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Philadelphia soccer community mourns the loss of Alex Ely

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Philadelphia soccer legend Alex Ely passed away in late September at the age of 83. Ely, a native of São Paulo, Brazil, was a key member of the Ukrainian Nationals from the late 1950s to early 1960s and promoted the game in various playing and coaching capacities for a majority of his life.

Ely was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1997.

Born to German immigrants, Ely grew up in the streets of São Paulo during a period of anti-German sentiment, where he learned to use his feet and his fists to escape the harshness of discrimination and poverty while also embracing the samba culture and the Brazilian style of the game. He came to America in 1956 and lived with his aunt and uncle determined to join the Navy. Hardly speaking any English, he failed the entrance exams and soon signed with Vereinigung Erzgebirge as a way to play soccer in a familiar environment while attending night school to achieve his high school equivalency.

Years later, he joined the Ukrainian Nationals, an emerging amateur club in the city that won the National Amateur Cup in 1957. During one of the brightest periods of the local game, the Ukrainian Nationals achieved tremendous success in the American Soccer League, a professional league created from the ethnic amateur clubs throughout the Northeastern United States. Led by stars like Walt Bahr, Walt Chyzowych, and Andy Racz, the Ukes won the league from 1961-1964 and won six titles from 1957-1970. In 1960, the Ukes beat the Los Angeles Kickers 5-3 in extra time to secure the club’s first U.S. Open Cup title. Ely assisted on both of Mike Noha’s extra time goals.

The Ukes played in the U.S. Open Cup final five times in seven years, winning in 1960, 61, 63, and 66. Ely lifted the trophy in 1960 and 1963 and was on the losing side in 1964. He missed the 1961 final after suffering a broken ankle in a match against Glasgow’s Third Lanark prior to the final. During the glory years of the Ukrainian Nationals, many touring professional clubs came to the U.S. in search of quality opponents, and the Ukes were on top of that list. In 1959, the Ukes tied Manchester United and Manchester City, and in 1961 they lost to VFB Stuttgart 3-1. In 1962, Ely played on an All-Star team against the England National team, which included Bobby and Jackie Charlton and many of the stars who’d win the World Cup four years later.

Greg Oldfield is a teacher, coach, and writer from the Philadelphia area. His fiction and nonfiction have been published in Barrelhouse, Maudlin House, Carve, and the Under Review, among others. He also writes for the Florida Cup and Florida Citrus Sports. In 2023, he received an award for Best Column from the United Soccer Coaches for his story "A Philadelphia Soccer Hollywood Story." His work can also be found at www.gregoldfield.com.

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