Brooklyn Italians

The Brooklyn Italians are generally regarded as one of the most successful semi-pro teams in the United States, with a linear history that now stretches back over 60 years. Founded in 1949 by John DeVivo, an Italian immigrant to the New York area, the team was originally part of the Metropolitan Soccer League in the early 1950s, before joining the American Soccer League prior to the 1956–57 season. The Italians finished seventh in their first season in the ASL behind champions New York Hakoah. The Italians changed their name to the "Inter-Brooklyn Italians" when they merged with a local rival club in 1961, became "Inter SC" in 1962, and before the 1963 season the team changed its name again and became "Boca Juniors", named after the famous club in Argentina, but played just one season with this name before resigning from the ASL in 1964. For the next 20 years or so the team continued to play in amateur leagues under various names – at one time or another were they known as "Palermo Football Club" and the "Brooklyn Dodgers" (after the former Brooklyn baseball team) – before reverting to their original name in 1991. They were also regular participants in the National Challenge Cup, winning the title twice during the pre-MLS all-amateur era, in 1979 (when they were still called the Dodgers) and 1991, and reaching the final in 1981 and 1990. As a result of their success in the 1990 tournament, the Italians played in the qualifying rounds of the 1991 CONCACAF Champions' Cup. In…