1. The oldest soccer-like sport was played over 2,000 years ago in ancient Chinese, Greek, and Roman cultures.
2. A rock sometimes served as the ball, and in some instances, a “ball” was made from an animal hide stuffed with hair.
3. Soccer evolved from 19th century England and was brought to the United States by immigrants.
4. England’s first football association was created in 1863, establishing rules that continued to evolve, including the rule that the ball could not be carried by hand, which resulted in the official separation between soccer and rugby.
5. Increasing industrialization made soccer more popular in England, and workplace-based teams began to emerge in the 1900s; talented players were paid, and soccer became a revenue-generating spectator sport.
6. The first professional soccer league was the English Football League; semi-professional leagues were introduced in Germany in 1949, and the first professional German division began in 1963/64.
7. While American counterparts switched to the term “soccer” in the late 1910s and early 1920s to avoid confusion with American football, the first U.S. professional soccer leagues formed in 1967: the United Soccer Association and the National Professional Soccer League.
8. These leagues merged to create the North American Soccer League in 1968; soccer’s popularity continued to increase in the United States, and in 1994, the U.S. hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
9. Major League Soccer in the U.S. was established in 1996.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of 7th grade reading comprehension worksheet.
