{{Short description|American association football club}} {{Use American English|date=March 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} '''Philadelphia Nationals''' was the name of two American soccer clubs based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that were both members of the professional American Soccer League.
==Passon F.C./Passon Phillies/Philadelphia Nationals== Originally, and amateur club called '''Passon F.C.''', the club became better known as the '''Passon Phillies''' or '''Philadelphia Passon'''. The team joined the professional American Soccer League prior to the 1936/37 season. Prior to the 1941/42 season, the club became the '''Philadelphia Nationals'''.<ref>Litterer, David (2005-04-02). [http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1942.html The Year in American Soccer - 1942] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305010402/http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1942.html |date=2016-03-05 }}. Sover. Retrieved on 2014-09-30.</ref>
The club withdrew from the league prior to the 1942/43 season and was replaced an amateur Philadelphia club, Fairhill F.C., that was admitted to the league and took the name Philadelphia Nationals.<ref>{{cite news |last=Graham |first=William |date=September 2, 1942 |title=Two Flatbush Soccer Squads Combine Forces |work=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle |page=14 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Graham |first=William |date=September 9, 1942 |title=State Soccer Election Meeting Set For Saturday |work=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle |page=14 }}</ref>
===Year-by-year=== {| class="wikitable" !Year !Division !League !Reg. season !Playoffs !National Cup |- |1936/37 |''N/A'' |ASL |4th, National |1st Round |Quarterfinal |- |1937/38 |''N/A'' |ASL |4th, National |''Did not qualify'' |First round |- |1938/39 |''N/A'' |ASL |3rd, National |Semifinals |? |- |1939/40 |''N/A'' |ASL |9th |''No playoff'' |? |- |1940/41 |''N/A'' |ASL |7th |''No playoff'' |? |- |1941/42 |''N/A'' |ASL |9th |''No playoff'' |? |}
==Fairhill F.C./Philadelphia Nationals== Originally, and amateur club called '''Fairhill F.C.''', the team joined the professional American Soccer League prior to the 1942/43 season to replace the Philadelphia Nationals which withdrew from the league in the off-season. Fairhill F.C. was admitted to the league and took the name '''Philadelphia Nationals'''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Graham |first=William |date=September 2, 1942 |title=Two Flatbush Soccer Squads Combine Forces |work=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle |page=14 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Graham |first=William |date=September 9, 1942 |title=State Soccer Election Meeting Set For Saturday |work=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle |page=14 }}</ref>
The club earned a "mini-double" in both 1949 and 1951 winning the league championship and the league cup (the Lewis Cup). The club won the Lewis Cup again in 1952.<ref>[http://www.philadelphiaunion.com/history/philly-soccer-history-1940s-and-1950s Philly Soccer History - 1940s and 1950s] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151127181531/http://www.philadelphiaunion.com/history/philly-soccer-history-1940s-and-1950s |date=November 27, 2015 }}. Philadelphia Union. Retrieved on 2014-09-30.</ref> The Fairhill Club withdrew their sponsorship of the team prior to the 1953/54 season and, due to subsequent financial difficulties, the club folded after four games.<ref>{{cite news |last=Graham |first=William |title=Loss of Backer Drops Nationals Out of League |work=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle |date=November 11, 1953 |page=14 }}</ref>
===Year-by-year=== {| class="wikitable" !Year !Division !League !Reg. season !Playoffs !National Cup |- |1942/43 |''N/A'' |ASL |9th |''No playoff'' |? |- |1943/44 |''N/A'' |ASL |5th |''No playoff'' |? |- |1944/45 |''N/A'' |ASL |5th |''No playoff'' |? |- |1945/46 |''N/A'' |ASL |9th |''No playoff'' |? |- |1946/47 |''N/A'' |ASL |8th |''No playoff'' |? |- |1947/48 |''N/A'' |ASL |5th |''No playoff'' |? |- |1948/49 |''N/A'' |ASL |bgcolor="B3B7FF"|1st(t) |bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Champion |Final |- |1949/50 |''N/A'' |ASL |bgcolor="B3B7FF"|1st |bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Champion (no playoff) |? |- |1950/51 |''N/A'' |ASL |bgcolor="B3B7FF"|1st |bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Champion (no playoff) |? |- |1951/52 |''N/A'' |ASL |2nd |''No playoff'' |Final |- |1952/53 |''N/A'' |ASL |bgcolor="B3B7FF"|1st |bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Champion (no playoff) |Semifinals |- |1953/54 |''N/A'' |ASL |9th |''folded after 4 games'' |''N/A'' |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
N Category:Defunct soccer clubs in Pennsylvania Category:American Soccer League (1933–1983) teams Category:Sports clubs and teams in Philadelphia
{{Pennsylvania-footyclub-stub}} {{Philadelphia-sport-stub}}