It doesn't take many years in order for something to have an interesting history. This is the case in American soccer, something that is only been around for a very short period of time. It's interesting, though, how the entire sport evolved. Here is a brief history about the sport and how it came to be an additional major league activity in the United States.
Major league soccer was originally formed in December of 1993 but it did not actually begin official play until 1996. At first, the league only had 10 teams but it has, since that time, grown to 14. Unfortunately, in its early stages, Major League Soccer was not very respected among sports fans. In fact, after the first year whenever attendance began to drop off dramatically, the history of the sport was really put into question. It wasn't until several years later that the sport actually began to catch on.
In 2002, the United States had a surprise appearance at the FIFA World Cup games. Even though Major league soccer does not necessarily have anything to do with the World Cup, it still brought some additional life into the game. Other efforts have been made in the past several years in order to internationalize the rules of the game and to try and get it to catch on.
Major league soccer still has a long way to go until it is in the same category as the National Football League or National Baseball League but it is on its way. As time continues to go on and more and more people become interested in the sport, it should have a snowball effect and it may be propelled to a higher level of popularity.
Bringing Pro Soccer in the USA into the Major Leagues
National league soccer has had its difficulties since its inception in the mid-1990s. It has had a difficult time gaining a loyal fan base in the United States. Contrast that with world soccer, which is played from country to country and the difference is indescribable. People tend to be so emotional over their teams, particularly in the European countries that it is difficult to have a conversation in which the sport is not brought up. What is it that brought soccer to the United States when it does not seem to be all that popular?
As a matter of fact, people have been playing soccer in the United States professionally for a century or more. Even though the popularity is not the same as it is in Europe, most people are surprised to find out that the United States Soccer Federation was actually one of the earliest members of FIFA. Throughout its history, the United States has had some really good moments as far as soccer is concerned which include the Olympic Games, both in 1984 and 1996. They also hosted the FIFA World Cup in 1993.
From the international league, a national soccer league was born in the late 1990s. Over the past 10 years or so that it is played, it has had its ups and downs but it is gaining in popularity. This has a lot to do with the internationalizing of the rules. Even though we don't see the level of fans that we see in other sports, it's not out of the question that someday people will be as excited about Major league soccer as they are about the World Cup.
Interested in professional sports in the United States? Read more from Harrison Power. He's a contributor to the website Over Time: Sports and makes occasional guest appearances on Brian Hill's Sports Blog and Golf on a Budget
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Harrison_Power
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