Greek-American A.C.

Greek-American Athletic Club was a semi-professional soccer club from San Francisco, California that played in the San Francisco Soccer Football League. They are the most successful team in Francisco Soccer Football League's history with 16 titles to their credit. In its 56 year history, Greek-American AC advanced to the US Open Cup Final three times, winning in 1985 and 1994. The club first reached the Open Cup Quarterfinals in 1963 and over the next three decades would finish with 12 Round of 8 appearances, which remains tied for the third-most in tournament's history. History Early Years The team was founded in 1949 by brothers Jim and John Rally. Under the auspices of the Greek Orthodox Church of Annunciation, it was at that time entered in the Alliance(Reserve) Division of the SFSFL under the name 'Pan-Hellenes', for two disappointing seasons with a record of five wins and twenty three losses. Being an independent team, it was admitted to the league's Second Division for the 1950–51 season as the team came under the auspices of the Greek-American Youth Club, a social club to which most of the players belonged and was renamed Greek-Americans. Within two years, the Greek-Americans became the cinderella team of the year, winning the championship and promotion to the league's top division, the First Division. This feat was accomplished due to the superlative playing skills of Mike Nicolas, a then recent arrival from Cyprus, who trained the team prior to the start of the season and led the Greek-Americans to the championship by personally scoring 43 goals in 14 league games. The following season, however, the competition in the First Division proved to be too much for the inexperienced Greek-Americans, as the team finished last and was demoted down to the Second Division, where it was in contention for the next two seasons, finishing third and second on each occasion. In the 1957–58 season, they once again won the title in a dramatic play-off against the SSF Scots. The team's second attempt in the top division fared better than the first as the team finished seventh with twelve points, league rules requiring it to defend its First Division berth in a play-off game against challenger Club Peru from the Second Division.