Sam McAlees

Mention great soccer players in Berks County history and Sammy McAlees is at the top of the list. Born in Scotland, where he began his early training in Greenock, playing against teams in Glasgow and other towns, he was selected to the Scotland East Team. Sammy came to the United States (1923) and played with the Reading soccer club for two years and then with the German-American team, winning both the Lehigh Valley soccer league and the Willow Cup. He was invited to play for the Philadelphia German-Americans (1933), a team that won many titles, including the National Amateur Cup three times, the National Open and the American Professional League as amateurs. Sam was selected to the United States Olympic Team (1936) and was also a member of the World Cup team that defeated Mexico (1938). He also represented the USA in soccer play against Chile, Scotland, England, Canada and Czechoslovakia. He turned professional (1937), playing for the New York Americans for four years.

Deceased