in the newly established Midwest Professional Soccer League. In 1930, Bruell Insurance went to the final of the National Challenge Cup before falling to the Fall River Marksmen
Fall River Marksmen
Fall River Marksmen was a United States soccer club, based in Fall River, Massachusetts. They originally played as Fall River United before becoming known as the Marksmen after their owner, Sam Mark. During the 1920s and early 1930s they were one of the most successful soccer clubs in the United...
.
Post playing career
After retiring from playing in 1934, Caraffi became a youth soccer coach with Bartunek Clothes for three years. He was also a referee from 1954 to 1957.Caraffi was inducted as one of the first classes 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 1959 and the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.
His wife continued to live in the Cleveland Area until her death in 2008. His family still resides in the Greater Cleveland Area.