Watch Beckham, Ronaldinho, Ballack, and others for unique hairstyles this summer at the World Cup. 

By Uqur Akinci 

Hair style is such an important part of life for a lot of people around the world that even World Soccer Cup stars are rated these days according to the way their cut, curl, color and part their hair.

Beckham’s hair styling for example is apparently very popular with the soccer fans in India. There is much talk about Beckham’s hairdo in the Indian press. Chalk up one for the contribution of both the soccer and cosmetics to the globalization process.

In Germany, soccer fans are reportedly taken in by the way Michael Ballack coifs his top.

The Brazilian sensation Ronaldinho is another soccer super-star who rules the hearts and minds of his millions of fans with his long mane.

Hair also becomes an explosive expression of fan loyalties when it is dyed in the most impossible colors one one’s team colors. Wherever Brazil plays, for example, the stadium seats undulate like a sea of yellow-green tresses.

Another way hair is marched into the service of soccer is the infinite variety of ways in which British soccer fans have long been shaving their heads, to leave behind only those skillfully sculpted wisps of hair that spell the name of the best team every to set a foot on the greens.

Keep an eye on the upcoming World Soccer Cup 2006. The next new male hair style might emerge not from the coiffeur salons but the lush green of the World Soccer Cup fields.

Posted by leaddog50 as Soccer at 5:36 AM CDT

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By Steve September 

Brazilian dominance in soccer takes a new complexion. There used to be a time when the Brazilian men’s national soccer team were of average size and build. They were small (shorter), fast and skillful. Diminutive in stature but this did not apply to their technical and tactical abilities.
The Brazilian men’s national soccer team might appear to line up in some formal positional formation and set up. Once the game starts it is an all positions for everybody on the team. They seem to play a 1 (goalkeeper) -10 (field) as all the players are in constant motion and are able to play off of each other at any time. The team members do however have certain defensive responsibilities and are accountable for their respective areas.

They truely understand “the game” and are ready to be spontaneous as well as volatile.

The Brazilian team seems to make the opponents play catch up and defensively throughout most of the contest.

A goal scoring opportunity can come from any where and any one on the field and at any time.

The only thing that you can predict is that the goalkeeper will not leave the 18 yard box to act as a forward and score some goals.

Ronaldinho has just acquired his second FIFA international player of the year award in a row. Does he deserve it? Most definitely.
He is a pleasure to observe as he sets up most of his team mates to lead his current team FC Barcelona to the top of the Spanish “La Liga”.
Now add the goalkeeper Dida who has been a major part of his team’s successes, in the back and Adriano up front who has seemed to be totally unstoppable goal scoring machine on the forward line for the Italian “Serie A”, Roberto Carlos on the left where he still has a command on the free kicks, and Ronaldo the task master who often and still shows flashes of brilliance in the mix and you have a fortress of power and abilities few can match.
I think the ball got rolling with the the introduction of Junior Biano as a defenseman in 1998. With the exception of France his presence was a dominant deterant for other teams.
The latest big man to join him is Lucio

Brazil found mass to be a compliment to all their other strengths. It would appear that they have continued to build from there. The average weight of their national team has increased without diminishing their agility and manouverability. Although not a necessity, muscle mass has been a factor in other team sports. This might be true in modern Futbol as speed has become an over-riding factor to the game in the last 15 years. Most of the elite players are also playing in the Italian and Spanish premier leagues and on similar if not the same teams. They are learning from each other by being rivals and combats as well as compatriots.

Here are the possible candidates for the next world cup roster for Brazil.

Goalkeepers:

DIDA,
JÚLIO CÉSAR

Defenders:

CAFU,
CICINHO,
EDMÍLSON,
GILBERTO Melo,
JUAN,
LÚCIO,
ROBERTO CARLOS da Silva,
José Vítor ROQUE JÚNIOR

Midfielders:

EMERSON Ferreira,
GILBERTO Silva,
JUNINHO Pernambucano,
KAKA’,
RENATO,
ZÉ ROBERTO,

Forwards:

ADRIANO,
Júlio BAPTISTA,
Ricardo OLIVEIRA,
ROBINHO,
RONALDO,
RONALDINHO Gaúcho,
Very impressive roster as was the one in 1998.

A team can only be as good as it is a team and is coached as a team.
A team can only be good if all the members play for the team and with the team.

It does NOT matter how many stars you have and how big the egos or the payroll is either.

Win as a team and lose as a team. Play as individuals and the team will lose. I say this not because outstanding players could change the outcome of games, but because other teams and players are more sophisticated and more knowledgable now than ever before. The opposition can read this and contain the key players rendering the rest of the team less potent.

Posted by leaddog50 as Soccer at 9:19 PM CDT

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Here is a discussion of several of the World Cup’s best players ever. 

By Joe Kenny 

Every four years a World Cup will come along and occupy a football fan’s thoughts and time for weeks. Game after game, the best footballers in the world will parade their skills in front of thousands at the stadium and millions watching on the TV back in their homes.

Players

Players generally make the World Cup what it is. If there were not great players we would certainly not be watching this tournament in the vast numbers that we do. In previous World Cup finals we have seen the emergence of some great talents, talents that we would not normally be able to see.

History

Which players did the world discover after displaying their skills in previous World Cups? There would be far too greats many to be able to list in detail and there has always has always been heated discussions about who is the greatest player of all time, with two players always at the forefront of the debate.

Lets look at these players’ credentials.

Diego Armando Maradona [Argentina]

[World Cup Honours : 1982, 1986 (winner), 1990 (2nd), 1994]

Maradona is a flawed genius, no-one has ever had his sublime talents and been able to hit the self destruct button with such great effect. Never before has a player been credited with winning the World Cup trophy single handed as he did in Mexico 1986. Even in the infamous 1986 quarter final and scoring what is widely regarded the best goal that has ever been scored in the Finals. After picking the ball up in his own half he managed to dribble hi way through a quality England side before slotting the ball past Peter Shilton, the England keeper on the day.

The Argentinean team that he played with in this tournament were all excellent players but possibly not quite good enough to lift the trophy. However, with Maradona at the height of his powers there could only be one team that could possibly win.

Maradona also helped his nation to the final of the World Cup in 1990 in Italy and only lost to a German penalty scored by Andy Brehme.

However, after failing a drug test in 1991 his career was on a downhill path and then came his final appearance on the greatest stage in the game of football.

In 1994, the World Cup in USA when he scored in Argentina’s first game against Greece anyone that watched his celebration knew that it was not only adreneline that powered the little magician. Eyes glaring into the camera, the hearts of all Argentineans knew that drugs were fuelling their talismanic captain. A drug test followed and the inevitable positive result ended Maradona’s tournament and effectively his career.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento - Pele

[World Cup honours : 1958 (winner), 1962 (winner), 1966, 1970 (winner)]

The only similarity between Pele and Maradona is that they hail from the same continent. Pele was the original World superstar, enjoying a career that can be regarded as a being a model professional.

Pele’s credentials are there for all to see, he set up goals, he was an instrumental leader on and off the field and he also scored goals. In fact the amount of goals that he scored is a substantial feat in itself.

His record is phenomenal, scoring five goals in a game six times, four goals 30 times and three goals 90 times. These are numbers the modern player can never dream of matching. In his illustrious playing career he scored a stunning total of 1283 goals. In his international career he scored an amazing 77 goals in 92 appearances. However, there was much more to Pele than ‘just’ goals.

He will also be remembered as being the only player in history for winning the world Cup on three occasions, a feat that is unlikely to ever be repeated. Only an injury in 1966 in England stopped him from possibly winning the World Cup on four consecutive occasions, allowing a fine England side to become World Champions for the first time.

He was captain of the greatest team of all time, the 1970 Brazil side that won the tournament so convincingly in Mexico. Anyone who has watched the final game of that tournament, which Brazil defeated Italy by four goals to one, will be amazed at the skill and vision of the original total footballing side.

Given that Pele hung his playing boots up over 20 years ago and is still revered by football fans that never saw him in his prime is testament to the great man’s passion and skill for the greatest game of all.

Other Great Players

Many others have graced the greatest tournament that is the World Cup, but both of the players named above are by far heralded as the greatest two. But who would make the top ten complete?

Gordon Banks, Eusebio, Puskas, Zinedine Zidane, Michel Platini, Franz Beckenbauer, Garrincha and the Johann Cruyff to name but a few. In fact many modern day critics may have Cruyff as the greatest modern player, a player who helped to mould the game into the style of play that you see today.

Then there are players that did not manage to show their talents in the World Cup, the most notable being the late, great George Best from Northern Ireland. The other most notable absentee is Alfredo Di Stefano. There are actually many Latin Americans that would hail the ‘Blonde Arrow’ Di Stefano as the greatest player that the world has ever seen.

Among those still playing, Czech Republic playmaker Pavel Nedved, of Juventus, Manchester United’s Dutch predator Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ukrainian goal-machine Andrey Shevchenko, of AC Milan, would top the list. But all three will appear at Germany 2006, barring late injuries, and will probably write some new headlines too.

We look forward to this year’s event with great enthusiasm and hopefully it will be remembered as being one of the greatest tournaments of all time. Let us all hope!

Posted by leaddog50 as Soccer at 6:42 PM CDT

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One of the favorites at the World Cup soccer tournament is Brazil, profiled in this article. 

By David Walker 

Outright Odds: 3/1
Group F Winners: 1/4

What else is there to be said about Brazil? They are the only team to have participated in every World Cup finals and are five times winners in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. They have also finished as runners up twice in 1950 and 1998.

Manager Carlos Alberto Parreira, who won it in 1994 has possibly a better squad of players at his disposal than he did 12 years ago and instead of Bebeto, Romario and Rai he now has Adriano, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. It is unlikely the man who has lead four different nations to the finals (Kuwait 1982, UAE 1990, Brazil 1994 and Saudi Arabia 1998) will be complaining.

Brazil start as clear favourites for the tournament and have attacking resources to frighten any opposing managers. As well as the trio already described, throw Kaka, Robinho, Roberto Carlos and Juninho into the mix and goals can come from literally anywhere on the pitch.

Qualification wasn’t the breeze it should have been, with two defeats and seven draws in 18 matches. It is important to consider though Parreira was forced to shuffle the pack as injuries and European teams demanding their players were kept fit.

In terms of individual talent, Brazil are streets ahead of anyone else participating in the finals, but that is not how a football team should be judged. What we do know, however, is that a fully-fit first-choice team will turn it on when it matters most of all. Brazil, even without Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Cafu, hammered Argentina 4-1 in the final of last year’s Confederations Cup held in Germany in what could be seen as the “warm up” to this year’s finals.

The other 31 countries participating in the tournament need some hope that Brazil can be beaten and they do have some weaknesses. Goalkeeper Dida is prone to some dodgy moments, although he is nowhere the liability he was regarded as four years during his calamitous appearances in AC Milan’s Champions League campaign. Roque Junior, who had a forgettable loan spell at Leeds United, could also be seen as a weak link at the back.

These minor imperfections could be seen as clutching at straws as overall, as a team and even as a squad, Brazil ooze world class quality with the important players vastly experienced in terms of World Cup finals appearances and success.

While Brazil are the firm bookmaker’s favourites, top goal scorer punters may like to try Adriano to win the Golden Boot. Strike partner Ronaldo, who won the coveted title four years ago is only offered at single figures.

Recommended Bet

The 3/1 on offer of a Brazil victory looks decidedly good value before kick-off while Adriano could shine in his first major finals appearance.

Brazil to win the World Cup @ 3/1
E/W Adriano as top goalscorer @ 12/1

Posted by leaddog50 as Soccer at 9:56 AM CDT

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The Spanish goalkeeper, Jose Manuel Reina is profiled in this article. 

 

By Keith MacLean

 Born August 31, 1982 in Madrid, Jose Manuel Reina, was signed by Liverpool from Villarreal in July 2005. Commonly known as Pepe Reina or the Ironman Reina, he is a penalty saving specialist, and though he was born in Madrid, he started his career with Barcelona. Seen as one of the most promising young goalkeepers in European football, Reina made a total 29 appearances for Barcelona from 2000 – 2002 before moving to Villarreal.

He made his debut for the Catalan side at the age of 18 and joined Villarreal on loan in 2002. The switch was made permanent later and Reina played a key role in helping Villarreal secure a Champions League position at the end of the 2004/2005 season. He brilliantly saved seven of nine kicks faced by Villarreal during the season.

He was signed by Liverpool from Villarreal in 2005, with manager Rafael Benitez hailing him as the “best goalkeeper in Spain”. He made his debut for Spain during a friendly match against Uruguay in August 2005 where Spain won 2-0.

Reina, son of famed Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Miguel Reina Santos, he now holds the club record for successive clean sheets in the Premiership era surpassing David James’ five from the 1996/97 season. However, on 28th December 2005, this incredible run of clean sheets ended when Everton’s James Beattie headed past Reina into the Liverpool net in Liverpool’s 3-1 win over their Merseyside rivals.

On 5th February 2006, Reina, having made a clumsy challenge on Eidur Gudjohnsen moments earlier, was controversially sent-off in Liverpool’s 2-0 defeat to Chelsea and banned for three matches for pushing Arjen Robben, who fell down.

“Coming to Liverpool has been great for me, but playing in the World Cup would be fantastic. I feel that I am in good form, having undergone stringent physical and mental training,” he was quoted as saying.

Some fans have said that Reina is a natural born goalkeeper and that it was no coincidence that when he was just eight years old, he was left dumbstruck when legendary Spain goalkeeper Andoni Zubizaretta handed him his gloves after a game.

Standing at a statuesque 1.87m, José ‘Pepe’ Reina cuts a formidable figure between the posts, the kind of goalkeeper that makes difficult saves appear simple.

“The excitement of the World Cup is overwhelming and me and my team mates are looking forward to a great outing. We do not want to say anything about our chances for now, but are confident or a good performance,” Reina had told the Spanish media.

Posted by leaddog50 as Soccer at 11:29 AM CDT

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This article talks about the history and background of soccer. 

By Jack Summers 

Since time immemorial mankind has played various ball games. Evidence of which can be seen in many ancient societies, ancient Greek society being an example. The beginnings of the modern game however began in Britain in the times leading up to the industrial revolution. Whole villages would band together against other villages in games, which would span several fields. These games were often violent and there wasn’t any particular restrictions on which body parts you could use.

Variances of such games continued for some time until the 19th century. More and more people were leaving their villages for the industry of towns. People were feeling pride and allegiances to their fast growing towns and soon people wanted to represent their own towns in competition with the other new fast growing towns around them. Soon games where-by you could only use your feet were being played in stadiums between the burgeoning settlements. At this stage in history there were no crossbars on the goals, only a piece of flimsy tape adjoining two poles. Other differences included, as you might suspect, no use of goalie gloves but also importantly no offside rule, the absence of such a ruling meaning strong attack bias with games frequently ending 10 a piece or greater.

More and more towns created their own football teams and by the beginning of the 20th century the structure of how football is contested today with leagues and cups were in place. Also around this time the game was beginning to be exported around the globe with teams beginning in countries like Germany and Italy around this time. International bouts were beginning, at this point England remaining supreme defeating the likes of the rest of the world on its own. With this international popularity it wasn’t long before the game was being contested on the world stage in the likes of the World Cup or European Championships.

Tactically the game was changing too, with the advent of the offside rule out went 5 strikers and in came more defensive approaches, teams such as Italy trailblazing such approaches to the game. England was losing its supremacy and by the 50’s Spanish and Italian club teams as well as South American international teams in particular had risen to an equal footing.

The game since has steadily grown in popularity around the globe, this popularity attracting wealth making former small town sports clubs into multinational plcs. With this greater professionalism has been introduced into the game with better use of nutrition and exercise as well as strict controls on player’s lifestyles. The use of emerging technologies and assistance from the likes of sports psychologists are all being used taking the game to new highs. The future of the sport definitely looks rosy.

Posted by leaddog50 as Soccer at 8:34 PM CDT

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The USA is in a tough bracket this summer at the World Cup.  Teams in the bracket are profiled in this article. 

By Ally White 

Italy is a team that regardless of winning the World Cup in 1934, 1938 and in 1982 has not performed up to the expectations in the past. If I was to sum up their show off in Japan Korea World Cup the word boring is the first that comes to my mind. The strategy was to get people to focus on how hard it is to face a host nation.

Marcelo Lippi is now Italy’s new coach, and he has taken a hard-line approach with the players not paying any attention to the inflated egos of some of the Italian stars that he handles. In the seasons of 2004 and 2005, Lippi sought to refresh the team by bringing in nine stars to the team and they turned out to be just what Italy needed during the qualification campaign.Amongst Lippi’s choices are 5 from Juventus, 5 players from AC Milan and 4 from Palermo.

Czech Republic confirmed their presence at the international scene at the 2004 European Championship. They made some of the best performances in terms of good football and during the tournament, and losing only in the final stage playing a great semi-final game against Greece. Karel Bruckner is the coach and he secured a place for them in Germany 2006 World Cup with a team strong in the attack with a lot of style and with their heart Pavel Nedved.

They also have Petr Cech, who might be the Premiership’s best goalkeeper. Tomas Rosicky domains the midfield and he is surely going to make an impact on this tournament and Milan Baros who seems to come back to live whenever he is playing for his country.

Some might think though that this group is a two team competition, however USA and Ghana are in all the way. It is hard to be fair when you see and analyze what Czech Republic and Italy can do, but the Americans can be dangerous to underestimate. The USA have some genuine top-class youngsters in their lineup and it really wouldn’t be wise to overlook the USA, but at the same time, if the Czechs and Italy perform as we know they can, then they shouldn’t fare better than third place in Group E.

Posted by leaddog50 as Soccer at 7:06 PM CDT

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Here is a good profile of the French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez. 

By Keith MacLean 

Famous for his bald head, the son of a famous rugby player, 34-year-old Fabien Barthez is technically an excellent soccer player who could possibly have also made a career in an outfield position. Considered the top goalkeeper in France, he lost his place to Lyon’s Gregory Coupet after being banned for eight months (April-October 2005) for spitting at a referee.

A brawl erupted on the pitch after Marseille defender Frederic Dehu was sent off and the match was abandoned with 10 minutes left. Barthez, who had been substituted, got off the bench and confronted the referee. Fortunately for him, after long reflection, coach Raymond Domenech opted for the 77 times capped Barthez, who is also a veteran of the 1988 World Cup winning side.

It was reported in the French media that Domenech and his goalkeeper coach Bruno Martini chose Barthez over the 33-year-old Coupet because of his bigger experience at major events and his standing in the national team.

There is no doubt that Barthez can either be brilliant or sometimes a liability. When France won the World Cup in 1998, he only conceded two goals in seven games, but he has also made blunders, some of which were at club level for Manchester United.

Subsequent to the World Cup 1998, Barthez became a huge celebrity, almost a French equal of David Beckham.

Barthez started his career in professional football at Toulouse FC, joining Olympique Marseille in 1992 and winning the 1993 European Cup. He joined AS Monaco in 1995, winning the French League Championship and again in 2000.

Well known for his cavalier charges out of goal, he went on to join United for £7.8 million in May 2000, a British record for a goalkeeper, and won two Premiership titles at Old Trafford before returning to Marseille in August 2002 on loan. He quickly became a first choice during an exciting UEFA Cup run, securing a permanent move to his old club when he became a free agent in the summer of 2004.

“I just concentrate on myself. Since 1992, I’ve been playing for teams who enter a league season to win the title. I’ve had to question myself for almost the past 15 years,” said Barthez.

“I don’t think of the World Cup. I know everything goes fast, I know everything can change within 48 hours. That is why I have been focusing not only on my physical, but also mental training,” the former Manchester United goalkeeper said.

Barthez is France’s unquestioned starter in goal and, along with Zinedine Zidane, one of the most consistent pieces of the French team.

Posted by leaddog50 as Soccer at 2:39 PM CDT

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England is always one of the most watched teams at World Cup competitions.  Here is a profile of their chances at the World Cup this summer. 

By Jack Summers 

It has been 40 years since England last lifted the World Cup in our one and only triumph. The team of that day contriving the Charlton brothers, Jeff Hurst, Alan Ball, Bobby Moore and the rest of the lads has been immortalized in history, with the achievement held close to the hearts of football fans across the country.

That victory against West Germany though has stood as a high point in a mostly underachieving half-century. Italia ’90 saw us progress right through to the semis only to be knocked out on penalties, penalties again saw us defeated on home soil in Euro ’96. The World Cups of 1998 and 2002 have seen us progress well but meeting unfortunate fates in the final stages.

This World Cup however has entailed fresh hope and optimism not seen for half a century. With many of our players matching and in some cases outperforming many of the foreign stars in our league, and their achievements being recognized by the likes of EUFA in their award ceremonies, the optimism this time round has a sense of basis in our having a genuine chance or success.

This optimism has been carrying right through this season unhinded until the tragic Wayne Rooney injury on the last day of the season. Waybe who would see his inclusion in any other national team in the world and seen to be the player who can make our World Cup dreams possible with his attacking power was tragically diagnosed with a broken Metatarsal. With 6 weeks put on his recovery time and just 6 weeks to the beginning of the World Cup, the optimism seen previously was replaced with disappointment.

In the few weeks since though the reports coming from Rooney and his medical staff seem to be good, and he well now might play a role in the latter stages of the competition. If though this isn’t to materialize then the magnificent attacking displays of Gerard this season could see him being given an advanced role in Rooney’s position, where-by in doing so the thinking is we will not lose any of the cutting edge we need to progress all the way.

Whether Rooney makes it to Germany or not we still have one of the best squads in the world and our chances are just as much as a number of other teams. Whether without him we will have the X factor needed to reign supreme over such teams as Brazil, Argentina, Germany or France, is yet to be seen.

Whatever happens on the injury front though I will certainly still be hanging my England flag out the window with a sense of optimism that this could be the year.

Posted by leaddog50 as Soccer at 8:59 AM CDT

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Read this article to gain some advice about traveling to Frankfurt to watch to World Cup this summer. 

By Michael Hanna 

As the kick off to the FIFA World Cup 2006 draws closer, the 12 host cities are putting the final touches to their preparations to hosting the largest sporting event in the world. Some of the cities are used to large scale events and influxes of tourists whilst others are new to such attention. But Germany has put a large scale of resource and six years of planning into hosting the event and the host cities are well prepared for the first whistle of the World Cup.

Germany is well placed to host a World Cup. With several large cities and strong regional infrastructure, Germany is well placed to show the anticipated 3-4 million visiting fans a good time. Frankfurt is typical of the attention to infrastructure and detail that has gone in to the planning and execution of the event. Germany’s financial centre is one city that has long had the infrastructure capable of holding large scale events, but there are none larger than the World Cup and even a city which is established on a world scale will be tested to the fullest as the festival of football marches into town.

Frankfurt retains a cosmopolitan and international feel. With the financial centre attracting visitors and residents from all around the world, Frankfurt is perhaps most naturally placed to cope with its’ share of visiting fans. The addition of the new Waldstadion, a 50,000 seat arena built specifically for the World Cup furthers the facilities on offer in Frankfurt this summer. Frankfurt is used to dealing with tourists and the business community and has the facilities and attractions expected of a major German city. A modern metropolis of skyscrapers and bank HQ’s, Frankfurt has over 400 hotels to cope with the influx of visitors and additional camp and caravan sites are available outside the city. Despite facilities, Frankfurt will be stretched for accommodation this June and visitors will need to check major hotel resellers and the official Frankfurt city website ( http://www.frankfurt.de ) for up to date information and availability.

Travelling to and from Frankfurt is simple and efficient. The city is well served by an international airport offering domestic flights to the other host cities as well as continental and transcontinental flights. Frankfurt is the most central of German cities and is an ideal base to follow your country’s fortunes. A central hub on the autobahn network, Frankfurt is ideal for traversing Germany by road as all of the major car hire firms in the city either at the airport or ain the city centre.

Posted by leaddog50 as Soccer at 8:22 AM CDT

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by Aurel Radelscu 

With it’s primary goal to be the world’s most competitive and prestigious soccer league, along with one of America’s premier sports and entertainment properties, Major League Soccer is a large part of worldwide soccer news and is making great strides toward accomplishing it’s objective. With 6 teams making up the Eastern Conference and an equal number featured in the Western Conference, Major League Soccer is going strong with 12 clubs in only it’s 11th season.

However, soccer news recalls that the league has made great achievements since it’s inception in 1993. It’s inaugural season began in 1995 and soccer news stirred around the new formation of teams, event locations and new players. In 1996, soccer news reported the League’s first player draft and spring training. As attendance continued to grow, ESPN began televising soccer news and popularity soared across the nation. During this year, more soccer news reports and members of the media began covering MLS events. Supporters turned out in large fashion to catch a glimpse of their favorite teams and players.

In 1998, Major League Soccer underwent it’s first expansion season, which meant big changes for the League. With the addition of two teams, which brought the club count from it’s original 10 to the 12, soccer news introduced the latest League members as Chicago and Miami. Both teams proved powerful during their first year as they advanced to the playoffs. The following year, in 1999, Columbus Crew Stadium officially opened as the first major league stadium in the United States that was constructed specifically for soccer. It’s 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 it’s 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.