The 1889 American Cup was the fifth edition of the soccer tournament organized by the American Football Association

American Football Association

American Football Association was the first attempt in the United States to form an organizing soccer body. It is best known for being the second oldest sports league to form, behind Major League Baseball in 1876, as well as being the oldest soccer league in the United States. The Association was...

. The Fall River Rovers won their second consecutive title by defeating the Newark Caledonians in the final.

Participants

Newcomers to the tournament were the Paterson Rangers and Trenton Rovers. Absent was the Ansonia team while New York was defunct and the Kearny Rangers had amalgamated with ONT.

• New Jersey- Trenton, Trenton Rovers, Paterson, Paterson Rangers
  Paterson Rangers
  Paterson Rangers was a U.S. soccer team which played in Paterson, New Jersey during the early twentieth century. They spent two seasons in New York’s Metropolitan Association Football League and nine in the National Association Football League-History:...
  
  , Clark O.N.T.
  Clark O.N.T.
  Clark O.N.T., was a U.S. soccer team sponsored by the Clark Thread Company. The team competed in the annual American Cup, winning the first three championships.-Name:...
  
  , Alma, Tiffany Rovers, and, Newark Caledonian.
• New York- Thistles and Amateur League.
• New England- Fall River Olympics, Providence Athletics, Pawtucket Free Wanderers, Fall River Rovers
  Fall River Rovers
  Fall River Rovers were a United States soccer club, based in Fall River, Massachusetts. They won the 1888 and 1889 American Cups as well as the 1917 National Challenge Cup. In 1921 Rovers were disbanded and a new team, Fall River United were formed to enter the newly established American Soccer...
  
  , Fall River East Ends.

First round

The Fall River Olympics drew a first round bye. The first game between the Almas and Paterson was not completed due to the ball bursting early in the second half. Paterson refused to continue so Alma claimed the contest. However after a meeting of the delegates it was decided that the game should be replayed because the game had started without a referee in the first place. Clark ONT was awarded their replay match as a result of Trenton Rovers failure to appear.

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Providence: GK Bailey, DF G.Clegg, McDonald, MF Davina, Cook, Start, FW Thorney, Cook, Axon, Brennan, Healabourn.
Pawtucket: GK Watmouth, DF H.Stuart, A.Love, MF J.Dalton, F.Finn, D.Smith, FW Hardy, Mullarkey, Murray, Sandilands, Fd.Lennox.
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replays

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Caledonian- GK J.Thompson, DF J.Byrne, D.Gloak, MF W.Barr, R.McDonald, W.Hood, FW R.McWilliams, T.Hendry, R.Barr, W.Thornton, J.Heron. Tiffany- GK W.Healy, DF T.Crann, M.Flannery, MF D.McCune, E.Hinkley, J.Singleton, FW J.Jeffs, M.Downs, A.Hinkley, T.Flynn, J.Norton.

Second round

Pawtucket drew a second round bye.

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Rovers: GK Shea, DF Harwood, Fagan, MF Bradley, Waring, Lonsdale, FW Bell, Bruckshaw, Buckley, Bell, Cornell. Olympics: GK Brackell, DF Williamson, Lee, MF Tomlinson, Pilling, Brown, FW Hoctor, Corbet, Taylor, Ingham, Randall.
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Alma: GK F.Farrow, DF E.Morton, G.Wright, MF J.Britchford, J.Hood, R.Patterson, FW J.Gray, P.Brennan, H.Shaw, Walter Taylor, J.Smith. Caledonian: GK J.Thompson, DF G.Gloak, J.Brown, MF W.Barr, R.McDonald, W.Stalker, FW R.McWilliams, T.Hendry, J.McCormack, J.Williamson, R.Barr.

Third round

ONT drew a bye.

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Semifinal

Caledonians drew a bye.

Final

Sources

• Outing
• National Police Gazette
• New York Herald
• New York Times
• Spirit of the Times
• Trenton Times
• Fall River Herald
• Daily Advertiser
• Evening News
• Sunday Call