Friday, March 27, 2015

The history of soccer in Mexico doesn’t have the same starting point as in many other Central and South American countries such as Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, to name some of the most important in the area. However, the passion for soccer in Mexico started to bloom a few years prior to the first World Cup in 1930, with a professional championship being formed and the first national selection in the history of Mexican soccer history occurring in 1927.
The first ever international match in the history of soccer in Mexico was played on January the 1st, 1927, against Guatemala on their home ground.
The Mexican team won 3-2 and it looked it would have a bright start. Unfortunately, this hope proved without a foundation, as Mexico had one of the poorest World Cups in the entire Mexican soccer history in 1930, finishing last in the group stage, with nothing but defeats.
Unfortunately, after the 1930 World Cup, a very poor period emerged in the history of Mexican soccer, on both local and international levels.
The Mexican league, despite being professionalized by now, was still suffering from corruption, match fixing and lack of training conditions and that state of things translated into a poor performance by the national team as well.
Participating in 5 World Cups before 1970, Mexican soccer history recorded a single win in these tournaments, with the Central American team beating Czechoslovakia 3-1 in 1962. But despite this darker period, Mexican soccer witnessed a slow ascendance, with better conditions for youngsters and professional soccer players and with a revived passion for the game.
With more and more investments in soccer and with the rise of a few powerful clubs in Mexico, several state-of-the-art stadiums were built, which could also host the Mexican national soccer team’s matches. This made FIFA consider Mexico for hosting a World Cup and this highly anticipated moment occurred in 1970.

The year 1970 is viewed as one of the most important in the history of Mexican soccer. Not only did Mexico managed to pull off a good organization of the World Cup they hosted, but their national team also managed its best performance so far, reaching the quarter finals of the competition.
The Mexican National Soccer Team
Mexican Soccer League
Mexican Soccer Jerseys
Mexican Soccer
August 12th, 2009
World Cup qualifying match as the U.S. National Men’s soccer team fell to Mexico 2-1 in Mexico City.


The importance of the 1970 World Cup is not necessarily given by the fact that they managed to reach the quarter finals (which, otherwise is not such a great performance, let’s be honest). Its biggest plus is that it created a popularity boom for the game throughout Mexico and ever since that moment, we can truly say that soccer is the most important sport in the Central American country.
Following this successful World Cup, FIFA would allow Mexico to host yet another World Cup, in 1986. By now, the Mexican soccer culture was already well defined and their national team looked sharper than ever. After the group stage of the tournament, where Mexico managed to come in first place, many thought they stand a solid chance on winning the trophy for the first time in the Mexican soccer history.
Although confirming the trust of their fans with a strong performance that ended with a 2-0 win over Bulgaria in the Round of 16, Mexico was stopped yet again in the quarter finals, this time by West Germany, who won the match after a dramatic penalty kick out.
Despite not having great success in what regards international trophies, soccer in Mexico is steadily rising and with soccer players such as Luis Garcia or Rafa Marquez playing at the highest possible level, this long awaited success looks closer than ever.
Millions of soccer fans live and breathe green, white, and red, the colors of The Mexican National Team (MNT), or El Tricolor to its adoring fans. With a rich legacy of soccer excellence, excitement, and legendary players, such as Luis Roberto Alves ‘Zague’, El Tricolor is synonymous with the passion of soccer to its many fans.
Soccer is a very popular sport in the United Mexican States. The history of Mexico soccer team dates back to the year 1927. The Mexican Soccer Federation is the regulatory body of all Mexican soccer events. Mexico soccer calendar offers the details of all of soccer events that take place throughout the year.
The Mexican Soccer League has gained substantial popularity over the passage of time. Since the year 1930 the Mexican national soccer team has become an active participant of the soccer world cup. It has also qualified twice for the world cup quarterfinals in the year 1970 and 1986.
The Mexican national soccer team has also performed well in many other international soccer events like CONCACAF champions, Pan American Champions and NAFC champions. The natives popularly call the team as El Tricolor.
The Mexican national soccer team jersey features a beautiful combination of teal, red and white. The soccer jersey is available in all soccer stores of the Mexican territory. Mexican line out jersey, Xara International Rec, Mexico Sweatshirt, Mexico Map T-shirt, Mexico Federation YOUTH T-Shirt, Mexico Marquez 4 SS T-shirt are some of the best selling varieties of Mexican soccer jersey.
The soccer lovers in Mexico prefer to create Mexican wave while watching the game. The jam-packed stadium with fans doing waves, make the Mexican soccer events much more enjoyable.
The Mexican national soccer team is under the Fédéracion Mexicana de Futbol Asociacion, A.C. (FEMEXFUT). The FEMEXFUT is the official governing body of the sport soccer in Mexico.
The Mexican national soccer team is also know as the “El Tricolor” and it is also one of the top soccer teams (playing under Group D along with Iran, Angola and Portugal) in the recently concluded FIFA World Cup 2006 that was held in Germany.
The Mexican national soccer team is under the CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American Caribbean Association Football). CONCACAF is the governing body of football associations in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
The Mexican national soccer team is currently leading in the number of most Gold Cup wins in CONCACAF. The Mexican national soccer team is also the leader in the overall number of CONCACAF wins.
They were not able to claim a slot in the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament. They were knocked out by the Columbian national soccer team.
Even though they were not able to secure a place in the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament, the Mexican national soccer team has been included the Word Cup for numerous times.
In the qualifying round the Mexican team defeated Costa Rica and then two months later defeated the U.S. soccer team. The Mexican national soccer team defeated the Iranian soccer team 3-1 in the opening game of the World Cup.
The Mexican team was then tied against Angola in a 0-0 score. However, Portugal knockout the Mexican soccer team in a heartbreaking 2-1 score, for a slot as a qualifier in the FIFA World Cup Semi Finals.
The Mexican national soccer team participated in the first World Cup in 1930 but was not able to participate until 1950. Since then, it has qualified six successive World Cups and hosted the 1970 FIFA World Cup.
Even before the Mexican national soccer team had made an impression in the World Cup series, it was compared to South American and European soccer teams.
The Mexican national soccer team only had one victory out of the five World Cup tournaments that they participated since then.
Mexico professed that they have the best league in soccer outside Europe, outplaying the Brazilian soccer club and Argentinian soccer club, because most of the South American soccer players tend to play in other countries rather than their own.
The Mexican national soccer team was the only team in to ever have a player participating in five consecutive World Cup tournaments.
That Mexican national soccer team player was their goalkeeper named “Antonio Carbajal” who became a legend in the international soccer game.
At present there are a lot of the Mexican national soccer players who want to prove their worth in the international world of soccer. Who can ever tell? Maybe the next soccer superstar will be a Mexican.
Final. 2-1 Mexico.  Hats off to el Tricolor, who have put themselves a point behind the U.S. in qualifying, not sure we’ve ever seen the U.S. play such a defensive game, as the ball literally seemed to be in their end for 85 percent of the game.
12:30 p.m. ET: The U.S. national soccer team takes on arch rival Mexico in Mexico City today in a qualifying match for next year’s World Cup tournament.
Mexico has more to lose here than the visitors, and the pressure will be on the home side. The U.S. sits second in the Concacaf region (covering North and Central America and the Caribbean) behind leaders Costa Rica, and has some winnable games coming up that should ensure an easy ticket to South Africa.
Mexico, meanwhile, sits fourth and a loss would seriously damage its prospects. Only the top three teams qualify, while the fourth must head to a playoff with the fifth place finisher in South America–not an easy task.
For the U.S., however, winning is easier said than done. A long history of futility south of the border will loom almost as large as the concrete facade of the venue, towering Azteca stadium.
Most of those losses have come at the cavernous Azteca. Anyone who has been to the Azteca can tell you that the sight of 105,000 flag-waving, horn-blowing Mexicans during a national game is an awesome spectacle. It is one of the most intimidating stadiums in all of soccer. It also happens to sit more than 7,300 feet above sea level, which makes the ball travel further and saps visiting players of oxygen.
The U.S. team believes it has a real chance to change that history today. Coming off a successful run at the Confederations Cup, the U.S. team is ranked 12th in the world by FIFA, while the Mexicans have sagged to 30th.
In the last 40 years of World Cup competition, Mexico has only failed to qualify twice, in 1974 and 1982 (in 1990, it was disqualified for having older players in the youth team). If that happens, it would be a national tragedy in Mexico.
It would be a loss for soccer fans, too. I’ve been to three World Cups, and in my experience, there are three national teams whose fans are loved by nearly all supporters from other nations: Brazil, Scotland and Mexico.
Still, Mexico goes into today as a favorite and will likely join the U.S. next year in South Africa. As the underdog, the U.S. is likely to go for a counter-attacking style that paid dividends against Spain and Brazil in the Confederations Cup. Can they do it again? –Luhnow
The 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the tenth edition of the Gold Cup competition, and the twentieth association football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF). It was contested from July 3rd through July 26th, 2009 in the United States. This competition was the fourth tournament without guests from other confederations. Mexico won their fifth Gold Cup, and eighth CONCACAF Championship overall, after beating the United States 5–0 in the final.

Friday, March 20, 2015

The Copa del Rey
 (English: King's Cup) is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name isCampeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey (Championship of Spain – His Majesty the King's Cup). Like theEmperor's Cup in Japan the tournament is one of the most well-known football competitions bearing the name of a monarch.
The competition was founded in 1903, thus making it the oldest Spanish football competition. Typically, the winner of Copa del Rey goes to the UEFA Europa League; but if the winner also qualifies for UEFA Champions League, then the losing finalist goes into the Europa League.
The current holders are Real Madrid, who won their 19th Copa del Rey against FC Barcelona at the 2014 Copa del Rey Finalheld at the Mestalla.
Barcelona has won the cup on the most occasions, with 26 wins.
Image result for copa del rey
In 1902, a competition under the name Copa de la Coronación, was played after Carlos Padrós, later president of Real Madrid, suggested a football tournament to celebrate the coronation of King Alfonso XIII. Four other teams joined Madrid FCfor the competition: FC BarcelonaClub Español de Foot-BallNew Foot-Ball de Madrid and Club Bizcaya (a team made up of players from Athletic Club and Bilbao FC) which eventually defeated Barcelona in the final. That cup is on display in the Athletic Bilbao museum and the club includes the victory in its honours list. Nevertheless, it is considered only the forerunner of the Copa del Rey and the Royal Spanish Football Federation officially don't recognize it.
Copa del Rey was Spain's football National Championship from 1903 until the foundation of the Campeonato de Liga — League Championship — in 1928. It was initially known as the Copa del Ayuntamiento de Madrid (Madrid City Council's Cup). Between 1905 and 1932, it was known as the Copa de Su Majestad El Rey Alfonso XIII (His Majesty King Alfonso XIII's Cup). During the Second Spanish Republic, it was known as the Copa del Presidente de la República (President of the Republic Cup) or Copa de España (Spanish Cup) and during the years of Francisco Franco's dictatorship, it was known as the Copa de Su Excelencia El Generalísimo or Copa del Generalísimo ((His Excellency) The Supreme General's Cup).Teams from upper and lower divisions play against each other but the number of clubs allowed to participate is restricted.
Athletic Bilbao were declared winners in 1904 after their opponents Español de Madrid failed to show up. In both 1910 and 1913, there was a split among the clubs and two rival associations, the Unión Española de Clubs de Fútbol and the Federación Española de Fútbol, organised rival competitions, the Copa UECF and the Copa FEF. In 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, clubs in the Republican area of Spain entered the Copa de la España Libre, with Levante FC beating their city rivals Valencia CF 1–0 in the final. (Although in 2007 the Congress of Deputies urged Royal Spanish Football Federation to recognise it as a Copa del Rey win for Levante, the governing body of Spanish football has not made a decision yet.)
Because of the dispute regarding the 1902 competition, the statistics regarding the leading winners are also disputed. Barcelona have won the Copa 26 times; Athletic Bilbao are just behind, with either 24 or 23 titles, depending on the source. Throughout the history of the competition, there have been 12 actual trophies. Trophies have been permanently awarded to clubs for winning the competition either three times in a row or on five separate occasions and for other special reasons.
Thus, four trophies have been permanently awarded to Barcelona, three to Bilbao and one to Real Madrid. Athletic Bilbao kept the first trophy as inaugural winners, Sevilla FCwere awarded the Trofeo del Generalísimo in 1939 and Atlético Madrid, winners the previous year, were awarded the 11th trophy following the death of Francisco Franco. In December 2010, the cup was given to Sevilla, the 2010 winners, to keep in honour of Spain's World Cup win.
Before the formation of La Liga in 1929, the competition was effectively a national championship. Teams qualified to enter via their regional leagues. Over the years, various formats, including group stages have been used. Unlike the English FA Cup, entry is limited. Only teams from the Primera División, Segunda A, about 23 teams from the Segunda B and the Tercera División champions (or runners-up if the champion is a reserve team) are invited to enter. The early rounds are one-off games with teams from the lower divisions given home advantage. The round of 32, the round of 16, the quarter-finals, and semi-finals are played over two legs. The final is a one-off game played at a neutral venue. The winners qualify for both the Supercopa de España and the UEFA Europa League the following season.

22 December 2010, at an extraordinary general meeting of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Sevilla FC requested permission from the Federation to keep the trophy they had won in the 2010 final to commemorate the victory of the Spanish national team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. There had been a precedent for this; Real Madrid were allowed to keep the first Copa de la República (1936), Sevilla, the first Copa del Generalísimo (1939) and, Atlético Madrid, the last Copa del Generalísimo (1976).A new trophy was made by Madrid jeweller Federico Alegre. The trophy, made of silver, weighs 15 kg (33 lb) and is 75 cm (30 in) tall. On 21 April 2011, Real Madrid became the first recipients of the trophy. During the post-game celebrations, the trophy was accidentally dropped at Plaza de Cibeles by the Real Madrid player Sergio Ramos from the top of a double-decker bus, which then ran over it. Ten pieces were found by civil servicemen when they recovered it from the ground. The club received a copy which is displayed atSantiago Bernabéu

Friday, March 6, 2015

James David Rodríguez Rubio

                                                   (born 12 July 1991)

Usually known as James Rodríguez or simply James is a Colombian footballer who plays for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Colombian national team, as an attacking midfielder or winger.


James is commonly ranked as one of the best young players in the world.]He has received praise for his technique, vision and playmaking skills, and has been referred to as the successor to his compatriot Carlos Valderrama.James became well known in Europe during his time at Porto, winning several trophies and individual awards during his 3 years at the club. In 2014, James moved from Monaco to Real Madrid for a transfer fee of €80 million, making him the most expensive Colombian in history, above Radamel Falcao, and one of the most expensive players in football.


His emergence in the Colombia national football team started with the U-20 national team, where he was captain of the 2011 Toulon Tournament-winning side. He eventually captained the U-20 team during the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which eventually led him to become a regular on the senior squad by age 20. He was selected to play in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where he won theGolden Boot as top goalscorer and was part of the Cup's All Star Team.

.James Rodríguez (cropped).jpg

Thursday, February 26, 2015

A look at 10 of the best soccer players in the world.
SEVILLE, SPAIN - MARCH 17: Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona controls the ball during the la Liga match between Sevilla and FC Barcelona at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on March 17, 2012 in Seville, Spain. - Jasper Juinen / Getty Images

1.  Lionel Messi (Argentina & Barcelona)

Four times World Player of the Year, Messi has been considered by some distance the best player on the planet over the last six years. His ability to mesmerize defenders with a mix of skill and pace is unmatched and it often appears as though the ball is glued to his feet. The Barcelona star is versatile enough to play anywhere across the frontline, and he led his country to the 2014 World Cup final. Already one of the best soccer players of all time.

..
Cristiano Ronaldo playing against Ghana - Adam Pretty / Getty Images

2.  Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal & Real Madrid)

Ronaldo may have less of an influence on games than Messi, but he is stronger and taller than the Argentine, and his goals-to-games ratio similar. Since joining Real Madrid from Manchester United in 2009, Ronaldo has been a revelation, making the world record outlay of US$131 look less outrageous with every hat-trick. His famous stepover is imitated in parks right across the world. 
Luis Suarez - Getty Images Sport

3.  Luis Suarez (Uruguay & Barcelona)

The Barcelona striker is not everyone’s cup of tea, but his ability is not up for debate. Suarez is a master at weaving his way into the penalty box, deadly in one-on-one situations and an excellent free-kick taker. His link-up play with teammates is of the highest order, and he is a fighter who will always give 100% for the cause. A penchant for conning referees remains his Achilles heel, but that did not stop Barca paying Liverpool US$128.5 million for the player in July 2014
Andres Iniesta faces Chile - Jean Catuffe / Getty Images

4.  Andres Iniesta (Spain & Barcelona)

Iniesta's understanding with club-mate Xavi Hernandez borders on the telepathic at times. The short, eye of the needle passing the pair produce can pierce holes in the most stubborn of rearguards. Iniesta is also very modest, never creating problems for the coaches he works under. Scored the winner in the 2010 World Cup final against the Netherlands.
Yaya Toure - Adam Pretty / Getty Images

5.  Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast & Manchester City)

The all-round midfielder. The emergence of Sergio Busquets at Barcelona proved a blessing for Manchester City because it meant that the Catalans were willing to offload the Ivorian to the Etihad Stadium in 2011. Toure was one of the linchpins as City won their first league title since 1968. Few players are capable of switching through the gears so effortlessly and watching Toure rampage through Premier League midfields is one of the most spectacular sights in world soccer.
Gareth Bale - Stu Forster / Getty Images

6.  Gareth Bale (Wales & Real Madrid)

The Welsh attacker completed his long-awaited move to Real Madrid on September 1, 2013 after a summer of protracted negotiations with Tottenham Hotspur. Bale is a supreme dribbler who boasts the pace and skill to beat multiple opponents. He is also a great finisher and capable of scoring consistently from long range.
Philipp Lahm faces Wolfsburg - Alexander Hassenstein / Getty Images

7.  Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich)

The Bayern Munich fans love him, Pep Guardiola adores him. Philipp Lahm has been a stalwart for club and country over the last decade. The versatile Germany international can play in both of the full-back positions, while Guardiola has also used him as a defensive midfielder, such is his high opinion of Lahm’s tackling and distribution skills. Lahm captained Germany to the 2014 World Cup before retiring after the tournament. 
Arjen Robben faces Argentina - VI-Images / Getty Images

8.  Arjen Robben (Holland & Bayern Munich)

The winger further enhanced his glowing reputation with some impressive showings for Holland at the 2014 World Cup. Robben's deadly combination of pace and trickery is a nightmare for defenders, while he scores more goals than the average winger. Robben has been at the top of the game for 10 years now, having had stints with Chelsea, Real Madrid and current club Bayern Munich.
Robin van Persie against Argentina - Dean Mouhtaropoulos / Getty Images

9.  Robin van Persie (Netherlands & Manchester United)

Having put the injury problems that blighted Van Persie throughout his mid-20s behind him, the Dutchman is now one of the most feared strikers in world soccer. Manchester United acquired the player from Arsenal in 2012 and it proved a masterful signing as he picked up where he had left off at the Emirates Stadium with goals galore to fire United to the 2012-13 Premier League title. A player of immaculate technique, with a left foot to die for and now playing under his fellow countrymanLouis van Gaal at Old Trafford. 
Zlatan Ibrahimovic against Portugal - Martin Rose / Getty Images

10.  Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden & Paris Saint-Germain)

Expect the unexpected with the mercurial Swede. Ibrahimovic is the moodiest player in world soccer, but completely unplayable when on his game. Just witness his stunning overhead kick against England in 2012. Ibra has won league titles in Holland, Italy, Spain and France with six different clubs and is something of a lucky charm for those willing to invest in his considerable talents.