Chicago Soccer
Soccer is not the biggest sport in United States. But the starmeter of that sport increased every year. Chicago is one of soccer base. The National Soccer League of Chicago, formed by the merger of the Chicago Soccer League and International Soccer Football League of Chicago in 1928, is a semi-professional US soccer league which is the oldest continuously operating soccer league in the United States.
Chicago Soccer league was established das an ethnic British league. It attracted British and Irish expatriate. In 1920, the International Soccer Football League of Chicago, with Frank Foldi as its president, was created to address this shortcoming.
The league grew in strength as most of the city’s other amateur and semi-professional league collapsed. In 1950, the National Soccer League created the first indoor soccer league in the United States. Chicago leagues had played indoor tournaments for decades but this was the first time an annual competitive indoor season was founded.
In 1984 North American Soccer League collapsed and in 1996 Major League Soccer established. Chicago has a professional soccer club named Chicago Fire. It competes in Major League Soccer. Founded October 8, 1997, the 126th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 - after which the organization is named.
This club won the US Open Cups in 2000, 2003, and 2006. In 1998, Chicago Fire won double winning in MLS Cup and US Open Cups. The stadium of this club is Toyota Park. The current coach is former Mexican player Carlos de los Cobos.
Some notable players are also USMNT (United States Men National Team). They are Chris Armas, Frank Klopas, Eric Wynalda, DaMarcus Beasley, Josh Wolff, Tony Sanneh, Carlos Bocanegra, and Brian Mc Bride who retired by the end of 2010 season.
In 2003 this club established Ring of Fire. It is a permanent tribute to honor those who have made success over its history. Names and numbers are prominently displayed inside Toyota Park.
Those names are Peter Wilt (former General Manager and Club president), Bob Bradley (former coach and currently is United States National Team Coach) and Piotr Nowak, Frank Klopas, Lubos Kubik, and Chris Armas for players..
The Northern Illinois Soccer League (NISL) was founded in 1975. It is a competitive youth soccer league for Boys and girls ages U8 through U19. It is established with Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA). PCA is a non-profit organization that conducts workshops for coaches, organizational leaders, and parents.
There is also Chicago Soccer Tournaments organize indoor and outdoor tournaments to test boys and girls of all ages against players and teams they would ordinarily not meet in regular league competition.
Posted by Irwan on January 11, 2011
