The Beautiful Game

Did you know that the word “soccer” came from an abbreviation of the word “association football”? Back in the 1880s, students of Oxford University used to abbreviate words by adding “er” to the end. For example, breakfast was referred to as “brekkers” and rugby was referred to as “ruggers”. Charles Wreford Brown, once a student at Oxford University, is usually credited for inventing the word “soccer” but there is a lack of supporting evidence.

Did you know that Chile was banned from the 1994 World Cup? During a qualifying match for the 1990 World Cup, Chile was down 1-0 to Brazil. A loss would mean elimination from the tournament. Around the 67th minute, the Chilean goalkeeper, Roberto Rojas, fell to the ground due to being hit by a firework. The team refused to continue to play and the match went unfinished. However, after reviewing footage, it was found that the firework never hit Rojas. He faked it hoping to replay the game. FIFA awarded Brazil the win, banned Chile from the 1994 World Cup, and banned Rojas for life.

Did you know that the Estadio Nacional in Chile was used for more than soccer games? Unfortunately, the “games” being played were not so beautiful. After World War II, it was used as a clearing house for refugees from Europe. It also served as a detention center and a torture house. People were interrogated, left to starve, subjected to brutal tortures, and many were executed.

CONCACAF stands for the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football. It is the governing organization for 40 countries in North and Central America as well as the Caribbean. Three South American countries are also members. They are Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. read more

Have you ever heard of FIFA? How about UEFA? Does CONCACAF ring a bell? There are quite a few acronyms in the soccer world. This article will hopefully shed some light as to what those acronyms stand for. The following article describes the various international soccer organizations. read more