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History soccer and
 the most famous
  soccer players
 By. Paul Iñiguez
History soccer
          The answer to the question "when was
          soccer invented" isn't as easy to
          answer as you might think. Sure, the
          modern version of the game was
          standardized by the English in the
          19th century, as they created the
          first rules for the game of soccer
          (the Laws of the Game in 1863), the
          first   national    team     and   the
          first Football Association, a governing
          body for English soccer that will soon
          be copied by many other nations.

          However, early versions of the game
          can be traced back to ancient times,
          with the Chinese playing a rather
          blunt kicking game back in the second
          century BC, or with Mezoamerican
          cultures practicing a game that was a
          combination of soccer and basketball.
          You can read all about the
          complex history of soccer in this article.
The most famous soccer players
           Michael      Ballack      –      Early      Career
           His father being a soccer player himself (although
           not a famous one, as he spent most of his career
           in the German second division) it was only natural
           that young Michael take up on soccer and he did
           so at his local team, BSG Motor Karl-Marx-Stadt
           (Michael     was    born     in a    period    full
           of political tensions in Germany and the name of
           his first team says it all).

            His outstanding play as central midfielder
            for Chemnitzer FC however, earned him the
            nickname"Little Kaiser" from the team's
            fans, in reference to legendary German
            national team captain, Franz Beckenbauer,
            who was nicknamed "The Keiser", or the
            King.
Gabriel Batistuta
        His debut at Newell's professional squad in
        1988 was a huge step for Gabriel Omar
        Batistuta and although he played most of the
        matches as either a first team player or a
        substitute, he didn't have it easy with the
        Rosario club. His family was away and his
        girlfriend was sleeping in a small room at the
        stadium and he also had some weight problems
        he had to work hard to overcome.


        Fortunately, Argentinean bigwigs Riverplate
        saw great potential in the player and they
        took him on in 1989, where Batistuta would be
        coached by one of his childhood idols,Daniel
        Passarella. But his relationship with his coach
        would not be the best and after a few
        confrontations between the two, Batistuta
        was dropped from the squad and sold to
        Riverplate's arch-rivals Boca Juniors.
David Beckham
      Born in East London, Beckham was raised in
       a family of Manchester United supporters,
       with both his parents traveling to Old
       Trafford from London to see the team's
       matches, often taking young David with
       them. Getting the taste of soccer, David
       started playing for the Ridgeway Rovers, a
       youth team coached by his father and Steve
       Kirby.
      Although taking part at several trials at the
       Manchester United youth facilities, he had
       some tries at his local club, Leyton Orient
       and Tottenham Hotspur, however he would
       come back to the Manchester United youth
       in 1991.
      After playing there for 1 year and winning
       the FA Youth Cup with the team, David
       Beckham was given the chance to play for
       Manchester's first squad, in a League Cup
       game against Brighton and Hove Albion,
       which would be his first appearanceas a
       professional soccer player.
Gianluigi Buffon
           Born in a family of athletes,
            with his mother being a discus
            thrower, his father a weight
            lifter     and     his     two
            sisters volleyball players,
            Gianluigi Buffon took up on
            soccer, soon getting his first
            professional contract at age
            17, from Parma FC.
                         
              Being sent straight into the
            hells of Serie A, one of the
            hardest leagues to play in if
            you're a goalkeeper, Gianluigi
            Buffon proved to have a
            strong mind and a strong body
            and quickly earned a pinned
            down first squad position.
Fabio Cannavaro
        Being born in Naples, Fabio Cannavaro was a huge fan of
        locals SSC Napoli, which were at the top of their game
        when Fabio was growing up. With Diego Maradona and
        Ciro Ferrara in the team, Napoli won the league title (the
        Scudetto) and determined the young Cannavaro to take
        up soccer at the club's youth team. He spent some time
        close to his favorite stars, beinga ball boy for the team
        in home matches.
                                 
        However in just a couple of years, young footballer Fabio
        Cannavaro's dream came true: he was selected for the
        first squad, given a professional contract and was able to
        play alongside some of his childhood heroes, who were
        now long standing veterans in the team.
                                 
        On March 7th 1993, he played his first match in a
        league that will not forget him too soon, Serie A. The
        coincidence is that his debut was made on one of the
        stadiums that will mark his entire career, Juventus'
        Delle Alpi. However, losing some of their stars, including
        Maradona, made Napoli sink in the table and in desperate
        need of funds, they had to sell Fabio Cannavaro to rivals
        AC Parma.
Roberto Carlos
    He first one, a 35 meter free kick that went
       flying with a physics-defying curve to hit the
       post and go in the goal was voted the Free
       Kick of the Century and another famous
       goal of his, a volley taken from the corner
       flag that went straight in the back of the
       net, are bound to make you rub your eyes a
       couple of times when you see them for the
       first time.
   
       But obviously, Roberto is a soccer player
       that thrived off his defensive qualities, not
       on his goals, having played left back for most
       of his career. The followingbiography will
       take you through this wonderful career that
       saw the player take on the shirt of
       Palmeiras, Internazionale Milano, Real
       Madrid and nowadays, Fenerbahce Istanbul.
Deco
   Born in Brazil, Deco played for a second division club,
    Corinthians Alagoano, that didn't show promise for
    being a good launch pad for a talented soccer player.
                            
    For this reason, when Benfica offered him a deal at age
    19, Deco was quick to accept, as Benfica is one of the
    most important teams in Portugal, he was moving to a
    country that spoke roughly the same language and he
    had the prospects of starting aEuropean career, which
    is the dream of manyBrazilian players.
                            
    After a short loan spell at FC Alverca, where he played
    regularly, Benfica's manager, Graeme Souness did not
    want him back at the team for the next season, as he
    thought of Deco as a footballer he could not use in his
    team. Therefore, Benfica sold him to Salgueiros, a
    smaller team from Porto, where he played 12 games,
    before catching the eyes of bigwigs FC Porto.
Samuel Eto’o
           At age 26, already being a star
            footballer, Eto is considered by many as
            being         the      greatest        ever
            soccer player from Cameroon at the end
            of his career. But, since that point in his
            life is still around 10 years away, let's
            focus on his earlier professional life, in
            this Samuel Etobiography.
           It will probably be surprising for many to
            know this, but Samuel Eto actually
            started his career at his current team's
            arch-rivals, Real Madrid, who have the
            merit         of      discovering       the
            talented       player   at    the     Kadji
            Sports Academy in Cameroon.
                                
            Joining the youth team of Real at only 15
            years of age, in 1996, he only spent 1 year
            at the club, being loaned to second
            division's CD Leganes in the 1997-1998.
            Returning to Real, he was taken on the
            first team when being only 17 years old,
            however he had a frustrating season,
            being given the chance to play for the
            Santiago Bernabeu side in only 3 games
            and even those, as a late substitute.
                                
Luis Figo
      Portuguese soccer is well known for having some of the most
       prestigious and well-equipped youth training camps in the
       World and Sporting's youth facilitiesare amongst them. It is
       here that Luiz Figo started out playing soccer, being born in
       Lisbon himself.
                                  
       He grew up in a team that would later be a large part of
       the "GoldenGeneration" of Portuguese soccer, with
       other important teammates such as Rui Costa. Although
       growing up in such a professional and competitive environment,
       the pressure didn't slow down the footballer, Figo shining out
       whenever he played and eventually winning his first senior
       game at Sporting in 1989 (age 17).
                                  
       Although not a first squad constant (as would be expected
       from a 17 year old footballer), Figo managed to win his place in
       the team the following years and started showing more and
       more of his brilliance with each passing year.
                                  
       Already having spent 6 seasons at Sporting, a move to a bigger
       club was inevitable and it was Juventus and AC Parma who
       made the first move, both teams offering him a contract.
                                  
       Still young and being ill consulted, Luiz Figo signed for both
       clubs at the same time, triggering a scandal that resulted in a
       2 year ban for him to transfer in the Italian Serie A. I think
       this    was    for    the     best,    as     Spanish    giants
       FC Barcelonaimmediately moved in and signed the young
       midfielder.
Ronaldinho
    Ronaldo de Assis Moreira by his full name, Ronaldinho was often
     calledRonaldinho (or little Ronaldo) by his friends, even from his
     younger days.
                                   
     Raised in Porto Alegre, in the Rio Grande do Sul state of Brazil,
     he was also given a secondary nickname in Gaucho, which is
     how Brazilians call people from that particular area (later on he
     would use the name Ronaldinho Gaucho to distinguish himself
     from Ronaldo, who was also referred to as Ronaldinho at times).
                                   
     Following the footsteps of his older brother, Roberto, who was
     playing professional soccer for local club Gremio, Ronaldinho's
     skills drew a lot of eyes, even during his early days as a soccer
     player. When he joined Gremio's youth team, he already had
     some experience with different branches of the game, such
     as futsal or beach soccer.
                                   
     At age 13, he managed to get the first media praises, as he
     scored all 23 goals in one of his futsal team's game.
                                   
     Afterwards, a string of good games for Gremio's youth squads
     brought him in the Brazil national squads, his brightest
     performance      being    the     one     in  Egypt    1997    for
     the Brazilian Under-17 team, where he scored 2 goals and
     assisted a few more.
                                   
Steven Gerrard
      The average lifetime of a player at a given club is around 4 years,
       after which he needs to move, either due to entering a stage of self
       sufficiency at that club, losing the first squad or simply wanting a
       new challenge or a higher salary.
                                     
       There are a few exceptions and when it comes to stability and having
       a conservative nature, the English excel. This is how it was possible
       for a player like Steven Gerrard to already have so many years under
       his belt at Liverpool, since he started playing for the youth teams of
       the Reds in 1989, at 9 years of age.
                                     
       His childhood years were not the most promising though, as he would
       rarely play for the Liverpool youth squad, having problems with late
       growth spurts until he was 14.
                                     
       Although still considered a very talented player that could become an
       option for the Liverpool first squad in a few years, Stevie Gerrard
       was allowed to trial for various other clubs in England.
                                     
       As he noted in his recent autobiography, this was to force Liverpool
       into offering him an YTS (Youth Training Scheme) contract. He also
       had an incident at home that almost stopped him from playing soccer,
       being close to losing a toe to agarden fork.
                                     
       Finally, in 1997, at age 17, Steve Gerrard was given                a
       professional contract from Liverpool and saw his dream come true.
                                     
Cristiano Ronaldo
       Usually, the name of Ronaldo, at least in
        soccer,      was       firmly     tied       to
        the Brazilian striker, as he was immensely
        renowned after winning almost anything a
        footballer    could    dream    of     winning.
        However, entering a poorer period of his
        career at Real Madrid, Ronaldo slowly began
        to succumb and young Cristiano Ronaldo was
        there to grab the name for his own.
                            
        So, nowadays, most people will think of the
        young Portuguese rather than the ex-"Il
        Phenomeno" when hearing the name Ronaldo.
        (By the way, this name was given to Cristiano
        by    his   mother     after  former      U.S.
        President Ronald Reagan, so there's no
        connection        between       him        and
        the Brazilian player).
Central university of ecuador soccer players by Paul Iñiguez

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Central university of ecuador soccer players by Paul Iñiguez

  • 1. History soccer and the most famous soccer players By. Paul Iñiguez
  • 2. History soccer The answer to the question "when was soccer invented" isn't as easy to answer as you might think. Sure, the modern version of the game was standardized by the English in the 19th century, as they created the first rules for the game of soccer (the Laws of the Game in 1863), the first national team and the first Football Association, a governing body for English soccer that will soon be copied by many other nations. However, early versions of the game can be traced back to ancient times, with the Chinese playing a rather blunt kicking game back in the second century BC, or with Mezoamerican cultures practicing a game that was a combination of soccer and basketball. You can read all about the complex history of soccer in this article.
  • 3. The most famous soccer players Michael Ballack – Early Career His father being a soccer player himself (although not a famous one, as he spent most of his career in the German second division) it was only natural that young Michael take up on soccer and he did so at his local team, BSG Motor Karl-Marx-Stadt (Michael was born in a period full of political tensions in Germany and the name of his first team says it all). His outstanding play as central midfielder for Chemnitzer FC however, earned him the nickname"Little Kaiser" from the team's fans, in reference to legendary German national team captain, Franz Beckenbauer, who was nicknamed "The Keiser", or the King.
  • 4. Gabriel Batistuta His debut at Newell's professional squad in 1988 was a huge step for Gabriel Omar Batistuta and although he played most of the matches as either a first team player or a substitute, he didn't have it easy with the Rosario club. His family was away and his girlfriend was sleeping in a small room at the stadium and he also had some weight problems he had to work hard to overcome. Fortunately, Argentinean bigwigs Riverplate saw great potential in the player and they took him on in 1989, where Batistuta would be coached by one of his childhood idols,Daniel Passarella. But his relationship with his coach would not be the best and after a few confrontations between the two, Batistuta was dropped from the squad and sold to Riverplate's arch-rivals Boca Juniors.
  • 5. David Beckham  Born in East London, Beckham was raised in a family of Manchester United supporters, with both his parents traveling to Old Trafford from London to see the team's matches, often taking young David with them. Getting the taste of soccer, David started playing for the Ridgeway Rovers, a youth team coached by his father and Steve Kirby.  Although taking part at several trials at the Manchester United youth facilities, he had some tries at his local club, Leyton Orient and Tottenham Hotspur, however he would come back to the Manchester United youth in 1991.  After playing there for 1 year and winning the FA Youth Cup with the team, David Beckham was given the chance to play for Manchester's first squad, in a League Cup game against Brighton and Hove Albion, which would be his first appearanceas a professional soccer player.
  • 6. Gianluigi Buffon  Born in a family of athletes, with his mother being a discus thrower, his father a weight lifter and his two sisters volleyball players, Gianluigi Buffon took up on soccer, soon getting his first professional contract at age 17, from Parma FC.  Being sent straight into the hells of Serie A, one of the hardest leagues to play in if you're a goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon proved to have a strong mind and a strong body and quickly earned a pinned down first squad position.
  • 7. Fabio Cannavaro  Being born in Naples, Fabio Cannavaro was a huge fan of locals SSC Napoli, which were at the top of their game when Fabio was growing up. With Diego Maradona and Ciro Ferrara in the team, Napoli won the league title (the Scudetto) and determined the young Cannavaro to take up soccer at the club's youth team. He spent some time close to his favorite stars, beinga ball boy for the team in home matches.  However in just a couple of years, young footballer Fabio Cannavaro's dream came true: he was selected for the first squad, given a professional contract and was able to play alongside some of his childhood heroes, who were now long standing veterans in the team.  On March 7th 1993, he played his first match in a league that will not forget him too soon, Serie A. The coincidence is that his debut was made on one of the stadiums that will mark his entire career, Juventus' Delle Alpi. However, losing some of their stars, including Maradona, made Napoli sink in the table and in desperate need of funds, they had to sell Fabio Cannavaro to rivals AC Parma.
  • 8. Roberto Carlos  He first one, a 35 meter free kick that went flying with a physics-defying curve to hit the post and go in the goal was voted the Free Kick of the Century and another famous goal of his, a volley taken from the corner flag that went straight in the back of the net, are bound to make you rub your eyes a couple of times when you see them for the first time.  But obviously, Roberto is a soccer player that thrived off his defensive qualities, not on his goals, having played left back for most of his career. The followingbiography will take you through this wonderful career that saw the player take on the shirt of Palmeiras, Internazionale Milano, Real Madrid and nowadays, Fenerbahce Istanbul.
  • 9. Deco  Born in Brazil, Deco played for a second division club, Corinthians Alagoano, that didn't show promise for being a good launch pad for a talented soccer player.  For this reason, when Benfica offered him a deal at age 19, Deco was quick to accept, as Benfica is one of the most important teams in Portugal, he was moving to a country that spoke roughly the same language and he had the prospects of starting aEuropean career, which is the dream of manyBrazilian players.  After a short loan spell at FC Alverca, where he played regularly, Benfica's manager, Graeme Souness did not want him back at the team for the next season, as he thought of Deco as a footballer he could not use in his team. Therefore, Benfica sold him to Salgueiros, a smaller team from Porto, where he played 12 games, before catching the eyes of bigwigs FC Porto.
  • 10. Samuel Eto’o  At age 26, already being a star footballer, Eto is considered by many as being the greatest ever soccer player from Cameroon at the end of his career. But, since that point in his life is still around 10 years away, let's focus on his earlier professional life, in this Samuel Etobiography.  It will probably be surprising for many to know this, but Samuel Eto actually started his career at his current team's arch-rivals, Real Madrid, who have the merit of discovering the talented player at the Kadji Sports Academy in Cameroon.  Joining the youth team of Real at only 15 years of age, in 1996, he only spent 1 year at the club, being loaned to second division's CD Leganes in the 1997-1998. Returning to Real, he was taken on the first team when being only 17 years old, however he had a frustrating season, being given the chance to play for the Santiago Bernabeu side in only 3 games and even those, as a late substitute. 
  • 11. Luis Figo  Portuguese soccer is well known for having some of the most prestigious and well-equipped youth training camps in the World and Sporting's youth facilitiesare amongst them. It is here that Luiz Figo started out playing soccer, being born in Lisbon himself.  He grew up in a team that would later be a large part of the "GoldenGeneration" of Portuguese soccer, with other important teammates such as Rui Costa. Although growing up in such a professional and competitive environment, the pressure didn't slow down the footballer, Figo shining out whenever he played and eventually winning his first senior game at Sporting in 1989 (age 17).  Although not a first squad constant (as would be expected from a 17 year old footballer), Figo managed to win his place in the team the following years and started showing more and more of his brilliance with each passing year.  Already having spent 6 seasons at Sporting, a move to a bigger club was inevitable and it was Juventus and AC Parma who made the first move, both teams offering him a contract.  Still young and being ill consulted, Luiz Figo signed for both clubs at the same time, triggering a scandal that resulted in a 2 year ban for him to transfer in the Italian Serie A. I think this was for the best, as Spanish giants FC Barcelonaimmediately moved in and signed the young midfielder.
  • 12. Ronaldinho  Ronaldo de Assis Moreira by his full name, Ronaldinho was often calledRonaldinho (or little Ronaldo) by his friends, even from his younger days.  Raised in Porto Alegre, in the Rio Grande do Sul state of Brazil, he was also given a secondary nickname in Gaucho, which is how Brazilians call people from that particular area (later on he would use the name Ronaldinho Gaucho to distinguish himself from Ronaldo, who was also referred to as Ronaldinho at times).  Following the footsteps of his older brother, Roberto, who was playing professional soccer for local club Gremio, Ronaldinho's skills drew a lot of eyes, even during his early days as a soccer player. When he joined Gremio's youth team, he already had some experience with different branches of the game, such as futsal or beach soccer.  At age 13, he managed to get the first media praises, as he scored all 23 goals in one of his futsal team's game.  Afterwards, a string of good games for Gremio's youth squads brought him in the Brazil national squads, his brightest performance being the one in Egypt 1997 for the Brazilian Under-17 team, where he scored 2 goals and assisted a few more. 
  • 13. Steven Gerrard  The average lifetime of a player at a given club is around 4 years, after which he needs to move, either due to entering a stage of self sufficiency at that club, losing the first squad or simply wanting a new challenge or a higher salary.  There are a few exceptions and when it comes to stability and having a conservative nature, the English excel. This is how it was possible for a player like Steven Gerrard to already have so many years under his belt at Liverpool, since he started playing for the youth teams of the Reds in 1989, at 9 years of age.  His childhood years were not the most promising though, as he would rarely play for the Liverpool youth squad, having problems with late growth spurts until he was 14.  Although still considered a very talented player that could become an option for the Liverpool first squad in a few years, Stevie Gerrard was allowed to trial for various other clubs in England.  As he noted in his recent autobiography, this was to force Liverpool into offering him an YTS (Youth Training Scheme) contract. He also had an incident at home that almost stopped him from playing soccer, being close to losing a toe to agarden fork.  Finally, in 1997, at age 17, Steve Gerrard was given a professional contract from Liverpool and saw his dream come true. 
  • 14. Cristiano Ronaldo  Usually, the name of Ronaldo, at least in soccer, was firmly tied to the Brazilian striker, as he was immensely renowned after winning almost anything a footballer could dream of winning. However, entering a poorer period of his career at Real Madrid, Ronaldo slowly began to succumb and young Cristiano Ronaldo was there to grab the name for his own.  So, nowadays, most people will think of the young Portuguese rather than the ex-"Il Phenomeno" when hearing the name Ronaldo. (By the way, this name was given to Cristiano by his mother after former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, so there's no connection between him and the Brazilian player).