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Soccer began in England in the early 1830's as a popularsport for working-class communities. It was seen as a wayof keeping the children out of trouble around the house andwhile they were in school. They could relieve frustrationand learn to work as a team, important concepts to helpthem grow and adjust to life as adults.

In 1857, the first clubs were formed in Sheffield. Within 10 years, the clubs had enough of a following to form their own association, the Football Association, around 1867.

After the first matches between associations such as theSheffield Football Association and the London FootballAssociation, the clubs decided that official rules wereneeded that could be followed between clubs.

The groups got together and began trying to establish rules that everyone would approve, but there were many issues that could not be resolved. Although they eventually came up with rules, part of the group branched off and created the Rugby Football Union.

Although in America, the sport is called soccer, throughoutmuch of the rest of the world it is known as football, andwhat Americans know as football is called Americanfootball.

Soccer first entered the United States through the upperclass; it was played by schoolboys and college men, butthere was not a formal soccer club until 1862 when theBoston Oneida soccer club was formed.

Generally, this is considered the first club to carry a regular roster, because until this time pick-up games were the norm. The club was an elite subsection of the population that would play against pick-up teams. Throughout the four-year history of the Oneida Soccer Club, they never lost a game.

Beginning in the 1920's, soccer really began to gain aplace in America. The American Soccer League was founded in1921, guaranteeing that the game was here to stay; it wasalmost as popular as the National Football League for atime.

Eventually, the game and the clubs began to be available to children and adults from the lower socio-economic classes with the formation of a new league, termed the ASL. Since this formation, soccer has become an increasingly popular sport throughout the United States.

Today many people around the world stop everything duringthe World Cup Finals to watch the game and cheer for theirteam. If you want to know more about soccer, search theInternet or visit with someone from your local league.

posted by eyidzgl  # 5:26 PM