Soccer was a different game when, in 1863, the Football Association finalized the original rules of football. Many laws of the game have been added, morphed or have disappeared completely.
But a few of the original rules of football could make for some interesting soccer if they were to be brought back.
When the World Cup or November 25 comes around (the man's birthday), there's usually one thought on my mind... Clint Mathis was probably the best player of all time. I'll show you some things.
What was there that wasn’t great about Clint Mathis? He’s from a small city in Georgia. That's cool. He was the first male soccer player in eight years to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. What a dude. He was on the cover of Backyard Soccer 2004, and there’s no higher accolade than that s**t.
Birkir Bjarnason's goal wasn't a rocket from 30 yards out or a bicycle kick, but it was a goal that was Iceland's first international tournament goal ever. As about 10% of Iceland's population watched from the stands in Saint-Etienne, the "Ice Men" stole a point from a favored Portugal team. A special moment for this country no doubt, but their special moments may just be starting as the team demonstrated how they can perform on a big stage. Being down 1-0 at halftime, they responded just 5 minutes after the break with a historic goal from Birkir Bjarnason.
On the surface, soccer seems to be strikingly different from other sports such as American football and rugby, but 19th century soccer actually shared more in common with these sports than you might think. Here are five surprising traits from the early version of the game.
1. You could catch the ball
2014 saw the deaths of some prominent figures in the soccer community. We here at The18 thought it would be a good idea to honor those who passed away this calendar year with mini bios on each of the departed. The soccer community already misses these individuals.