A native of Scotland, Carson first moved across the Atlantic to America in the early 1950s, beginning a productive career with Toronto-based St. Andrews-Earlscourt of the National Soccer League. As one of the top scorers in the league, he earned its Most Valuable Player award in 1955.
Shortly after, along with a pair of his teammates, he left for the sunnier climes of Southern California and joined up with the Los Angeles Danes – who became the first West Coast team to play in an Open Cup Final (then known as the National Challenge Cup) in 1955.
After setting what local newspapers referred to as a West Coast scoring record with 54 goals over the 1956-57 season, Carson was tempted away to fellow Greater Los Angeles Soccer League (GLASL) side the Los Angeles Kickers. There, teaming up with club legend and former US National Team star and Olympian Al Zerhusen, he set the local soccer scene ablaze yet again.
First National Soccer Title for the West Coast
The Kickers – a club founded by German immigrants – advanced out of the First Round of the 1958 U.S. Open Cup via a walkover against the LA Scots. Playing against former Scottish international Billy Steel, Carson then put the Kickers into the LA area finals with a pair of goals over Hollywood S.C.
Steel opened the scoring for the Hollywooders from the penalty spot, but two second-half goals by the irrepressible Carson inspired a 4-2 Kickers win at Sentinel Field in Inglewood.
Two weeks later, Carson powered the Kickers into a California Championship matchup against the Teutonias of San Francisco with a goal in a 3-1 win over St. Stephen’s. He set up the first goal, which Pete Rumohr bagged on a rebound. When St. Stephen’s tied it up before the half, Carson gave the Kickers another lead (2-1) before Zerhusen sealed the victory with a 30-yard blast.
In the series against the Northern California club, Carson and the Kickers really turned on the offensive jets, all but clinching a spot in the next round in the first 20 minutes of the first game.
Once again playing at Sentinel Field, Carson gave the Kickers the lead in the 10th minute off the rebound of his own shot. Five minutes later, Zerhusen, who was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1978, made it 2-0.
Although Teutonias goalkeeper Harry Lis came up with several big saves before leaving the game with an injury, the San Franciscans were no match for the Kickers. Friedel Scherer put home a penalty kick early in the second half after Bob Berger was taken down in the area. Carson then added two more goals to seal the 5-0 win, giving the Kickers an almost insurmountable lead in the total-goals series.
With Lis suffering a broken finger and having to leave the first game, 17-year old back-up goalkeeper George Long, who had never before played for the first team, was under siege from the opening whistle of the return match at Balboa Stadium in San Francisco.
With a 15-yard shot inside the first ten minutes, Carson again opened the scoring for the Angelinos. He then made it 2-0 seven minutes later off a pass from Osmond Tyrell.By the midpoint of the half, the dominant Kickers led 3-0 thanks to a further tally by the talisman Zerhusen.
