By Ed Kensik
It is a celebration of the sport of football or soccer, which Brazilian soccer legend Pelé called “the Beautiful Game.”
The World Cup, the biggest tournament of any sport on the planet, is coming back to the United States and North America starting on June 11.
And one of the major forces behind “the Beautiful Game” coming to the U.S. was the Scottish, dating back to the mid-1870s, who called Kearny home. The town was also the home for what was considered the first international soccer match in the U.S. in 1885 when the Red, White, and Blue faced Canada.
The Scots have been a major reason why the town of Kearny has been labeled as “Soccertown USA.” The Scots brought the game to Kearny, and the rest is history.
And whatever level the sport has been played, a Kearny team has won a championship. And it all started in the late 19th century in Kearny, the Clark Thread Company would win three American Football Association cups from 1885-87.
One of the major forces to support the sport in the town and in the U.S. is the Scots American Club. The Club’s current home on Patterson Street is unassuming, but it has been the gathering place to celebrate the successes of hundreds and hundreds of soccer teams since it opened its doors in 1931.
The Scots American Club has sponsored dozens of young as well as adult soccer teams that have included hundreds of soccer players who have made their mark in the United States, Scotland, Europe, and the world. Over the years, the Club has backed several championship teams, including their very own Scots American Athletic Club, as well as the Kearny Thistle United boys and girls teams, among others.
Kearny has always been a big part of the sport, but it certainly lived up to its name as “Soccertown USA” in the early 1990s.
Three players on the 1990 USMNT could be considered a major part of the boom of soccer in the country that has continued to this day. John Harkes, Tony Meola, and Tab Ramos, all had connections to Kearny and the Scots American Club teams that they played on during their younger days.
And all three were critical to the United States qualifying for the first time in 40 years when the team reached the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
Despite not winning a match in Italy in that World Cup, the team led by Harkes, Meola, and Ramos was instrumental in bringing the biggest tournament on the planet to the United States in 1998.
And the trio helped the 1998 World Cup to be one of the most successful tournaments of all time.
And the USMNT had one of their most lucrative World Cups on the pitch. The U.S. reached the quarterfinals of the ’98 World Cup before falling to Brazil in a tough 1-0 verdict, where the USMNT showed that they could stick with one of the best countries in the sport.
All three would go on to have very good professional careers. Among playing on several professional teams, both Ramos and Meola would play together for the local MetroStars, who played at then Giants Stadium, in Major League Soccer from 1996-98. Meola would move on to Kansas City in the MLS, and Ramos played for the MetroStars until 2002.
And Harkes would also play in the MLS for the D.C. United. Before the MLS, he played in England for Sheffield Wednesday and Derby from 1990-96. Harkes played in several championships, including the 1991 League Cup final, where he helped Sheffield Wednesday upset Manchester United, 1-0, to win the title.
Other Kearny soccer players who made an impact in the professional ranks included Santiago Formoso and Tommy Briscoe. Formoso played professional soccer from 1976 to 1985, which included playing for the famous New York Cosmos from 1978-79. Briscoe was considered the greatest athlete at what is now New Jersey City State University and later coached for 40 years at Kearny High School, including both boys and girls soccer.
The Scots American Club at 40 Patterson St. in Kearny has also been the local home for the Scotland National soccer team, which qualified for the World Club the first time in 28 years.
One of the biggest gatherings recently was watching Scotland qualify for the 2026 World Cup back in December 2025, when Scotland defeated Denmark, 4-2.
“The place was jammed, and they scored four goals, two of them were unbelievable,” said Eddie Duffy, who is the barkeep and also a master of everything at the Club.
For the upcoming World Cup, the Scots American Club is getting ready for the games and the fans not only of the Scottish team, but also of the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT).
Anthony Sarra, a club member from Kearny, was outside the Club recently putting on another fresh coat of blue paint at the bottom of the building. The top of the building is white, just like the blue and white Scotland flag. The doors are going to be painted red, like the former Scottish flag of the 13th century, named the Lion Rampant of Scotland.
Sarra, who is Irish, said he joined the Club after an Irish club in town closed its doors. “These guys were the best, and they took me in, yeah, even though I’m Irish,” joked Sarra.
Duffy said that the Club will be jumping for not only the Scotland and USMNT games, but every World Cup soccer game, all 104 in all. The 2026 World Cup final will be down the road at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.
And that is the case even before the World Cup starts on June 12 in Los Angeles.
The Club is looking forward to a friendly (exhibition) on June 6 where Scotland takes on Bolivia down the road at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison as the Scots prepare for the World Cup. Duffy said that some members of the Tartan Army from across the pond could be stopping at the Club after the contest with Bolivia. The Tartan Army received its name in the 70s during one of the World Cups.
“We blocked off 150 tickets, and they sold like crazy,” said Duffy, who added that the fans will have lunch at the Club before the contest. “We’re going to have a barbecue early and have four buses heading to the game.”
The Scots American Club will have all the Scottish and US games starting on June 12. The US will take on Paraguay at 9 p.m., while Scotland opens with Haiti on June 13, also at 9 p.m.
The Club will be busting at the seams on June 19 when both Scotland and the US play games on that day. At 3 p.m., the USMNT will take on Australia while Scotland will face Morocco at 6 p.m.
And both teams will be hoping to reach the knockout round in the final match of the groups as Scotland takes on powerhouse Brazil on June 24 at 6 p.m. And the next day, the US will most likely have its toughest contest, with Turkey at 10 p.m.
The Club is for members and their guests only.
