Summary: It is generally considered that the Brazil soccer team is the strongest national team in the world

The common quip about soccer is: “the English invented it, the Brazilians perfected it.” And the quip is not far from the truth, it is generally considered that the Brazil soccer team is the strongest national team in the world and it is the only team to play in every world cup event. With five FIFA world cup victories including the most recent in 2002, the Brazil soccer team enjoys being the most successful national football team.

In spite of team’s dominance in the later years, the Brazil soccer team did have serious performance issues in its early years. Brazil was far from being one of the wealthiest South American countries. Internal strife and lack of proper funding resulted in the team’s sub par performance. In both 1930 and 1934 tournaments, the Brazil soccer team was knocked at the very first stages, until Leonidas da Silva managed to turn the club around in 1938. But still, Brazil soccer team was far from repute, especially on that embarrassing moment when Brazil hosted the 1950 FIFA World Cup. Despite stacks of favorable odds in their favor, they still got a beating from Uruguay in a match later known as “Maracanzo.”

When Pelé joined with the 1958 Brazil soccer team for the FIFA World Cup in Sweden, Brazil also made their first mark in history. Pelé, together with other extraordinary players like Didi, Garrincha and Zito stormed the tournament, toppling over giants like Italy and Wales to beat Sweden in a 5-2 game final. Even though being grouped with the toughest teams from the start including England, USSR and Austria, they managed to keep pressure relentlessly. The match with USSR was known for the “greatest three minutes in the history of soccer” where Pelé gave Brazil the lead.

Brazil’s next soccer years was troubled once again when political influences affected the Brazil soccer team. They had the worst performance in all World Cups though Pelé did play for the most part of the tournament.

The 1970 Brazil Soccer Team was considered the best national squad ever. It was this time when Brazil also won its third FIFA World Cup title. With Pelé, Carlos Alberto, Jairzinho, Tostão, Gérson and Rivelino, Brazil won the Jules Rimet Trophy and kept it for good. This was also Pelé’s last World Cup appearance.

The success of the Brazil soccer team was repeated 24 years later in World Cup USA where they won on a penalty shootout. Then it was repeated in South Korea-Japan 2002 World Cup with the “Three R’s” (Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho) hoisting the Brazilian banner.

It is often a case of wonderment that the streets of Brazil would once in a while churn out an individual that would never fail to become one of the greatest soccer players. Pelé, Rivaldo and currently the best soccer player Ronaldo, all of them had their share of these streets. As to why these streets remain so magical would always be a mystery.

The MLS or the Major League Soccer is America’s elite professional soccer league.

Major League Soccer is also endorsed by the professional division of USSF (United States Soccer Federation). United States Soccer Federation is one of the members of the Federation Internationale de Football Association or more popularly known as “FIFA”.

Major League Soccer was formed on the 17th of December 1993 to carry out their promise to FIFA that the Major League Soccer would establish a first division professional league. In return, “FIFA World Cup 1994” would be staged in the United States. Major League Soccer began playing two years later with ten teams and a very large crowd at the Spartan Stadium.

The first Major League Soccer “goal” was made by Eric Wynalda of the San Jose Earthquakes against the D.C. United. The San Jose Earthquakes became the first team to win a game in the Major League Soccer.

The number of teams participating in the Major League Soccer somehow declined slightly after its first year; however it stabilized in the succeeding years. The original ten teams were then divided into two subsequent conferences. These are the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. The Eastern Conference teams are the Columbus Crew, D.C. United, Chicago Fire, Red Bull New York and New England Revolution. The Western Conference is composed of teams F.C. Dallas, C.D. Chivas U.S.A., Houston Dynamo, Colorado Rapids, Los Angeles Galaxy and Real Salt Lake. By the year 2007, Toronto F.C. will enter the league, making them the first non-US team in the Major League Soccer.

In the 2006 season of the Major League Soccer, two teams have changed their names. The NY/NJ MetroStars have changed their name into Red Bull New York and the San Jose Earthquakes also changed their name into Houston Dynamo.

How Major League Soccer Works

The league has made some rule changes. In its early years the league has experimented lots of rule changes. The current ruling of the MLS is that instead of a clock that would count up like in international soccer, it would count down and the countdown timer would stop on dead ball situation at the discretion of the referee. In an event of a draw, a best of five-penalty shootout will follow. In case of a tie in the best of five-penalty shootout, an extra frame is done to break the tie. The winning team will have one point opposite to the three points for the regulation victory, while the losing team will have zero point.

Although most people don’t know it, soccer has a very long history in the United States. That is why it is considered one of America’s favorite sports.

technorati tags:soccer, majorleague, majorleaguesoccer, league, western, conference, eastern, FIFA, USSF, MLS

Portugal soccer federation seeks legal action to avoid FIFA ban - International Herald Tribune

The FIFA has threatened to ban Portuguese soccer teams from all international competition if they do not settle the disupte of the status of two teams, which is disrupting the domestic league’s schedule, by Sept 14. At the moment the outcome is still hung up in the courts.  To read the full article, click the link below…

Eurosport

Portugal soccer federation seeks legal action to avoid FIFA ban International Herald Tribune, France - 1 hour ago LISBON, Portugal The Portuguese soccer federation asked a Lisbon court Wednesday to grant it exceptional powers in order to avoid a threatened FIFA ban. … FIFA threatens Portuguese soccer TSN.ca FIFA gives Portugal 10 days to sort out Gil row Reuters.uk FIFA gives Portugal 10 days to sort out Gil row ESPN Supersport all 50 news articles

technorati tags:soccer, FIFA, Portugal, Portuguese+teams, Portuguese+soccer+teams

To start off, perhaps I should review how to play soccer for those of us who have been away from the game for awhile and for those who are new to the game and are still wondering what it is all about.

Summary: Playing soccer is easy; being good at soccer takes a bit more effort. To be competent on the sport, the only way is to practice and play.

So you want to play soccer? Is it for recreation or are you playing a game of organized soccer. Because if you play soccer for recreation, all you need is some empty space to kick a ball around and a soccer ball. But if you’re playing on the more organized level then you need to have the essential equipment that the game requires. To outline these essential things you need, first essential would be of course the soccer ball. Without it, it’s not much of soccer, right? Next is a soccer cleats to protect your feet. It also allows you to kick the ball correctly. Then a soccer field would be the last.

22 players and 11 members per team play soccer. Positions can be variable depending on the soccer formation and strategy employed, but usually a team roster includes a goalkeeper and a couple of defenders, midfielders and attackers.

Dribbling the Ball
To dribble the ball, you should wear a proper soccer cleats. Without it you risk injury. Start this demonstration by putting down the ball near you feet. Now begin your forward advance taking the ball with you. How to do that? Push the ball forward with your foot as you make a step forward. Begin the dribble with a weak kick and maintain the ball rolling by kicking the ball alternately.

By the way, for those intermediate dribblers, here’s a video link showing a standard fake dribble. It is used to mislead your opponents to a certain direction while you actually go for another, just like a crossover. Actually, in soccer parlance, this is a crossover, by faking to move the ball to another direction then do the actual move after the fake.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPMfPPPvfP4&search=dribble%20soccer

Passing the Ball
Passing the ball is very easy, though the hardest part of passing accuracy. This is the starter player’s handicap. To do a standard rolling pass, you should kick the ball with the inside of your foot (instep and toe part). Your kick should hit the lateral part of the ball for it to travel in a roll. Kicking with the inside part of the foot also allows accuracy, wherein the arch is used to provide the ball direction. Ok, try it. Kick the ball with modest force with the arch providing direction.

Still stuck? Watch how it is done with this link.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGKcRxqLpVg&search=soccer%20pass%20learn

Intermediate Passing and Shooting
The link also featured how to do a high pass. Notice how his foot made contact with the ball. For the ball to fly, the bottom of the ball should be hit while kicking. And to provide direction, the inside part (the toe part) of your foot should be the main contact of the bottom (of the ball)

Shooting the ball is the same as passing by a high ball. Even a rolling pass is considered shooting if it is used to score a goal. So now you see the importance of passing.

Playing soccer is easy; being good at soccer takes a bit more effort. To be competent on the sport, the only way is to practice and play. To be better, yet more practice and playing. But to be the best, again practice and play.

Welcome to the soccer section of Favorite Sports Games.

When I was in college I played intramural soccer and was a manager for the varsity soccer team. Following college I lost interest in soccer and did not continue to follow the sport, that is, until this year when I was in Italy while the World Cup soccer matches were being played. The excitement there was catching and once again I was drawn back to the sport.