The Many Ways ESPN Helps Soccer

ESPN has been the cable channel for sports since the late 1970’s when cable was just becoming popular in many households. They have recognized the global appeal of soccer and have used it as a mainstay in their programming for many years. They know that there are millions of soccer fans out there that want to not only see the games televised but also want to know what is going on in the world of soccer.

ESPN has also brought soccer to the internet. On their website, ESPN.com you can catch the latest scores and also watch live games as they are happening around the world. All that you have to do is look on the website and find the listing for the game you are interested in and click. They have made it just that simple. Soccer fans all around the world can sit at their computers and watch the same game at the same time no matter what time zone or country they are in.

ESPN also employees some of the best soccer announcers there are. These people not only announce the game they live it. If you are a true soccer fan, listening to the ESPN announcers makes you feel as if you are sitting right there in the stadium watching it live and in person. Their descriptive words can make you see the play as it is happening and help you understand exactly what is happening first hand.

They also have some of the best analysts in the soccer world. They know the game inside and out. What teams are doing well and who stinks this year, what player is playing below par and why. They answer all the questions that diehard soccer fans want to know about. The interviews with the leading players in the soccer leagues bring the fans closer to them and they ask them the questions that the fans want the answers to and showing that they are not only soccer superstars but they are people too.

ESPN has been bringing the live action of soccer into our homes for decades and have expanded their ability to do it better by adding internet capability to their arsenal of media outlets.

ESPN has been dedicated to the sporting world for close to 30 years and has brought soccer to the forefront of international competition. People all over the world are united in their love of soccer and ESPN has helped bring them together.

Soccer’s Brazilian Influence

Despite the popularity of so many sports throughout the world, none has as big an influence as soccer. And now were in the world has it been more influential than in Brazil where it has become not only a national pass time but an obsession. Soccer stars in Brazil are like Rock stars here in the United States.

Some say that the appeal of soccer comes from its inexpensive nature. There is no expensive equipment or uniforms to buy. All you need is an interested bunch of people, a place to play the game and a ball. In countries such as Brazil, where the economy is so bad yet everyone still needs an athletic activity to do, soccer is ideal. Kids will find any place they can to play. You can find people playing in places such as the beach, vacant lots or even in the streets.

In America, football and baseball are the sports that inspire the dreams of our young men. For Brazilian boys it is soccer. They play in the hopes of making a better life for themselves and their families. It is players such as Pele, and Ronaldo along with many others, that have inspired these children to take up the sport of soccer. They have shown that the hard work and discipline that soccer requires can bring them great success as well as large paychecks for professional soccer players.

The influence of the game on the country as well as the young people is evident in every street game you watch. You can see the hope in their eyes when they score a goal or defend a good play. You can almost see how much they want a life as a professional soccer player in every step they take. It doesn’t matter to them if they have a real soccer ball or a make shift one made of a soda can or rolled up socks, they just want to play the game and make something out of themselves and their futures.

It is out of the humble beginnings of players such as Pele and Ronaldo that the game of soccer has grown into what it is today to Brazilian culture and life. They too started in the streets and lots of Brazil hoping for a better life which they have achieved and surpassed even their wildest dreams. This is what Brazilian soccer is all about. It is a rags to riches story that every child wants to live for themselves.

The Roots of Mexican Soccer

Soccer has been a part of Mexican tradition since before the Europeans knew there was a Mexico. Although not in the form we see today, many ancient Mexican people played a game that was very similar to modern soccer. In those time the field was “I” shaped with a ring attached to the wall at each end. As in current soccer, the object was for each team to get the ball through the opposing teams ring to score points. In this game, however, the use of hands was permitted. They had to toss the ball through the ring to score the points.

By the time the game we now know as soccer reached Mexican shores, it was a game for the elite and not for the commoner. By the early 1900’s the game had spread all across the country and the first soccer club was formed. Teams such as the America, Atlante and the Necaxa are the oldest clubs in the country and were formed in the 1940’s. Mexican soccer teams are consistently ranked in the top 10 in the world and work very hard to maintain that ranking. Since soccer is such a popular sport all over the world and there are so many teams that are excellent, it takes drive, determination and the will to keep their ranking. They work diligently every day to improve their skills not only as individuals but also as a team.

Soccer’s international appeal draws many people to watch and also to learn the game. This includes many of Mexico’s youth. They have probably watched the game all of their life and see the advantages that the players have over the every day citizen. They also see that the humble beginnings of many of the players has not been a detriment to them and realize that it doesn’t have to be for them either.

Some of the more famous Mexican soccer players have been an inspiration to the young people of their country. Players such as Alberto Garcia Aspe and Carlos Hermosillo have brought themselves and their country great acclaim in the international soccer world. That tradition is being carried on by current players such as Chauhtemoc and Jered Borgetti who are also receiving notice outside of their own country.

Soccer’s appeal has grown by leaps and bounds since the early days of the Aztec’s throwing a ball through a ring. It has achieved international notice due to its fans as well as it talented players.

A Soccer Players Influence on the World

Soccer is a team sport that is played in almost every country in the world. It has produced many famous players that have not only become the top in their chosen sport but have also had far reaching effects on their communities and the world as a whole.

One such player’s name is synonymous with the game of soccer. Pele is without question the most famous soccer player the world has ever known. You can ask anyone in any country and they will know who he is. He played soccer for Brazil from 1956 through 1974 during which time he helped bring his team to 3 World Cup Championships. The most famous of which was the 1958 game where he scored 2 goals in Brazils 4 to 2 victory over Sweden. He retired in 1974 but gained even more acclaim when he came out of retirement to join a blossoming new league in the United States. He played 2 years for the New York Cosmos in the North American Soccer League leading them to a NASL championship.

Another such soccer player is Argentinian born Diego Maradona. He is considered in his home land to be the equivalent of Babe Ruth here in the United States. His partying ways and charming demeanor in no way effected his ability to dominate in his chosen sport. As a midfielder, his most famous moment came in a 1986 Quarterfinal match between Argentina and England where his 2 goals helped bring his team victory.

It is people such as Pele and Maradona that can use their fame to help influence the lives of so many in their country. Their stories bring hope to children and teens. Hearing and seeing what these men came from and what they were able to accomplish shows these children that it is possible to lead a productive and successful life no matter what the circumstances of you childhood or up bringing.

Everyone wants to leave their mark on the world. Some choose to do it in a negative way by disobeying rules and flaunting the law and it seems as if these are the people that are seen every day on television and in newspapers. It is the people such as Pele and Maradona who chose a different path and achieved great success in their life despite difficult situations. These are the men that the youth of not only America but the entire world can look up to.