Soccer - The World’s Most Popular Game
Sports History - UNIT 6
FIFA
International Federation of Association Football is the international governing body of
association football, futsal and beach soccer.
FIFA is responsible for the organization of football's major international tournaments,
notably the World Cup which commenced in 1930 and the Women's World Cup which
commenced in 1991.
FIFA was founded in 1904 to oversee international competition among the national
associations of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden
and Switzerland.
Headquartered in Zürich, membership now comprises 209 national associations.
Member countries must each also be members of one of the six regional confederations
into which the world is divided: Africa, Asia, Europe, North & Central America and the
Caribbean, Oceania and South America.
FIFA's chose to award the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar,
respectively.
FIFA World Cup Series
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association
football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of
Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).
The championship has been awarded every four years since the inaugural tournament
in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 when it was not held because of the Second World
War. The current champion is Germany, which won its fourth title at the 2014
tournament in Brazil.
The current format of the competition involves a qualification phase, which currently
takes place over the preceding three years, to determine which teams qualify for the
tournament phase, which is often called the World Cup Finals.
32 teams, including the automatically qualifying host nation(s), compete in the
tournament phase for the title at venues within the host nation(s) over a period of about
a month.
The World Cup is the most widely viewed and followed sporting event in the world,
exceeding even the Olympic Games; the cumulative audience of all matches of the
2006 FIFA World Cup was estimated to be 26.29 billion with an estimated 715.1 million
people watching the final match, a ninth of the entire population of the planet.
U.S.A. Men’s World Cup Winners
The 20 World Cup tournaments have been won by eight different national teams.
Brazil have won five times, and they are the only team to have played in every
tournament.
The other World Cup winners are Italy and Germany, with four titles each; Argentina and
inaugural winners Uruguay, with two titles each; and England, France and Spain, with
one title each.
U.S. Soccer Federation
The United States Soccer Federation (USSF), commonly referred to as U.S. Soccer, is
the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States.
With headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, the FIFA member governs U.S. amateur and
professional soccer, including the men's, women's, youth, beach soccer, futsal and
Paralympic national teams.
The U.S. Soccer Federation also administers and operates the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open
Cup, which was first held in 1914.
U.S. Results in World Cup - Men’s
The United States men's national soccer team, often referred to as the USMNT,
represents the United States in international soccer. It is controlled by the United States
Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF (the Confederation of North, Central
American and Caribbean Association Football). The team has appeared in the last
seven FIFA World Cups and hosted the 1994 edition.
The men's national team competes in the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Confederations
Cup, in addition to the CONCACAF Gold Cup and other competitions by invitation, such
as the CONMEBOL Copa America.
The U.S. achieved their best result when they reached the semi-final at the 1930 World
Cup, finishing third, this is also the highest finish of any team outside of UEFA
(European) and CONMEBOL (South American) confederations.
After qualifying for the 1934 World Cup, and withdrawing in 1938, the next World Cup
participation came at the 1950 tournament, causing an upset by defeating England 1–0
in its second group match. After 1950, the U.S. didn't qualify for the World Cup again
until 1990.
After the 1990 World Cup, the U.S. qualified automatically as hosts of the 1994 World
Cup, eventually losing to Brazil in the round of sixteen.
The team has qualified for every World Cup since, including the 2014 World Cup. The
national team improved on an international level, reaching the quarter-finals of the 2002
FIFA World Cup, where it lost to Germany 1–0.
In 2009 it reached the final of the FIFA Confederations Cup, eliminating top-ranked
Spain 2–0 in the semi-finals before losing to Brazil 3–2 in the final.
Brad Friedel
Bradley Howard Friedel /ˈfriːdəl/ (born May 18, 1971) is an American association football
goalkeeper for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.
He played 82 games for the United States national team between 1992 and 2005, and
represented his country at three FIFA World Cup tournaments.
He is the current holder of the Premier League record for most consecutive
appearances with 310, a feat he achieved during spells at Blackburn Rovers, Aston
Villa, and Tottenham Hotspur.
He is also officially Aston Villa's oldest ever player, a record he achieved on February 1,
2011 by playing in the club's Premier League fixture away at Manchester United.
Friedel's age of 39 years and 259 days.
Born in Lakewood, Ohio, Friedel grew up in Bay Village, where he attended Westerly
Elementary School, Bay Middle School and Bay High School.
Growing up, Friedel played several sports, including soccer, basketball and tennis and
excelled in all three. He earned Bay High's Outstanding Athlete of the Year award in
1989. As an All-State basketball player in Ohio, he was invited to try out as a walk-on for
UCLA's basketball team in 1990.
Friedel graduated from Bay High in 1989. In 2007, he was inducted into the Bay High
Hall of Fame.
Friedel played college soccer at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). In
1990, he kept goal for the Bruins to the NCAA championship.
He was selected as the first team All American goalkeeper in 1991 and 1992 and won
the Hermann Trophy in 1992 as the top collegiate soccer player. SoccerAmerica
magazine named Friedel to its College Team of the Century.
U.S. Results in World Cup - Women’s
The team also wears two stars above the US Soccer badge, to signify their two
championship titles from World Cup competitions.
The United States women's national football team, often referred to as USWNT,
represents the United States of America in international soccer competitions. It is
controlled by United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF (the
Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football).
The U.S. team won the first ever Women's World Cup in 1991, and has since been a
superpower in women's soccer.
It is currently ranked first in the world by the FIFA Women's World Rankings.
The team has also won the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, four Olympic women's gold
medals (1996,2004,2008 and 2012) and nine Algarve Cups (2000, 2003, 2004, 2005,
2007, 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2013).
Among its many other honors, the team was selected as the U.S. Olympic Committee's
Team of the Year in 1997 and 1999.
Sports Illustrated chose the entire team as its 1999 Sportspeople of the Year.
In the 2013 season, USA had an undefeated record of 14-0-2 with their last win against
Brazil with a score of 4-1 as part of a longer 43-game unbeaten streak that spanned two
years.
The USA's 43-game unbeaten streak came to an end after a 1-0 loss against Sweden in
the 2014 Algarve Cup. The streak began with a 4-0 win over Sweden in the 2012
Algarve Cup after a 1-0 loss against Japan.
The USWNT's 80-game home unbeaten streak is still active.
Sports Illustrated Sportspersons of the Year-1999
Since its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated magazine has annually presented the
"Sportsman of the Year" award to "the athlete or team whose performance that year
most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement." Both Americans and nonAmericans are eligible, though in the past the vast majority of winners have been from
the United States.
Both men and women have won the award, it being renamed as "Sportswoman" or
"Sportswomen," such as 1999 when the U.S. Women's Soccer Team was named
Sportswomen of the Year.
Arguably their most influential and memorable victory came in the 1999 World Cup
when they beat China 5–4 in a penalty shootout. With this win they emerged onto the
world stage and brought significant media attention to women's soccer and athletics.
On July 10, 1999, over 90,000 people (the largest ever for a women’s sporting event
and one of the largest attendances in the world for a tournament game final) filled the
Rose Bowl to watch the United States play China in the Final. After a back and forth
game, the score was tied 0–0 at full-time, and remained so after extra time, leading to a
penalty kick shootout.
With Briana Scurry's save of China's third kick, the score was 4–4 with only Brandi
Chastain left to shoot. She scored and won the game for the United States.
Chastain famously dropped to her knees and whipped off her shirt, celebrating in her
sports bra, which later made the cover of Sports Illustrated and the front pages of
newspapers around the country and world, tremendous publicity and appeal.
Mia Hamm
Mariel Margaret Hamm-Garciaparra, better known simply as "Mia" Hamm (born March
17, 1972), is a former North Carolina Tar Heel and pro player.
Hamm played many years as a forward for the United States women's national soccer
team and was a founding member of the Washington Freedom.
Hamm held the record for international goals, more than any other player, male or
female, in the history of soccer, until 2013 when fellow American Abby Wambach scored
her 159th goal to break the record.
Hamm is also the third most capped female player in soccer history behind Kristine Lilly
and Christie Rampone, appearing in 275 international matches.
She also holds the national team record for most career assists with 144.
Hamm was named the women's FIFA World Player of the Year the first two times that
award was given (in 2001 and 2002), and is listed as one of FIFA's 125 best living
players being one of two women, accompanied by teammate Michelle Akers.
She was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame as well as the Alabama Sports
Hall of Fame, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, and the World Football Hall of Fame
Michelle Akers
Michelle Anne Akers (born February 1, 1966 from Santa Clara, CA) is a former leading
American soccer player, who starred in the historic 1991 and 1999 Women's World Cup
victory by the United States.
She won the Golden Boot as the top scorer in the 1991 tournament.
She is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame and was named FIFA Female
Player of the Century.
#10 - Playmaker
Lionel Messi wears no. 10., Neymar wears no. 10., Wayne Rooney wears no. 10. USA’s
Landon Donovan, even current player Cliff Dempsey
Recent winners of the Ballon d'Or, given to the best player in the world, include Michael
Owen, Kaká, and Ronaldinho, all of whom wore no. 10.
Part of the reasoning for the popularity of the no. 10 goes back to Diego Maradona and
Pelé, two of the greatest players that ever lived. They both wore no. 10, so it would be a
natural extension for many of today's best players to choose that number.
But there is actually more to it than that and it starts with why both Maradona and Pelé
wore the greatest of football numbers.
When players were first assigned numbers, the starting 11 were given numbers 1-11
with the goalkeeper wearing no. 1, the defenders wearing the next lowest numbers, and
the forwards wearing the biggest numbers.
The most common formation used by soccer teams when numbering started was 2-3-5,
that is two defenders, three midfielders, and five forwards. The players were assigned
numbers based on these positions.
Abby Wambach
Mary Abigail "Abby" Wambach (born June 2, 1980) is an American professional soccer
player, coach, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and the 2012 FIFA World Player of the
Year.
She currently plays for Western New York Flash in the National Women's Soccer
League and for the United States women's national soccer team.
She played collegiate soccer for the University of Florida Gators, where she was a
member of the school's first NCAA Division I Championship team and was recognized
as a three-time All-American.
A six-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award, Wambach has been a
regular on the U.S. women's national soccer team since 2003.
As a forward, she currently stands as the highest all-time goal scorer for the national
team and holds the world record for international goals for both female and male soccer
players with 177 goals.
Wambach has competed in three FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments: 2003 in the
United States, 2007 in China and 2011 in Germany; and two Olympics tournaments:
2004 in Athens and 2012 in London.
Kristine Lilly
Kristine Marie Lilly Heavey (born July 22, 1971), née Kristine Marie Lilly, is a retired
American soccer player.
She was a member of the United States women's national soccer team for 24 years
Lilly is the most capped soccer player in the history of the sport, a feat accomplished by
no other men's or women's player, gaining her 352nd and final cap against Mexico in a
World Cup qualifier in November 2010.
Lilly scored 130 goals for the United States women's national team, behind Mia Hamm's
158 goals and Abby Wambach's ongoing tally of 167
Christie Rampone
Christie Patricia Rampone (née Pearce born June 24, 1975) is an American
professional soccer defender.
She currently plays for Sky Blue FC in the National Women's Soccer League and is
captain of the United States women's national soccer team.
Rampone has played in four FIFA Women's World Cup finals and four Olympics
women's football tournaments.
She is a 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup champion, and a three-time gold medalist
having won championship titles at the 2004 Athens Olympics, 2008 Beijing Olympics
and 2012 London Olympics.
She has finished no lower than third place in each of the World Cup or Olympic
tournaments in which she has competed.
Rampone played in the W-League from 1997 through 1998. She played in two
American professional leagues the entire time they were in operation; from 2001
through 2003 in the WUSA and from 2009 through 2011 in the WPS.
In 2009, while playing for Sky Blue FC, she simultaneously served as coach of the club
while winning the 2009 Women's Professional Soccer Playoffs, and was named WPS
Sportswoman of the Year.
At age 39 and as a mother of two young children, Rampone has not shown sign of
slowing down, and has not announced a retirement date
Major Soccer League
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional soccer league representing the sport's
highest level in both the United States and Canada, headquartered in New York City.
MLS constitutes one of the major professional sports leagues of the United States and
Canada. The league will be composed of 20 teams—17 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada.
The MLS regular season runs from March to October, with each team playing
34 games; the team with the best record is awarded the Supporters' Shield. Ten teams
compete in the postseason MLS Cup Playoffs in November and December, culminating
in the championship game, the MLS Cup.
MLS teams also play in other competitions against teams from other divisions and
countries, such as the U.S. Open Cup, the Canadian Championship, and the
CONCACAF Champions League. MLS is sanctioned by the United States Soccer
Federation (U.S. Soccer).
Major League Soccer was founded in 1993 as part of the United States' successful bid
to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
The first season took place in 1996 with ten teams. MLS experienced financial and
operational struggles in its first few years: The league lost millions of dollars, teams
played in mostly empty American football stadiums.
Since 2002, MLS has expanded to 19 teams (20 teams in 2015), owners built soccerspecific stadiums, average attendance at MLS matches exceeds that of the National
Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL), MLS secured
national TV contracts, and the league is now profitable.
United States’ Soccer Dynasties
DC United
DC United marked the first true dynasty of the Major League Soccer era in the United
States 1996-2000.
From 1996-2000 the club controlled the trophy game in the USA and won:
three MLS titles
two MLS Supporters Shields
three eastern conference championships
one US Open Cup
one CONCACAF Champions League title
one Copa Interamericana.
L.A. Galaxy
The LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, is based in the Los Angeles
suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer (MLS). It is one
of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's most-decorated club.
The Galaxy have won the MLS Cup five times (2002, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014), the MLS
Supporters' Shield four times (1998, 2002, 2010, 2011), the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
twice (2001, 2005), and is one of just two MLS teams to win the CONCACAF
Champions' Cup which they accomplished in 2000.
Initially, the Galaxy played their home games at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California,
but since 2003 they have played at the StubHub Center in Carson.
The club's current head coach is former US national team coach Bruce Arena. The team
holds a fierce rivalry with the San Jose Earthquakes in the California Clásico.
In January 2007, the club made international headlines by signing English superstar
David Beckham from Real Madrid, which was the highest-profile signing in the history of
MLS.
University of Akron Zips Men’s
The Akron Zips men's soccer team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of the
University of Akron.
The team is a member of the Mid-American Conference of the National Collegiate
Athletic Association.
Akron is regularly ranked in the Top 10 NSCAA Collegiate men's soccer poll.
Zips have been ranked #1 previously in 2005, 2009 and 2010.
The Zips have played their home games at FirstEnergy Stadium-Cub Cadet Field since
1966, formerly named Lee R. Jackson Soccer Field and Cub Cadet Field.
Zips won the NCAA National Championship in 2010.
Zips con’t....
NCAA Tournament Champions: 2010
NCAA Tournament Runner Up: 1986, 2009
NCAA Tournament College Cup: 1986, 2009, 2010
NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal: 1986, 2009, 2010
NCAA Tournament Round of 16: 1986, 1995, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 1986, 1993, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006,
2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
University of North Carolina Women’s Team
There is hardly a soccer dynasty in the world that can rival the kind of dominance that
the University of North Carolina Lady Tar Heels have had.
Over a period of the last 33 years the program has had only one leader, Anson
Dorrance. During his time his career record at UNC is 625-28-20 for a career winning
percentage of over 94 percent.
The Lady Heels have won 20 of 22 possible Atlantic Coast Conference titles and 20 of
28 NCAA National titles in their sport.
Along with that Dorrance also holds a record winning streak of 101 straight games.
Anson Dorrance
Anson Dorrance (born April 9, 1951) is an American soccer coach. He is currently the
head coach of the women's soccer program at the University of North Carolina.
He has one of the most successful coaching records in the history of athletics. Under
Dorrance's leadership, the Tar Heels have won 21 of the 31 NCAA Women's Soccer
Championships.
The Tar Heels' record under Dorrance is 719-39-24 (.935 winning percentage) over 33
seasons as of September 9, 2011.
He has led his team to a 101-game unbeaten streak and coached 13 different women to
a total of 20 National Player of the Year awards.
The NCAA has recognized Dorrance as the Women's Soccer Coach of the Year seven
times (1982, 1986, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2006) and as the Men's Soccer Coach
of the Year in 1987.
On March 10, 2008 Dorrance was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame