mario

...It surely has a nice ring to it and would be a dream come true for the plethora of England fans who have never yet witnessed the creator of the beautiful game bring home the goods.

Although England have a pretty favourable group, with Paraguay, Trinidad & Tobago, and the dreaded Sweden; they will come through the group stages to the finals and then, with a bit of luck, stomp all over the opposition with verve and tenacity; if Wayne Rooney keeps his head that is.

As well as being a serious contender for the coveted Golden boot Award, if england do indeed progress, Wayne Rooney is the key to Englands success in World Cup 2006 and the rest of the team and world know it. The guy is a physiological freak in terms of the sheer power and depth of attack in his possession an...more

Soccer - Hisory of a Popular Sport

... 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...more

History of Soccer - An Essay

...um, Denmark, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland assembled FIFA in order to distinguish it unequivocally from "Union Football", or rugby. The split between the two sports occurred in the central English town of Rugby in 1823, when a player of the home team scored a goal by picking up the ball and running with it. The classic version of the game, association football, adhered to the original round ball, while the derivatives, rugby and american football, chose to introduce an oval ball. (http://www.fifa.com/fifa/)

The World Cup is a tournament involving 36 teams. Each team fights for respect, glory, fame, distinction and bragging rights. The atmosphere surrounding this tournament is tremendous. The tournament is held every four years, with the Olympics in between. The first World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930. Thirteen teams competed for the first World Cup victory. In 1958 the sixth World Cup was held, during which the first television transmission of the game was held. The traditional black and white ball was introduced to show up better on the first black and white televisions. In 1994 the United States welcomed the world by staging the World Cup for the first time. Breaking numerous records, World Cup usa, 1994 is heralded as the best World Cup ever. The most successful World Cup team is Brazil. Brazil has won the tournament more times than any other team. Their success has been accredited to Pel, who led the team to three championships in twelve years.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, or better known as Pel, is considered the greatest soccer player of his time. He was born in Trs Coraes, Brazil on October 23, 1940. Pel was famed for his powerful kicking and brilliant field strategy. He was an amazing soccer player to watch. Anyone who has ever played the game can't help but hold a tremendous amount of respect for his abilities. He scored 1200 goals in 1253 games making him the only player to score 1000 goals during a career. He began playing as an inside left forward for the Santos Football Club in 1956 and six years later the team won it's first world club championship. He also led Brazil to three World Cup championships in 1958, 1962, and 1970. In 1975 the New York Cosmos signed Pel for 2.8 million dollars, thus making him the highest paid soccer player ever. He retired after leading the Cosmos to the NASL Championship. Pel was inducted into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 1993.

America's role in the development of soccer was minute until the middle part of the 20th century. Our nation was one that long resisted soccer's spread. By 1820, many american colleges played soccer, but there was no intercollegiate competition. The rules were casual and often changed. On November 6, 1869 Princeton University and Rutgers University engaged in the first intercollegiate soccer match in New Brunswick, NJ. The Rutgers team won the match 6-4. Soon immigrants from england, Scotland, Ireland and Wales arrived in the US in the metropolitan areas of the East, Midwest and Pacific Coast. Before long, communities with textile mills, shipyards, quarries or mines had a soccer team among its immigrant population. The US Football Association (USFA), now US Soccer Federation, was granted full membership in FIFA in 1914, and in the USA's first international match on August 20 they defeated Sweden 3-0. Despite this first victory the US usually lost to foreign teams. However, on June 29 during the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, a star player named Gaetjen scored the winning goal and the US defeated England 1-0. It was perhaps, the biggest upset ever in international soccer. In 1989 Paul Caligiuri scored the biggest goal in US soccer history since Gaetjens goal against England. On November 19 Caligiuri's 35-yard dipping shot found the net in a 1-0 victory over Trinidad & Tobago...more

Getting Hearts and Hands Ready for the Holidays

...riends.

Remember: children love exaggeration; anything diminutive (or enormous!) appeals to their sense of wonder.

Homemade "snow globes" make our list every single year

Simply use a baby food or other small jar and fill it with water and a small bit of glycerin (found at your local drug store) and white glitter; add a few plastic toys--Legos, Barbie doll shoes, jacks and balls, plastic bugs--and then squeeze a think line of silicone sealant around the lid before screwing it on to prevent leakage.

Homemade glycerin soaps filled with tiny plastic toys areadorable

They'll delight your children as well, for they'll have created happy memories making them with you for all of their friends.

Consider making homemade wrapping paper or handmade gift tags.

I buy inexpensive tags at office supply stores by the hundreds.They cost about a penny apiece. I also use twine instead ofexpensive ribbon. One bolt lasts several years and costs a couple of dollars.

And mail those out-of-state gifts early to avoid long lines atthe post office as well as the extra expense of priority mail.

Model a generous life...at Christmas and throughout the year.Give faithfully and give cheerfully. You will be blessedbeyond measure.

// posted by 36717 @ 1:55 AM