...e first major league stadium in the United States that was constructed specifically for soccer. Its presence paid off as thousands of fans packed the house to watch featured competitions.

In 2002, Major League Soccer removed 2 of their 12 clubs from the roster and once again returned to 10 teams. Tampa Bay and miami were no longer League teams, but were replaced in 2004 with other expansion teams. Real Salt Lake and Club Deportivo Chivas USA joined the League and brought the club number back up to its current 12 teams.

The clubs of Major League Soccer consist of both domestic and international competitors. With such a diverse roster, players are constantly being featured in soccer news magazines, soccer news televised programs and interviews.more

England? You Must Be Kidding

...ely lacks).

You look back at the England cricket teams success in the summer and you see all of those factors mentioned above. I may not be the most ardent follower of the sport but I think Im right in saying England actually only have a couple of player in the world rankings for batting and bowling, however as a team they are formidable. Michael Vaughans intelligence, calm head and Quiet but effective leadership and Andrew Flintoffs inspiration are the keys. But you can look around at the raw passion of Simon Jones, flamboyance of Kevin Pietersen, honest workmanship of Ashley Giles and you see the way the team is built.

They played with so much strength oh character. Every time they fell behind ...more

The World's Most Beloved Sport - The History of Soccer

...While it is undisputed that the origins of modern soccer, or football, originated in Britain, there is a great deal of evidence that points to this beloved game as having an older history.

Where did the game of soccer really begin, and how old is it? To understand how many different varieties of "soccer" there are, you need to understand a bit about the older versions of the game and how they have evolved.

Below, you will find a list of the predominant cultures that had a variety of soccer, and learn how each one differs from what we play today. And no, they never used anything like Lotto shinguards back then either!

• Chinese Soccer History

• Japanese Soccer History

• Egyptian Soccer History

• Greek/Roman Soccer History

• british Soccer History

Chinese Soccer History

To many, this is the oldest version of soccer to exist. However, there is quite a lot of controversy of whether or not this is the oldest, or Japan's version is the elder. The Chinese version of the game, originally named "Tsu Chu", involved players on a field that had to hit a leather ball stuffed with fur into a small hole. Like Soccer, no hands were permitted during the play of the game, and it was considered an honor to be a member of a team.

The Emperor of the Han Dynasty, when the game was developed, was an avid player and fan, and spread the popularity of this game all over China during his reign. This roughly dates back to 300 B.C., although there is controversy on the subject of dating, which could result in the origins of the game being as far back as 5000...more

The Need For Speed In Soccer

...Soccer players are athletes, but unlike a 100m runner where there is explosive speed for 10 seconds in a straight line, there are many other abilities that soccer players need to develop.

Here are 5 key soccer related speed abilities that you should develop in your players.

#1 - Speed of thought

Soccer players have a great deal to concentrate on. There senses are constantly being blitzed with information, which they need to quickly decipher. Here are some examples:

- Where opponents are positioned

- Actions of their team mates

- What's infront of them and their peripheral vision

- The conditions of the pitch and the weather

- The noise from team mates, crowd, coaches and opponents

- Their tactical position and the strategy of the team

#2 - Speed of anticipation

Some players have a great reading of the game. I have a friend who although he is now in his late 40's early 50's still plays regularly and competes well with players half his age!

How does he do this... because he's played soccer all his life at professional and international level he has built a huge database in his brain of playing situations, player characteristics, tactical situations etc. and he is able to draw on this which gives him superb speed of anticipation.

Sure for explosiveness and reaction times the younger players would win every time, but as the old saying goes..."the first couple of yards are in the head!".

So here it is impor...more

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