s were purcha

As Manchester United were edging Manchester City in a five-goal thriller, Juventus were triumphing in the Turin derby and Barcelona squeaked home 1-0 at the Nou Camp, thousands of miles away in California something far more soccer-significant was occurring. Adidas Zx 700 Prezzo . The post-match fireworks were purchased. Final preparations were in place. The FIFA president was in town. It was April 6, 1996. Spartan Stadium, the home of San Jose State University, was about to play host to the inaugural match in Major League Soccer when the hometown Clash took on D.C. United in front of a sold-out crowd approaching 32,000. You have to trace it all the way back to American Independence Day, 1988 for when the first MLS seeds were sown. This was the day the US beat back other bids, including one from Brazil, for the rights to host the 1994 World Cup finals. Those rights came with a caveat, one condition from the world governing body: FIFA mandated the United States Soccer Federation to structure a top-flight league. Easier said than done. The year before those 1994 World Cup finals, which eventually would go on to draw a record number of fans, MLS hired its first employee - Mark Abbott. A lawyer by trade, Abbotts soccer connection came via a law colleague, Alan Rothenberg, who was also the president of the USSF. With Rothenberg appointed as CEO of USA 94, it was left to Abbott to draw up MLSs constitution. Then, in his spare time, Abbott criss-crossed the nation in the search for founding investors. A total of 10 clubs took part in that inaugural season.  D.C. United, defeated 1-0 during the season opener in San Jose, would eventually go on and be crowned champions when they beat the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 in the first MLS Cup. Saturday afternoon in Seattle, MLSs 19th season gets underway when the Sounders, a club like the Whitecaps celebrating their 40th-anniversary, entertain the current champions, Sporting Kansas City. To show the measure of how far MLS has journeyed in the intervening years, MLS Cup 1996, which was played in Foxboro, Massachusetts, attracted a crowd of just over 35,000. Today, the Sounders claim that same amount of supporters in season ticket holders. This is not to say that MLS has not had its share of let downs and disappointments. The leagues worst moment happened just ahead of the 2002 season with contraction occurring and gone were the Miami Fusion and the Tampa Bay Mutiny. Long gone, though, are the days MLS teams were merely tenants in NFL buildings - begging their landlords to go easy on the rent and allow them access to the stadiums to play matches on days and at a time of day which were most preferable to attracting in the fans the league so desperately needed. Like all sports teams who look to build on the previous seasons accomplishments, MLS will, as well, in 2014.  Nobody needs reminding that we are in a World Cup year and the momentum those previous tournaments have provided the league. As it did for South Africa 2010, MLS will shut down for the opening fortnight of group games this June. During this time, the league has mandated each of its clubs, along with the players to be active in their communities. One of Toronto FCs newest designated players, Jermain Defoe, was part of Englands squad for their World Cup warm-up friendly against Denmark at Wembley in midweek. You can be guaranteed that, come the conclusion of Brazil 2014, a number of other players will make the transition to MLS. The most famous of the class of South Africa 2010 to do just that was Thierry Henry, who went into that World Cup still a Barcelona player. Three days after the World Cup final, Henry was introduced as a member of the New York Red Bulls (who visit the Whitecaps on Saturday, live on TSN at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt). This year is also a pivotal one for soccer in Canada and not just for our three MLS clubs. In January, the Canadian Soccer Association announced it will bid to host the 2026 World Cup finals. In August, we host the FIFA U-20 Womens World Cup finals and, in April, the Ottawa Fury kick off their inaugural NASL campaign. As for our three MLS clubs, Toronto FC have set the bar awfully high. Whilst they sit out the opening weekends fixtures and have a final week of preparation before opening their season in Seattle next Saturday, nothing short of a playoff berth will suffice. With new head coaches at the helm in Vancouver and Montreal, expectations are less lofty. The so-called opinion makers across the league have already written off their chances to make the post-season. However, thats on paper and we all know matches are won and lost on the pitch. Flying under the radar could work to their advantage. As MLS has blossomed and flourished over the years, it has given rise to allow the soccer-playing kids right across North America to dream and believe that they, one day, can fulfil their childhood ambitions. Tell Patrice Bernier when he was a prospect in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League that one day he would share a flight with the 1993 Stanley Cup-winning captain of the Montreal Canadiens, Guy Carbonneau. The Impact left for Dallas yesterday morning where they open their season on Saturday night. Bernier is now the captain of a club that just so happen to play in one of the best attended leagues in all of world football. Then, share a thought for Matt Besler, who will lead the MLS Cup holders Sporting KC out onto the pitch in Seattle on Saturday afternoon. During that inaugural MLS season in 1996, Sporting KC were known as the Kansas City Wiz. Playing their matches out of the NFL Chiefs Arrowhead Stadium , where a nine-year-old Besler served as a ballboy. You can reach and follow Noel Butler at:[e-mail]  and @TheSoccerNoel on Twitter Scarpa Nike Air Max 90 Donna . Despite the advantage of four Fijians being sent to the sin-bin in eight minutes early in the first half, Italy almost spoiled the occasion for two of their rugby greats by blowing a 30-10 lead with 20 minutes to go.Nike Air Max 90 Prezzo Basso . Bjoerndalen, who had failed to win any major race for two years before Sochi, writes in a Facebook entry that he is "full of energy and inspiration" after winning the 10-kilometre sprint and mixed relay at last months Olympics.SURPRISE, Ariz. - Matt Harrison concedes that he likely wont be ready to pitch for the Texas Rangers by opening day. The left-hander, who hasnt thrown in a week because of stiffness in his neck and back, just hopes things are different from last year. He was the opening day starter then, but made only one more start. "Kind of trade-off from last year," Harrison said Sunday. "Only making two and miss 30, and miss two and make 30, that would be nice. Even though Harrison is feeling much better after switching beds, he was still returning to Texas to be examined by the specialist who did both operations last year for a herniated disk in his lower back. "I think at this stage, based upon the initial symptoms that he reported, we just wanted to make sure were all clear before we ramp up again," Rangers assistant general manager Thad Levine said. Harrison had also been scheduled to throw live batting practice last Tuesday and wanted to pitch, but the Rangers held him out of that as a precaution because of neck stiffness. Two days later, he was scratched again from a throwing session with stiffness in his back. An MRI showed no immediate cause for concern, but the Rangers scheduled an appointment with Dr. Drew Dossett, who wasnt available until Monday because he was at the NFL combine. "I think for sure the bed was an issue. Since Ive gotten out of that bed and switched bbeds I havent had any issues," Harrison said. Nike Air Max 90 Donna. "Everybody usually feels sore the first couple of days just getting back acclimated to running around out there." Harrison won 18 games and was an All-Star in 2012, then got a $55 million, five-year contract. He had never had any back issues before last spring, and still made his first two scheduled starts. After going 0-2 with an 8.44 ERA, Harrison got two epidural injections and a second opinion before two operations in a matter of weeks. Harrison threw for a couple of months with no problems before camp this year, so he expect to have to completely start over when he is cleared by the Rangers to throw again. He hopes hes able to make his season debut no later than the middle of April. "This little setback set them on high alert and theyre probably going to slow it down a little bit," he said. "Which I hate because going through a healthy off-season and being ready to go its tough to get shut down. But its early." Levine said the Rangers put a lot more value on having Harrison healthy for the stretch drive late in the season than a start in April. "Were not panicking," manager Ron Washington said. "He is feeling better. Hes not feeling what caused us to shut him down anymore, so hopefully when the doctor sees him, it was just was some residual from everything he had done." wholesale jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' '