4 November 1909 - The Marksman From Fall River

On 4 November 1909, future US World Cup hero Bert Patenaude was born in Fall River, Massachusetts.

A prolific forward, Patenaude began his football career in 1928 with Philadelphia FC. But after only eight matches there (and one with J&P Coats) he moved to his hometown team, the Fall River Marksmen. There, he won three American Soccer League titles (1928-29, Fall 1929, Spring 1930) and the 1930 National Challenge Cup (the forerunner of the current US Open Cup).

He was called up to the US national team in 1930, just in time to take part in the first World Cup. He scored a goal in the US opener against Belgium, then made history by scoring the tournament's first-ever hat-trick as the US beat Paraguay 3-0. After Argentina ended the US run in their next match, Patenaude and his teammates toured South America, but he never played for the US again in a competitive match. In total, he was capped 4 times, scoring 6 goals.

Returning to the States, he played for a number of teams before retiring in 1936. He returned to Fall River, where he died on 4 November 1974--his 65th birthday.

17 July 1930 - The World Cup's First Hat-Trick

On 17 July 1930, US forward Bert Patenaude (pictured, front row, center) scored the first-ever World Cup hat-trick as the United States beat Paraguay 3-0 in the first round group stage of the inaugural World Cup.

Played before a meager crowd of 800 at Montevideo's Estadio Parque Central, the match was the first of the tournament for Paraguay. The US had played one previous match, beating Belgium 3-0 on the tourney's opening day. Patenaude had scored the third goal against Belgium in the 88th minute.

Against Paraguay, he picked up where he had left off by scoring in the 10th minute. The US went up 2-0 in the 15th minute, but for years FIFA credited that second goal to Patenaude's strike partner Tom Florie. Other reports claimed it as an own goal scored by Paraguay's Aurelio González. Patenaude unambiguously scored the third goal in the 50th minute to secure the 3-0 win and put the US through to the knockout stage, where they were eliminated by Argentina.

Two days after the US-Paraguay match, Argentina's Guillermo Stábile netted three goals in their 6-3 win over Mexico, staking claim to the first-ever World Cup hat-trick. But in November 2006, FIFA confirmed Patenaude as the scorer of the second US goal against Paraguay, giving him the honor.

16 February 1931 - America's Other New York Yankees

On 16 February 1931, the American Soccer League's Fall River Marksmen merged with the New York Soccer Club to form a new team--the New York Yankees.

The Marksmen were one of the ASL's most successful clubs, with seven league titles and three National Challenge Cup trophies from 1922 through 1930. But by the time they won their last league title in 1930 (despite playing only 27 of 30 matches), the Great Depression had lowered attendances across the league. In an effort to revive the team's flagging revenues, owner Sam Mark moved them from Fall River, Massachusetts to New York.

The team competed in the Spring 1931 league season as the New York Yankees, but had already registered for that year's National Challenge Cup under their former name. Accordingly, they participated in the two different competitions under two different names. As the Yankees, they finished third in the league, but as the Marksmen, they won the Cup, defeating the Chicago Bricklayers in a three-leg Final, behind strong play from their US internationals, Billy Gonsalves (above left) and Bert Patenaude (above right).

After splitting the first two matches of the Final, the Marksmen won the third leg 2-0. It was the last match the team ever played under either name, as the owner moved the team back to Massachusetts as the New Bedford Whalers.

13 July 1930 - The Shots Heard 'Round The World

On 13 July 1930, France defeated Mexico 4-1 and the United States beat Belgium 3-0 in the first ever World Cup matches, played simultaneously in Montevideo, Uruguay. The France-Mexico match was played at the Estadio Pocitos before a crowd of close to 3,000, while approximately 15,000 people watched the United States and Belgium at the Estadio Parque Central.

The first World Cup was open to all FIFA members, with no qualification necessary. Due to the distance and travel expense, few European teams were willing to participate, though FIFA President Jules Rimet ultimately persuaded Belgium, France, Romania, and Yugoslavia to make the trip. They were joined by nine Western Hemisphere teams; Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, the United States and hosts Uruguay.

France's inside right Lucien Laurent scored the World Cup's first ever goal with a volley against Mexico in the 19th minute. Marcel Langiller added a second in the 40th minute, followed by André Machinot in the 43rd minute. Mexico's Juan Carreño pulled one back in the 70th minute, but Machinot scored his second in the 87th minute, sealing the 4-1 victory. France completed its group stage with losses to Argentina and Chile, however, and was eliminated from the tournament.

In the other opening match, the United States' Scottish-born forward Bart McGhee scored a quick brace with goals in the 41st and 45th minutes. His fellow forward Bert Patenaude scored the third goal in the 88th minute, while goalkeeper Jimmy Douglas kept a clean sheet. The US finished at the top of its three-team group with a similar 3-0 win over Paraguay, then lost to Argentina 6-1 in the semi-finals to finish in third place overall.

Uruguay claimed the first World Cup trophy with a 4-2 win over Argentina in the Final.