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Soccer: From the Native Americans to the American Soccer League

Decent Essays

One of the most popular sports of all time is soccer. There are more kids in the United States playing soccer than any other sport. The history of US soccer goes back to the early sixteen-hundreds. In this essay you will learn about how pilgrims saw Native Americans playing soccer, the rise and fall of the American Soccer League, and how influential players have helped mold the sport. The history of soccer has paved the way for US soccer players like Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey who will be competing next month in the most recognized soccer tournament “The World Cup”. The Pilgrims and the Native Americans not only gave us a great holiday, Thanksgiving, but they also gave us a great sport, soccer. Pilgrims saw the Native Americans playing a form of soccer in Massachusetts in the early 1600s. The Pilgrim’s form of soccer was partly based on the American Indian’s version of soccer. The Pilgrim’s form of soccer was played with many different variations of soccer balls. For example, the ball varied from rubber to leather and even human heads. The Pilgrims brought more formal soccer to the US and helped set up the game. With the help of the Pilgrims and Native Americans modern day soccer began to pick up in popularity. Soccer became popular in the US in the 1800s. Schools, colleges, and universities played soccer which allowed the game to grow in popularity. Eton College founded a set of rules known as the Cambridge Rules. These rules were adopted as a popular

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