The US soccer history is filled with overly ambitious owners and poor investments. There have also been aging players. In the 1960s, the NASL was formed and spent like a major league, but attendances didn't reflect that. Indoor soccer was established in the 1970s and 1980s. It saw strong fan support, but also faced financial difficulties. The MISL folded in 1992 but its legacy lives on in the current American soccer pyramid.
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer in the USA has a history that is somewhat obscure despite the American League of Professional Football's successes. It was formed in 1996 with 10 teams. In 1996 it was divided into two conferences, the Eastern or Western. It took several years before the sport gained widespread popularity. But now it is one of the most popular sports in the country, with over 300 teams competing in the league.
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Soccer was first played on American soil in the late 1800s. Because of the Great Depression, soccer exploded in popularity. In the 1920s, the American Soccer League was founded. Its foundation teams were drawn from cities. As soccer became more mainstream, more World Cups were hosted in the USA. Today, the US has more fans than any country on earth. A brief history of US soccer is described below.
U.S. Men’s National Team
Numerous appearances by the U.S. Men's National Team have been made at major international tournaments. Most notably, in the summer of 1994, the men won the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, and they went on to win the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2002. They defeated Canada in overtime at Pasadena's Rose Bowl that August. This was the first time the United States defeated Canada in a game, and it set a record in U.S. soccer history.
Women's National Team
The women's national soccer team was established in 1987 and began to play competitive international soccer. The team played a series of games in Italy, but the results were mixed. They lost three games to Denmark, while drawing one. The team's greatest win came in a game against the Soviet Union, which the US won 8-0. The team's fortunes weren't to last.
U.S. Players make World Cup appearances
This year's qualifiers will see the fourth World Cup appearance of the U.S. Men’s National Team. The U.S. Men's National Team ended the qualifying cycle in fourth place with four wins and one draw. The U.S. men’s National Team won the Nike U.S. Cup Gold Cup and the U.S. Men's National Team clinched the World Cup in the first time ever in history.