History Of Soccer In The US

Although soccer is not THE sport in the US, the historygame was beginning to become outshined by baseball
of soccer in US is one of the longest around, right nextor basketball.
to that of the English or the Scottish.With American football also on the rise, the
After the English set out to form a set of rules for theorganization adopted a new name to avoid any
game of soccer, these were soon taken to the newconfusion and called itself the US Soccer Football
World, where Americans learned to love this risingAssociation. However, the US soccer history would
sport, right next to another game that grew strongsoon witness a new change in its governing body's
roots in the US back then: baseball. Actually, thename in 1974, when the USSFA dropped "Football"
American Football Association is the second oldestfrom its tag and instead adopted the title of United
sports league in America, after the Major LeagueStates Soccer Federation, which is still used today.
Baseball one.So many will wonder, if the history of soccer in US
Obviously, the history of soccer in US didn't start withstarts out so early, how come soccer is not the main
a professional league though (in terms of what we callsport in USA? Well the truth is that the rather modest
professional today). The American Footballperformances from the men's national side early on in
Association, started out in 1884, was athe 20th century, combined with the high rise of
semi-professional competition involving New Englandbaseball, basketball, football and hockey, meant that
and some Midwest areas and it was a rather chaoticthe nation soon lost interest in soccer and since
environment to play soccer in, but nevertheless it wasAmerican kids had so many alternatives, soccer slowly
there and progressing with each year.went out of fashion.
A parallel soccer organization, the American AmateurHowever, with the increasingly good performances
Football Association was founded around the samefrom the US men's soccer team and the huge
time and the two coexisted until 1913, when theysuccess of the women's soccer team (who managed
merged into the US Football Association, the first fullyto bring in the first trophies in the history of soccer in
professional soccer organization throughout the historyUS and is still one of the world powers in the game
of soccer in the US.today), soccer is climbing back to its rightful place and
The US football association (or USFA) was one of thewith more and more American kids favoring it in school
first to join FIFA and as such, the United States teamas a start-up sport, things look bright for the future of
participated in the early World Cups, although theUS soccer.