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The first football (soccer) game was played in Britain in the 700s. They created it based on a game they played kicking around the severed head of a Danish prince after defeating him in war, and it was very violent. However, it was significant because it was the first time a name was established for the game and it later became a very popular sport.
Resource: topendsports.com -
Football had become legal again in England in 1605, so Eton College created a set of rules to go along with the game. The rules that were established are very similar to the ones we use in soccer today.
Resource: topendsports.com -
In 1820, soccer was played at the American universities of Harvard, Princeton, Amherst, and Brown. This was the first time the sport was played in the U.S.
Resource: soccermaniak.com -
The United States and Canada played a soccer match against each other. This was the first national soccer game to take place outside the British Isles.
Resource: soccermaniak.com -
The penalty kick was established in 1888. This is something still used in games today, and can be very useful if someone has made a foul inside the penalty box because they get a chance to restart the game.
Resource: athleticscholarships.net -
Soccer was played at the Olympics for the first time. This was a huge event, and since then, soccer has existed on almost every Olympics program and several players from around the world, including the U.S., have won medals in the sport.
Resource: topendsports.com -
FIFA became a member of the International Board. They have increased their influence on the rules of soccer since then.
Resource: athleticscholarships.net -
In 1996, the American women's team won the first-ever soccer event at the Olympics. This was very important for the female soccer players, and it was the first time women could participate in the soccer tournament.
Resource: topendsports.com -
FIFA organized the FIFA Confederations Cup, a tournament held every two years. It's still being held today, only now it's every four years.
Resource: wikipedia.org -
The U.S. women's team was very successful during the Women's World Cup in Germany. They defeated Brazil, with Abby Wambach scoring the latest goal ever in a World Cup match, six minutes into stoppage time. This was very exciting for Americans.
Resource: wikipedia.org
