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Washington Diplomats

Washington Diplomats

The Washington Diplomats are a soccer team in the United States that existed in two distinct time periods, and now have been reborn a third time to play in the National Alliance Soccer League (NASL). United States

NASL

The Washington Diplomats (1974–1981) were a North American Soccer League (NASL) team from Washington, D.C. that played at RFK Stadium.

Famous players

Johan Cruyff played for them in 1980 and 1981.
Bobby Stokes played for them in 1977
1977

USL First Division

In 1988, one of the inaugural franchises in the third incarnation of the American Soccer League was named the Washington Diplomats. For the 1990 season, this league merged with the Western Soccer Alliance to form the American Professional Soccer League, which eventually became the USL First Division. This version of the Diplomats folded after the 1991 season.

Average attendance per game


- 1974: 4,975
- 1975: 8,847
- 1976: 5,963
- 1977: 13,037
- 1978: 10,783
- 1979: 11,973
- 1980: 19,205
- 1981: 12,106
- 1991: 2,304 In 2005 the Diplomats again returned, this time in the National Alliance Soccer League (NASL), buoyed by a TV contract with the TVS Television Network. Category:United States soccer clubs (defunct) Category:Washington, D.C. sports ko:워싱턴 디플로매츠

SocceR

:Soccer redirects here. For other senses, see soccer (disambiguation). soccer (disambiguation) Association football, soccer, or simply football (see below) is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. Football is played predominantly with the feet, but players may use any part of their body except their hands and arms to propel the ball; the exceptions to this are throw-ins (ie: when the ball goes out of bounds, field players throw the ball into play from the sidelines) and the two players acting as goalkeepers, who are the only ones allowed to handle the ball on the field of play, albeit with restrictions. The sport is known by a variety of names in different parts of the English-speaking world, usually association football and its contraction, soccer. These names are often used to distinguish the game from other codes of football, since the word "football" may be used to refer to several quite different games. Football is played at a professional level all over the world, and millions of people regularly go to a football stadium to follow their favourite team, whilst millions more avidly watch the game on television. A very large number of people also play football at an amateur level. According to a survey conducted by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), football's governing body, published in the spring of 2001, over 240 million people regularly play football in more than 200 countries in every part of the world. Its simple rules and minimal equipment requirements have no doubt aided its spread and growth in popularity. In many parts of the world football evokes great passions and plays an important role in the life of individual fans, local communities, and even nations; it is therefore often claimed to be the most popular sport in the world.

Nature of the game

Two teams of eleven players each compete to get a spherical ball (itself known as a football) into the other team's goal, thereby scoring a goal. The team which has scored the most goals at the conclusion of the game is the winner; if both teams have an equal number of goals then the game is a draw. The primary rule for this objective is that players, other than the goalkeepers, may not intentionally touch the ball with their hands or arms during play (though they do use their hands during a throw-in restart). Although players mainly use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their bodies other than their hands or arms. throw-in In typical game play, players attempt to move towards a goal through individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling (running with the ball close to their feet); by passing the ball from team-mate to team-mate; and by taking shots at the goal. Opposition players may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent who controls the ball. Football is generally a free-flowing game with the ball in play at all times except when the ball has left the field of play by wholly crossing over a boundary line (either on the ground or in the air), or play has been stopped by the referee. When play has been stopped, it recommences with a specified restart (see below). The game is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game, which are summarised below.

The Laws of the Game

History and development

The Laws of the Game are based on efforts made in the mid-19th century to standardise the rules of the widely varying games of football played at the public schools of England. The first set of rules resembling the modern game were produced at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1848, at a meeting attended by representatives from Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester and Shrewsbury, but they were far from universally adopted. During the 1850s, many clubs were formed, thoughout the English-speaking world, independent of schools or universities, to play various forms of football. Some came up with their own distinct codes of rules, most notably the Sheffield Football Club (formed by former pupils from Harrow) in 1857, which led to formation of a Sheffield FA in 1867. In 1862, J.C. Thring of Uppingham School also devised an influential set of rules. These efforts contribute to the formation of The Football Association (The FA) in 1863 which first met on the evening of 26 October 1863 at the Freemason's Tavern in Great Queen Street, London. The only school to be represented on this occasion was Charterhouse. The Freemason's Tavern was the setting for five more meetings between October and December, which eventually produced the first comprehensive set of rules. At the final meeting, the first FA treasurer, who was the representative from Blackheath, withdrew his club from the FA over the removal of two draft rules at the previous meeting, the first which allowed for the running with the ball in hand and the second, obstructing such a run by hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins), tripping and holding. Other English rugby clubs followed this lead and did not join the FA but instead in 1871 formed the Rugby Football Union. The eleven remaining clubs, under the charge of Ebenezer Cobb Morley, went on to ratify the original fourteen rules of the game. Despite this, the Sheffield FA played by its own rules until the 1870s. Today the laws of the game are determined by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). The Board was formed in 1882 after a meeting in Manchester of The Football Association, the Scottish Football Association, the Football Association of Wales, and the Irish Football Association. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association FIFA, the international football body, was formed in Paris in 1904 and declared that they would adhere to the rules laid down by the IFAB. The growing popularity of the international game led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to the IFAB in 1913. Today the board is made up of four representatives from FIFA and one representative from each of the four British associations. 1913

Overview of the Laws

There are seventeen Laws in the official Laws of the Game. The same laws are designed to apply to all levels of football, although the preface to the Laws does grant national associations the ability to authorise certain modifications for juniors, seniors, women, etc. The Laws are often framed in broad terms, which allows flexibility in their application depending on the nature of the game. In addition to the seventeen Laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other directives contribute to the regulation of football. The Laws can be found on the [http://www.fifa.com/en/regulations/regulation/0,3527,3,00.html official FIFA website].

Players and equipment

Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excluding substitutes), one of whom must be the goalkeeper. Competition rules may state a minimum of seven players are required to constitute a team. There are a variety of positions in which the outfield players are strategically placed by a manager/coach, though these positions are not defined or required by the Laws. One player on each team must be designated as that team's goalkeeper. The goalkeeper is the only player allowed to handle the ball with his hands or arms, but is restricted to doing so within the penalty area (also known as the "box" or "18 yard box") in front of his own goal. The basic equipment players are required to wear includes a shirt (or jersey), shorts, socks (or stockings), footwear and adequate shin guards. Players are forbidden to wear or use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player (including jewellery or watches). A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during the course of the game. The maximum substitutions permitted in international games and in national level leagues is three, though substitution numbers may be varied in other leagues. The usual reasons for a player's replacement include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or to waste a little time at the end of a finely poised game. In standard adult matches, a player who has been substituted may not take further part in the match.

Officials

A game is presided over by a referee, who has "full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and whose decisions regarding facts connected with play are final. The referee is assisted by two assistant referees (formerly called linesmen). In many high-level games there is also a fourth official, who assists the referee and may replace another official should the need arise.

Playing field

fourth official)]] The length of the field (pitch) for international adult matches should be in the range 100-130 yards (90-120m) and the width should be in the range 50-100 yards (45-90m).The pitch must be rectangular, with the length of the touch line longer than the width of the goal line. The longer boundary lines are touch lines, while the shorter boundaries (on which the goals are placed) are goal lines. On the goal line at each end of the field is a goal. The inner edges of the goal posts must be 8 yards (7.32m) apart, and the lower edge of the crossbar must be 8 feet (2.44m) above the ground. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, though are not required by the Laws. In front of each goal is an area of the field known as the penalty area (colloquially "penalty box", "18 yard box" or simply "the box"). This area consists of the area formed by the goal-line, two lines starting on the goal-line 18 yards (16.5m) from the goalposts and extending 18 yards into the pitch from the goal-line, and a line joining these. This area has a number of important functions, the most prominent being to denote where the goalkeeper may handle the ball and where a foul by a defender which would usually punished by a direct free kick becomes punishable by a penalty kick. The field has other field markings and defined areas; these are described in the main article above.

Duration

Standard durations

A standard adult football match consists of two periods (known as halves) of 45 minutes each. There is usually a 15-minute break between halves, known as half time. The end of the match is known as full-time. At the end of each half the referee adds time to account for interruptions during play, such as substitutions, treatment of injuries and time wasting. This addition is traditionally known as injury time.

Extra time and shootouts

If tied at the end of regulation time, in some competitions the game may go into extra time, which consists of two further 15-minute periods. If the score is still tied after extra time, some competitions allow the use of penalty shootouts (known officially in the Laws of the Game as "kicks from the penalty mark") to determine which team will progress to the next stage of the tournament. Note that goals scored during extra time periods count towards the final score of the game, unlike kicks from the penalty mark which are only used to decide the team that progresses to the next part of the tournament (with goals scored not making up part of the final score). Competitions utilising two-leg stages (i.e. where each round involves the two teams playing each other twice) may utilise the so-called away goals rule to attempt to determine which team progresses in the event of the teams being equal on wins; however, should results still be equal following this calculation kicks from the penalty mark are usually required. Other competitions may require a tied game to be replayed.

Golden and silver goal experiments

In the late 1990s, the IFAB experimented with ways of making matches more likely to end without requiring kicks from the penalty mark, which were often seen as an undesirable way to end a match. These involved rules ending a game in extra time early, either when the first goal in extra time was scored (golden goal), or at the end of the first period of extra time if one team was by then leading (silver goal). Both these experiments have been discontinued by IFAB.

Referee as official timekeeper

The referee is the official timekeeper for the match, and it is part of his duties to make allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring attention, cautions and dismissals, sundry time wasting, etc. When making such an allowance for time lost, the referee is often said to be "adding time on". The amount of time is at the sole discretion of the referee, and the referee alone signals when the match has been completed. There are no other timekeepers, although assistant referees carry a watch and may provide a second opinion if requested by the referee. In matches where a fourth official is appointed, towards the end of the half the referee will signal how many minutes remain to be played, and the fourth official then signals this to players and spectators by holding up a board showing this number. Note that there is often semantic debate as to whether the referee is "adding on" time to the end of a half, or rather treating time during stoppages as though it never existed as part of the match time; this distinction has little bearing on the practical conduct of a game, however it may be noted that the pre-1997 wording of the laws stated that the referee "shall ... allow the full or agreed time adding thereto all time lost through injury or accident" (Law V), and later FIFA guidelines regarding the annotation of goal scoring times suggested that time is indeed "added-on" to the end of the agreed half period.

Starts and re-starts

Each playing period in football commences with a kick-off, which is a set kick from the centre-spot by one team. At kick-off all players are required to be in their half of the field, and all players of the non-kicking team must also remain outside the centre-circle, until the ball is kicked and moved. Kick-offs are also used to restart play following a goal. From the initial kick-off of a period until the end of that period, the ball is "in play" at all times until the end of the playing period, except when the ball leaves the field of play or play is stopped by the referee; in these cases play is re-started by one of the following eight methods: kick-off
- Kick-off: following a goal by the opposing team, or to begin each period of play. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws8_01.htm Law 8]).
- Throw-in: when the ball has wholly crossed the touchline; awarded to opposing team to that which last touched the ball. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws15_01.htm Law 15]).
- Goal kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by an attacker; awarded to defending team. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws16_01.htm Law 16]).
- Corner kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by a defender; awarded to attacking team. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws17_01.htm Law 17]).
- Indirect free kick: awarded to the opposing team following "non-penal" fouls, certain technical infringements, or when play is stopped to caution/send-off an opponent without a specific foul having occurred. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws13_01.htm Law 13]).
- Direct free kick: awarded to fouled team following certain listed "penal" fouls. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws13_01.htm Law 13]).
- Penalty kick: awarded to fouled team following "penal" foul having occurred in their opponent's penalty area. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws14_01.htm Law 14]).
- Dropped-ball: occurs when the referee has stopped play for any other reason (e.g. a serious injury to a player, interference by an external party, or a ball becoming defective). ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws8_03.htm Law 8]).

Fouls and misconduct

A foul occurs when a player (not a substitute) commits a specific offence listed in the Laws of the Game, against an opponent, when the ball is in play. The offences that constitute a foul are mainly listed in Law 12. "Penal fouls", for example handling the ball, tripping an opponent, pushing an opponent, etc, are punishable by a direct free kick or penalty kick depending on where the offence occurred. Other fouls are punishable by an indirect free kick. Misconduct may occur at any time, and need not be against an opponent. Substitutes may commit misconduct. Whilst the offences that constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad. In particular, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal with most events that violate the spirit of the game, even if they are not listed as specific offences. Misconduct may be punished by a caution (yellow card) or sending-off (red card).

Offside

The offside law limits the ability of attacking players to remain forward (i.e. closer to the opponent's goal-line) of both the ball and the second last defending player. It is often assumed that the purpose of this law is to prevent "goal scrounging" or "cherry picking", but in fact the offside law has similar roots to the offside law in rugby (see full article). The details and application of this law are complex, and often result in controversy: for more information on offside please refer to the main article above.

Governing bodies

The recognised international governing body of football (and associated games, such as futsal and beach soccer) is the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). Six regional confederations are associated with FIFA; these are:
- Asia: Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
- Africa: Confederation of African Football (CAF)
- Central/North America & Caribbean: Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF; also known as The Football Confederation)
- Europe: Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)
- Oceania: Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)
- South America: Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (South American Football Confederation; CONMEBOL) The recognised various national associations (see football around the world) oversee football within their jurisdictions. These are affiliated both with FIFA directly and also with their respective continental confederations. Note that the Laws of the Game are not maintained by FIFA itself; rather they are maintained by the International Football Association Board, as discussed in the history and development section above.

Major international competitions

Worldwide international competitions

The major international competition in football is the World Cup organised by FIFA. This competition takes place over a four-year period. Over 190 national teams compete in regional qualifying tournaments for a place in the finals. The finals tournament, which is held every four years, now involves 32 national teams (increased from 24 in 1998) competing over a four-week period. There has been a football tournament at the Summer Olympic Games since 1900, except at the 1932 games in Los Angeles. Originally this was for amateurs only, however since the 1984 Summer Olympics professionals have been permitted as well, albeit with certain restrictions which effectively prevent countries from fielding their strongest sides Currently, the Olympic men's tournament is played at Under-23 level with a restricted number of over-age players per team; consequently the competition is not generally considered to carry the same international significance and prestige as the World Cup. A women's tournament was added in 1996; in contrast to the men's event, the women's Olympic tournament is played by full international sides without age restrictions. It thus carries international prestige considered comparable to that of the FIFA Women's World Cup.

Major international competitions

The major international competitions of the world and the continental confederations, followed by their major club events where appropriate, are:
- World: FIFA World Cup; FIFA Club World Championship
- Europe: European Championship; UEFA Champions League
- South America: Copa América; Copa Libertadores
- Africa: African Nations Cup; CAF Champions League
- Asia: Asian Cup; AFC Champions League
- North/Central America & Caribbean: CONCACAF Gold Cup; CONCACAF Champions Cup
- Oceania: Oceania Nations Cup; Oceania Club Championship

Names of the game

Oceania Club Championship] The rules of football were codified in England by the Football Association in 1863, and the name association football was coined to distinguish the game from the other forms of football played at the time, specifically rugby football. The term soccer first appeared in the 1880s as a slang abbreviation of Association football. Today the sport is known by a number of names throughout the English-speaking world, the most common being football and soccer; this has generated debate regarding the "correct" name for the sport. The term used depends largely on the need to differentiate the sport from other codes of football followed in a community. Football is the term used by FIFA, the sport's world governing body, and the International Olympic Committee. For more details of naming throughout the world, please refer to the main articles above.

See also

Other varieties of the game


- Indoor football: futsal, five a side football, and indoor soccer
- Informal football-style games: see street football
- Paralympic football

Teams and players


- List of club/sub-national football teams
- List of famous football players
- List of national football teams

Gameplay


- Football formations - common team formations
- Football positions - common player positions
- Football tactics and skills

Miscellaneous


- Football around the world
- Football culture
- List of football (soccer) mascots
- NF-Board
- Oldest football clubs
- Representative caps
- Women's football around the world
- Women's football (soccer)

Further reading


- Stefan Szymanski and Tim Kuypers (1999), Winners and Losers: The Business Strategy of Football, Viking

External links


- [http://www.fifa.com/ Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)]
- [http://www.the-afc.com/ Asian Football Confederation (AFC)]
- [http://www.cafonline.com/ Confederation of African Football (CAF)]
- [http://www.concacaf.com/ Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF)]
- [http://www.uefa.com/ Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)]
- [http://www.conmebol.com/ South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL)]
- [http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)]
- [http://www.fifa.com/en/regulations/index.html The Current Laws of the Game (LOTG)]
- [http://www.rsssf.com/ The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF)]
- [http://www.11v11.co.uk/ Association of Football Statisticians (AFS)]
- [http://www.holycross.edu/departments/economics/vmatheso/research/soccerreview.pdf Economics of Football - Literature Review] (PDF) Category:Olympic sports Category:Team sports Category:Ball games als:Fussball zh-min-nan:Kha-kiû ko:축구 ms:Bola sepak ja:サッカー simple:Soccer football th:ฟุตบอล

1981

1981 (MCMLXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar.

Events

January-February


- January - Sarawak chamber found
- January 1 - Greece enters the EEC
- January 1 - Palau becomes self-governing
- January 4 - Sheffield police arrests Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper
- January 13 - Donna Griffiths, a schoolgirl in Pershore, Worcestershire, UK, begins a uncontrollable series of sneezes that end September 16 1983 - after 978 days
- January 16 - Protestant gunmen shoot and wound Bernadette Devlin McAliskey and her husband
- January 19 - United States and Iranian officials sign an agreement to release 52 American hostages after 14 months of captivity
- January 20 - Ronald Reagan succeeds Jimmy Carter as President of the United States of America. Minutes after Reagan becomes president, Iran releases 52 American hostages that had been held captive for 444 days - Iran hostage crisis ends.
- February 4 - Gro Harlem Brundtland becomes the Prime Minister of Norway
- February 9 - Polish Prime Minister Józef Pinkowski resigns and is replaced by General Wojciech Jaruzelski
- February 10 - A fire at the Las Vegas Hilton hotel-casino kills eight and injures 198
- February 14 - Australia withdraws recognition of the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia
- February 23 - Antonio Tejero, with members of the Guardia Civil enters the Spanish Congress of Deputies, and stops the session, where Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo was going to be named president of the government. The coup d'état would fail thanks to King Juan Carlos.

March-April

Juan Carlos.]]
- March 1 - Bobby Sands, an IRA member, begins hunger strike for political status in Long Kesh prison - he dies May 5, the first of ten men.
- March 6 - After 19 years hosting the CBS Evening News Walter Cronkite signs off for the last time.
- March 7 - Colombian guerillas execute US bible translator Chester Allen Bitterman for being a CIA agent
- March 11 - Chilean president Augusto Pinochet sworn in for an eight-year term as president.
- March 19 - Three workers are killed and five injured during a test of the Space Shuttle Columbia.
- March 30 - President Ronald Reagan is shot in the chest outside a Washington, D.C., hotel by John Hinckley, Jr., whose family had connections with the vice president. Two police officers and James Brady are also wounded.
- April 11 - Riot in Brixton, South London - rioters throw petrol bombs, attack police and loot shops.
- April 12 - The first launch of a Space Shuttle: Columbia launches on the STS-1 mission.
- April 15 - The Australian Foreign Minister Andrew Peacock resigns from cabinet accusing the Australian Prime Minister Fraser of gross disloyalty.
- April 18 - A Minor League baseball game between the Rochester Red Wings and the Pawtucket Red Sox at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island becomes the longest professional baseball game in history: 8 hours and 25 minutes/33 innings (the 33rd inning was not played until June 23rd).

May


- May - Daniel K. Ludwig abandons the Jari project in the Amazon Basin
- May 6 - A jury of architects and sculptors unanimously selects Maya Ying Lin's design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial from 1,421 other entries.
- May 10 - In the second round of the presidential elections in France (French presidential election, 1981), François Mitterrand beats Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.
- May 13 - Pope John Paul II is shot at and nearly killed by Mehmet Ali Ağca, a Turkish gunman, as he entered St. Peter's Square in Rome to address a general audience. (Two days after Christmas in 1983, Pope John Paul went to the prison to meet and forgive his would-be assassin)
- May 21 - In France, socialist François Mitterrand becomes president of the Republic.
- May 22 - Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, imprisoned for life for 13 counts of murder
- May 25 - In Riyadh, the Gulf Cooperation Council is created between Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
- May 26 - The Italian government resigns over its links to the fascist Masonic cell P-2
- May 30 - Bangladesh President Ziaur Rahman assassinated in Chittagong.

June-July

Chittagong return to Buckingham Palace following their wedding watched by over 1 billion people worldwide.]]
- June 5 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that five homosexual men in Los Angeles, California have a rare form of pneumonia seen only in patients with weakened immune systems (these were the first recognized cases of AIDS).
- June 6 - Seven coaches of an overcrowded passenger train fall off the tracks into the River Kosi, in Bihar, India - about 800 dead
- June 7 - Israeli Air Force destroys Iraq's Osiraq nuclear reactor
- June 13 - At the Trooping the Colour ceremony in London, a teenager Marcus Sargeant fires six blank shots at Queen Elizabeth II.
- June 22 - Hamas attacks a travel agency in Greece - two dead
- June 22 - Iranian president Abolhassan Banisadr deposed
- June 29 - Morris Edwin Robert armed with a machine gun holds hostages in the FBI section in Atlanta Federal Building. After three hours the hostages are rescued - Robert is shot
- July 17 - Hyatt Regency walkway collapse: Two skywalks filled with people at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri collapse into a crowded atrium lobby killing 114
- July 17 - Israeli bombers destroy the PLO HQ in Beirut
- July 27 - Wheel of Fortune premiers in Australia on the Seven Network.
- July 29 - Lady Diana Spencer marries Charles, Prince of Wales.

August-October


- August 1 - MTV (Music Television) is launched.
- August 5 - Ronald Reagan fires 11,359 striking air-traffic controllers who ignored his order for them to return to work.
- August 7 - The Washington Star ceases all operations after 128 years of publication.
- August 12 - The original IBM PC released in the United States.
- August 19 - Gulf of Sidra incident (1981). Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi sends two Sukhoi Su-22 fighter jets to intercept two US fighters over the Gulf of Sidra. The American jets destroyed the Libyan fighters.
- August 19 - US President Ronald Reagan appoints the first female US Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O'Connor.
- August 28 - South African troops invade Angola.
- August 31 - A bomb explodes at the US Army base in Ramstein, West Germany injuring 20 people.
- September 4 - An explosion at a mine in Zalizin, Czechoslovakia - 65 dead.
- September 10 - Picasso's painting "Guernica" is moved from New York to Madrid.
- September 15 - The John Bull becomes the oldest operable steam locomotive in the world, at 150 years old, when it operates under its own power outside Washington, DC.
- September 18 - France abolishes capital punishment.
- October 6 - Egyptian president Anwar Sadat is assassinated during a parade by army members who were part of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad organization, who opposed his negotiations with Israel.
- October 10 - The Ministry for Education of Japan issues the jōyō kanji.
- October 14 - Vice President Hosni Mubarak is elected President of Egypt one week after Anwar Sadat was assassinated.
- October 21 - Andreas Papandreou becomes Prime Minister of Greece.

November-December

Prime Minister of Greece
- November 1 - Antigua and Barbuda gain independence from the United Kingdom
- November 13 - The first Friday the 13th event held by motorcyclists in Port Dover, Ontario, Canada
- November 23 - Iran-Contra scandal: Ronald Reagan signs the top secret National Security Decision Directive 17 (NSDD-17), giving the Central Intelligence Agency the authority to recruit and support Contra rebels in Nicaragua
- November 25-November 26 - Group of mercenaries lead by Mike Hoare take over Mahe airport in the Seychelles in a coup attempt. Most of the mercenaries escape by a commandeered Air India passenger jet, six are later arrested
- November 30 - Cold War: In Geneva, representatives from the United States and the Soviet Union begin to negotiate intermediate-range nuclear weapon reductions in Europe (the meetings ended inconclusively on Thursday, December 17)
- December 1 - A Yugoslavian DC-9 crashes into a mountain while approaching Ajaccio Airport in Corsica killing 178
- December 4 - South Africa grants "homeland" Ciskei independence (not recognized outside South Africa)
- December 11 - El Mozote massacre - in El Salvador, army units kill 900 civilians
- December 13 - Wojciech Jaruzelski declares the state of martial law in Poland to prevent dismantling of the communist system by Solidarity
- December 15 - A car bomb destroys the Iraqi Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 61 people. This is the first modern suicide bombing. Syrian intelligence is blamed.
- December 20 - The Penlee lifeboat disaster off the coast of South-West Cornwall
- December 28 - The first American test-tube baby, Elizabeth Jordan Carr, is born (Norfolk, Virginia)

unknown dates


- Millennium Renactment of the translation of Saint Edward the Martyr's relics from Wareham to Shaftesbury
- Mauritania abolishes the institution of slavery.
- James Tobin wins the Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.
- Mike Cooley, Bill Mollison and Patrick van Rensburg / Education with Production win the Right Livelihood Award
- The counter-culture wire service LNS ceases operations.
- Public funding of election Campaigns introduced in New South Wales, Australia
- The State Council of the People's Republic of China listed the four cities (Beijing, Hangzhou, Suzhou and Guilin) as where the protection of historical and cultural heritage as well as natural scenery should be treated as a prior project.
- Cuba suffers a major outbreak of Dengue hemorrhagic fever, with 344 203 cases. [http://w3.whosea.org/en/Section10/Section332/Section521_2454.htm]
- Computer and Video Games (magazine) begins publication.

Births

January-March


- January 1 - Zsolt Baumgartner, Hungarian race car driver
- January 3 - Eli Manning, American football player
- January 6 - Mike Jones, American rapper
- January 12 - Quentin Griffin, American football player
- January 15 - El Hadji Diouf, Senegalese footballer
- January 15 - Howie Day, American singer and songwriter
- January 17 - Scott Mechlowicz, American actor
- January 20 - Jason Richardson, American basketball player
- January 20 - Owen Hargreaves, Canadian-born footballer
- January 21 - Dany Heatley, German-born hockey player
- January 22 - Chantelle Anderson, American basketball player
- January 22 - Willa Ford, American singer, television hostess, and actress
- January 22 - Beverley Mitchell, American actress
- January 25 - Alicia Keys, American musician
- January 28 - Elijah Wood, American actor
- January 31 - Justin Timberlake, American musician
- February 3 - Alisa Reyes, American actress
- February 10 - Natasha St-Pier, Canadian singer
- February 11 - Kelly Rowland, American singer (Destiny's Child)
- February 14 - Erin Torpey, American actress
- February 15 - Jenna Morasca, American television personality
- February 17 - Paris Hilton, American actress and heiress
- February 18 - Andrei Kirilenko, Russian basketball player
- February 22 - Jeanette Biedermann, German singer and actress
- February 24 - Lleyton Hewitt, Australian tennis player
- February 27 - Josh Groban, American singer
- March 1 -Ana Hickmann, Brazilian model
- March 2 - Bryce Howard, American actress
- March 3 - Lil' Flip, American rapper
- March 9 - Antonio Bryant, American football player
- March 11 - David Anders, American actor
- March 11 - Lee Evans, American football player
- March 11 - LeToya Luckett, American musician (Destiny's Child)
- March 16 - Andrew Bree, Irish swimmer
- March 28 - Julia Stiles, American actress

April-June


- April 1 - Hannah Spearritt, British singer (S Club 7)
- April 2 - Bethany Joy Lenz, American actress and singer
- April 10 - Michael Pitt, American actor
- April 14 - Mary Castro, American model and actress
- April 17 - Hanna Pakarinen, Finnish singer
- April 19 - Hayden Christensen, Canadian actor
- April 19 - Catalina Sandino Moreno, Colombian actress
- April 19 - Troy Polamalu, American football player
- April 22 - Ken Dorsey, American football player
- April 28 - Jessica Alba, American actress
- May 5 - Craig David, British singer
- May 5 - Danielle Fishel, American actress
- May 11 - Lauren Jackson, Australian basketball player
- May 13 - Sunny Leone, Canadian entertainer
- May 15 - Jamie-Lynn DiScala, American actress
- May 19 - Klaas-Erik Zwering, Dutch swimmer
- May 20 - Sean Conlon, English musician (5ive)
- May 20 - Lindsay Taylor, American basketball player
- June 1 - Carlos Zambrano, Venezuelan Major League Baseball player
- June 7 - Anna Kournikova, Russian tennis player
- June 7 - Larisa Oleynik, American actress
- June 9 - Natalie Portman, Israeli-born actress
- June 13 - Christopher Robert Evans, American actor
- June 12 - Adriana Lima, Brazilian model
- June 21 - Brandon Flowers, American singer and keyboardist (The Killers)

July-September


- July 8 - Anastasia Myskina, Russian tennis player
- July 23 - Michelle Williams, American singer (Destiny's Child)
- July 24 - Summer Glau, American actress (Firefly)
- August 4 - Marques Houston, American singer and actor
- August 5 - Carl Crawford, baseball player
- August 5 - Kō Shibasaki, Japanese singer and actress
- August 8 - Vanessa Amorosi, Australian singer and songwriter
- August 8 - Roger Federer, Swiss tennis player
- August 8 - Meagan Good, American actress
- August 16 - Taylor Rain, American actress
- August 24 - Chad Michael Murray, American actor
- August 25 - Rachel Bilson, American actress
- September 1 - Clinton Portis, American football player
- September 4 - Beyoncé Knowles, American singer (Destiny's Child) and actress
- September 8 - Jonathan Taylor Thomas, American actor
- September 16 - Alexis Bledel, American actress
- September 21 - Nicole Richie, American actress
- September 22 - Rocco Baldelli, baseball player
- September 26 - Christina Milian, Afro-Cuban singer, songwriter and musician
- September 26 - Serena Williams, American tennis player
- September 30 - Dominique Moceanu, American gymnast

October-December


- October 1 - Jamelia, British singer
- October 3 - Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Swedish footballer
- October 11 - Beau Brady, Australian actor
- October 15 - Elena Dementieva, Russian tennis player
- October 20 - Willis McGahee, American football player
- October 22 - Michael Fishman, American actor
- October 28 - Milan Baros, Czech footballer
- October 29 - Amanda Beard, American swimmer
- October 30 - Ivanka Trump, American model
- October 31 - Irina Denezhkina, Russian writer
- October 31 - Frank Iero, American guitarist (My Chemical Romance)
- November 1 - LaTavia Roberson, American musician (Destiny's Child)
- November 3 - Jackie Gayda, American professional wrestler
- November 4 - Vince Wilfork, American football player
- November 8 - Azura Skye, American actress
- November 11 - Natalie Glebova, Canadian pageant winner (2005 Miss Universe)
- November 26 - Natasha Bedingfield, British singer
- November 26 - Aurora Snow, American actress
- December 2 - Britney Spears, American singer
- December 3 - Brian Bonsall, American actor
- December 4 - Lila McCann, American singer
- December 7 - Ben Adams, British singer (a1)
- December 13 - Amy Lee, American singer (Evanescence)
- December 15 - Kyle McKain, American Club DJ
- December 15 - Thomas Herrion, American football player (d. 2005)
- December 21 - Shizuka Arakawa, Japanese figure skater
- December 27 - Yuvraj Singh, Indian cricketer
- December 28 - Elizabeth Jordan Carr, first American test-tube baby
- December 28 - Sienna Miller, American-born actress
- December 29 - Angela Via, American singer
- December 30 - Haley Paige, American actress

Deaths


- January 5 - Harold C. Urey, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1893)
- January 5 - Lanza del Vasto, Italian-born philosopher, poet, and activist (b. 1901)
- January 6 - A.J. Cronin, Scottish novelist (b. 1896)
- January 10 - Katherine Alexander, American actress (b. 1898)
- January 23 - Samuel Barber, American composer (b. 1910)
- February 1 - Geirr Tveitt, Norwegian composer (b. 1908)
- February 9 - Bill Haley, American musician (b. 1925)
- February 15 - Karl Richter, German conductor (b. 1926)
- February 20 - Baron Nicolas de Gunzburg, magazine editor, socialite (b. 1904)
- February 26 - Howard Hanson, American composer (b. 1896)
- March 6 - George Geary, English cricketer (b. 1893)
- March 7 - Kiril Kondrashin, Russian conductor (b. 1914)
- March 9 - Max Delbrück, German biologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1906)
- April 7 - Norman Taurog, American film director (b. 1899)
- April 12 - Joe Louis, American boxer (b. 1914)
- April 27 - John Aspinwall Roosevelt, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1916)
- May 9 - Nelson Algren, American author (b.1909)
- May 11 - Odd Hassel, Norwegian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1897)
- May 11 - Bob Marley, Jamaican singer and musician (b. 1945)
- May 18 - William Saroyan, American author (b. 1908)
- June 1 - Carl Vinson, U.S. Congressman (b. 1883)
- June 19 - Lotte Reiniger, German-born silhouette animator (b. 1899)
- June 28 - Terry Fox, Canadian athlete and cancer activist (b. 1958)
- August 14 - Karl Böhm, Austrian conductor (b. 1894)
- September 1 - Albert Speer, Nazi official (b. 1905)
- September 2 - Dame Enid Lyons, Australia politician (b. 1897)
- September 8 - Bill Shankly, Scottish football manager (b. 1913)
- September 8 - Hideki Yukawa, Japanese physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1907)
- September 9 - Sir Robert (Bob) Askin, Premier of New South Wales (b. 1907)
- September 12 - Eugenio Montale, Italian writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1896)
- October 2 - Harry Golden, American journalist (b. 1902)
- October 6 - Anwar Sadat, President of Egypt, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (assassinated) (b. 1918)
- October 16 - Stanley Clements, American actor (b. 1926)
- October 16 - Moshe Dayan, Israeli general (b. 1915)
- November 7 - Will Durant, American philosopher and writer (b. 1885)
- November 22 - Hans Adolf Krebs, German physician and biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1900)
- November 29 - Natalie Wood, American actress (drowned) (b. 1938)
- December 28 - Allan Dwan, Canadian-born film director (b. 1885)

Nobel Prizes


- Physics - Nicolaas Bloembergen, Arthur Leonard Schawlow, Kai M. Siegbahn
- Chemistry - Kenichi Fukui, Roald Hoffmann
- Medicine - Roger W. Sperry, David H. Hubel, Torsten N. Wiesel
- Literature - Elias Canetti
- Peace - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Templeton Prize


- Dame Cicely Saunders Category:1981 als:1981 ko:1981년 ja:1981年 simple:1981 th:พ.ศ. 2524

North American Soccer League

North American Soccer League (NASL) was a professional American soccer league that operated from 1968 to 1984.

History

In 1967, two pro soccer leagues started in the United States: the FIFA-sanctioned United Soccer Association and the unsanctioned National Professional Soccer League. It has been suggested that the timing of this was related to the huge amount of attention given throughout the English-speaking world given to the victory by England in the 1966 FIFA World Cup and the resulting documentary film, Goal. The National Professional Soccer League had a national television contract in the U.S. with the CBS television network, but the ratings for matches were unacceptable even by weekend daytime standards and the arrangement was terminated. The leagues merged in 1968 to form the North American Soccer League (NASL). The league lasted until the 1984 NASL Season when it suspended operations. However, four NASL teams (Chicago, Minnesota, New York, and San Diego) joined the Major Indoor Soccer League for its 1984-85 season. The NASL itself operated an indoor soccer league from 1979-82 and in 1983-84. The biggest club in the league was the New York Cosmos, who drew upwards of 40,000 fans per game at their height. However, the average attendance of the league never reached 15,000, which is less than Major League Soccer "MLS" currently draws. The NASL faced challenges in regard to selling the sport of soccer to Americans, which was completely foreign to them. The league "Americanized" the rules in attempt to make the game more exciting to the average sports fan. These changes included a clock that counted down to zero, a 35 yard line for offsides, and a shootout to decide matches that ended in a draw. The foreign image of soccer wasn't helped by a league that brought many older, high profile foreign players, and left Americans on the bench. The overexpansion was a huge factor in the death of the league. Once the league started growing, new franchises were awarded quickly, and it doubled in size in a few years, peaking at 24 teams. This resulted in the talent level spreading too thin. Additionally, many of the owners were not soccer people, and once the popularity started to decline, they got out as quickly as they got in. They also spent millions on aging stars to try and match the success of the Cosmos, and lost significant amounts of money. While the NASL may have failed, it introduced soccer to the North American scene and was a contributing factor in soccer becoming the number one participatory sport among American youth. It has also provided lessons for its successor Major League Soccer, which has tried to build soccer-specific stadiums for each of its teams, rather than following the NASL's example of renting large NFL venues. MLS has enforced a limit on foreign players forcing teams to develop American talent rather than following the NASL's example of relying on high paid imports who were often past their prime. Initially, MLS tried to "Americanize" its rules with shootouts and the clock counting down, but since 2000 it has been using FIFA Laws.

NASL Champions


- 1968 Atlanta Chiefs
- 1969 Kansas City Spurs
- 1970 Rochester Lancers
- 1971 Dallas Tornado
- 1972 New York Cosmos
- 1973 Philadelphia Atoms
- 1974 Los Angeles Aztecs
- 1975 Tampa Bay Rowdies
- 1976 Toronto Metros-Croatia
- 1977 New York Cosmos
- 1978 New York Cosmos
- 1979 Vancouver Whitecaps
- 1980 New York Cosmos
- 1981 Chicago Sting
- 1982 New York Cosmos
- 1983 Tulsa Roughnecks
- 1984 Chicago Sting

NASL Indoor Champions


- 1980 Memphis Rogues
- 1981 Edmonton Drillers
- 1982 San Diego Sockers
- 1983 No NASL indoor league
- 1984 San Diego Sockers

Teams of NASL 1968-84

Famous players of the NASL

Current professionals with parents in the NASL


- Jordan Cila, son of Renato Cila
- Jordi Cruyff, son of Johan Cruyff
- Alecko Eskandarian, son of Andranik Eskandarian
- Julie Fleeting, daughter of Jim Fleeting
- Daniel Nardiello, son of Donato Nardiello
- John Barry Nusum, son of John Nusum
- Taylor Twellman, son of Tim Twellman
- Chris Wingert, son of Norm Wingert

Average Attendance


- 1968: 4,747
- 1969: 4,699
- 1970: 2,930
- 1971: 3,163
- 1972: 4,159
- 1973: 4,780
- 1974: 5,954
- 1975: 7,770
- 1976: 7,642
- 1977: 10,295
- 1978: 13,558
- 1979: 13,084
- 1980: 14,201
- 1981: 14,084
- 1982: 13,155
- 1983: 13,258
- 1984: 10,759

United Soccer Association (USA) 1967

Western Division


- Chicago Mustangs (Cagliari, Italy)
- Dallas Tornado (Dundee United, Scotland)
- Houston Stars (Bangu, Brazil)
- Los Angeles Wolves (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England) champions
- San Francisco Gales (ADO Den Haag, Netherlands)
- Vancouver Royal Canadians (Sunderland, England)

Eastern Division


- Boston Rovers (Shamrock Rovers, Ireland)
- Cleveland Stokers (Stoke City, England)
- Detroit Cougars (Glentoran), Northern Ireland)
- New York Skyliners (Cerro, Uruguay)
- Toronto City (Hibernian, Scotland)
- Washington Whips (Aberdeen, Scotland)

National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) 1967


- Atlanta Chiefs
- Baltimore Bays
- Chicago Spurs
- Los Angeles Toros
- New York Generals
- Philadelphia Spartans
- Pittsburgh Phantoms
- Oakland Clippers (champions)
- St. Louis Stars
- Toronto Falcons

See also


- NASL Most Valuable Player Award
- Soccer Bowl
- :Category:NASL players

External links


- [http://home.att.net/~nasl/nasl.htm A site dedicated to the history of the NASL]
- [http://home.att.net/~nasl/players.htm NASL All-time Player Register]
- [http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/ American Soccer History Archives]
- [http://www.kenn.com/sports/soccer/nasl/index.html NASL Attendance Figures] Category:United States soccer competitions (defunct) Category:Canadian football (soccer) competitions (defunct) Category:Indoor football (soccer) ko:북미 축구 리그 ja:北米サッカーリーグ

Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium

Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, informally known as RFK Stadium, is a professional sports stadium that opened in the fall of 1961. Originally called D.C. Stadium, it served as home to the Washington Senators of Major League Baseball from the spring of 1962 through 1971, when the team moved to Arlington, Texas. The stadium was also the home of the Washington Redskins, a team in the National Football League, from 1961 until 1996, when they moved to FedEx Field in suburban Maryland. The stadium was renamed for slain presidential candidate Robert Kennedy in 1969. Concerts featuring renowned rock bands and performers still take place at the stadium. It has also hosted soccer matches in the (men's) and 2003 Women's World Cup. 2003 Women's World Cup.]] The stadium now serves as the home of the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball and D.C. United of Major League Soccer. A complex conversion is necessary to switch the stadium seating from baseball to soccer configuration and back again. This includes rolling the 3rd-base lower-level seats into the outfield along a buried rail, dropping the hydraulic pitcher's mound 3 feet into the ground, and laying sod over the infield dirt. In 2005, this conversion was done over 20 times. RFK Stadium was, for 35 years, known as home to the Redskins, whose return to prominence as a football power began the same year the Senators left D.C. The Redskins' first game in RFK Stadium was a 24-21 loss to the New York Giants on October 1, 1961. The team's first win in the stadium was over its archrival, the Dallas Cowboys on December 17, 1961. The Redskins' last win at RFK Stadium was a 37-10 victory over the Cowboys on December 22, 1996. As a baseball park, RFK Stadium is unique in having only an upper deck across the outfield, atop a high wall. Burly slugger Frank Howard hit a number of tape-measure home runs in his career, a few of which landed in the center field area of that upper deck. The stadium hosted the first 1962 All-Star Game, which was attended by Robert Kennedy's brother, President John F. Kennedy (in whose Administration Robert Kennedy served as Attorney General) and the 1969 All-Star Game, which was played in the daytime after a rainout the night before. Another memorable baseball moment occurred in a Cracker Jack Old Timers game in the early 1980s, when 75 year old Hall of Famer Luke Appling hit a home run. With its revival as a major league baseball facility, RFK Stadium now displaces Dodger Stadium as the fourth oldest major league ballpark, behind Fenway Park, Wrigley Field and Yankee Stadium. Its first baseball game was the day before Dodger Stadium's first game, and it was first opened for football the previous fall.

Users

Current


- D.C. United (1996-)
- Washington Nationals (2005-)

Former


- Washington Redskins (1961-1996)
- Washington Senators (1962-1971)
- Washington Freedom (1998-2001)
- Washington Diplomats (1974-1981), (1991).
- Washington Darts (1971)
- Washington Whips (1968)

New developments

On September 29, 2004, Major League Baseball announced its intentions to move the Montreal Expos to Washington, D.C. and rename them the Washington Nationals. RFK Stadium has undergone a $13 million dollar renovation, and will be used for a total of three years for the new baseball team, while a $440 million dollar state-of-the-art stadium is built on the north bank of the Anacostia River at South Capitol Street. Their first regular-season home game at RFK was April 14, 2005, vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks. On April 14, 2005, just before the Nationals' home opener, the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission announced an agreement with the Department of Defense under which the military would pay the city about $6 million for the right to place recruiting kiosks and signage in the stadium. In return, the stadium would be dubbed Armed Forces Field at RFK Stadium. This plan was dropped within days, however, after several prominent members of Congress questioned the use of public funds for a stadium sponsorship.

Memorable games/moments at RFK Stadium


- After trailing the Cowboys 24-6 halfway through the third quarter on November 28, 1965 quarterback Sonny Jurgensen leads the Redskins to 21 fourth quarter points and a 34-31 comeback victory.
- The Redskins beat the New York Giants 72-41 on November 27, 1966. The 113 combined points are the most ever scored in an NFL game.
- In the Washington Senators' final home game, on September 30, 1971, the Senators lead the New York Yankees 7-5 with two outs left in the top of the ninth. Fans storm the field and tear up bases, grass patches, and anything else they can find for souvenirs. The Senators forfeit the game, 9-0.
- On December 31, 1972 the Redskins defeat the Cowboys 26-3 in the NFC Championship game to earn a trip to Super Bowl VII.
- In a Monday Night Football game on October 8, 1973 Redskins safety Ken Houston stops Cowboys' receiver Walt Garrison at the goal line as time expired to secure a win.
- December 17, 1977 - the Redskins defeat the Los Angeles Rams 17-14 in what would be head coach George Allen's final game with the team.
- October 25, 1981 - the Redskins narrowly beat the New England Patriots 24-22 to earn head coach Joe Gibbs his first win at RFK Stadium.
- January 22, 1983 - the stadium physically shakes as a capacity crowd of 54,000 chant "We Want Dallas" taunting the hated Cowboys in the NFC Championship game. The Redskins go on to defeat the Cowboys 31-17 to earn a trip to Super Bowl XVII where they beat the Miami Dolphins 24-17.
- September 5, 1983 - Redskins' rookie cornerback Darrell Green chases down Cowboys' running back Tony Dorsett from behind to prevent him from scoring. The Redskins go on to lose the game 31-30.
- November 18, 1985 - Giants' linebacker Lawrence Taylor sacks Redskins' quarterback Joe Theismann breaking his leg and ending his NFL career. Backup quarterback Jay Schroeder comes in and leads the Redskins to a 23-21 victory.
- January 17, 1988 Cornerback Darrell Green knocks down a Wade Wilson pass at the goal line to clinch a victory over the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship game. The Redskins go on to defeat the Denver Broncos 42-10 in Super Bowl XXII.
- January 4, 1992 - in pouring rain the Redskins beat the Atlanta Falcons 24-7 in the Divisional round of the playoffs. As time winds down in the fourth quarter the fans shower the field with the free yellow seat cushions given them when they entered the stadium.
- January 12, 1992 - the Redskins destroy the Detroit Lions 41-10 in the NFC Championship game earning a trip to Super Bowl XXVI where they beat the Buffalo Bills 37-24.
- December 13, 1992 - Redskins coach Joe Gibbs coaches what would be his last win at RFK Stadium. The Redskins defeat the Cowboys 20-17.
- October 30, 1996 - Ten days after winning the first Major League Soccer title, D.C. United defeats the Rochester Rhinos 3-1 in the U.S. Open Cup final, achieving the first "double" in American soccer history.
- October 26, 1997 - D.C. United defeats the Colorado Rapids 2-1 to win their second consecutive MLS Cup.
- August 16, 1998 - D.C. United defeats C.D. Toluca of Mexico 1-0 to win the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, becoming the first American team to do so and marking their first victory in an international tournament.
- October 15, 2000 - the Kansas City Wizards defeat the Chicago Fire 1-0 to win their first MLS Cup.
- April 14, 2001 - the Washington Freedom defeat the Bay Area CyberRays 1-0 in the inaugural match of the Women's United Soccer Association.
- November 6, 2004 - D.C. United win the Eastern Conference final by tying the New England Revolution 3-3 and advancing on penalty kicks. They would go on to defeat the Kansas City Wizards 3-2 in the MLS Cup.
- April 14, 2005 - Washington Nationals defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-3, before a crowd of 45,596, to win their first home opener in Washington, DC. They go on to sweep the 3-game series.

Food vendors inside the stadium

RFK is home to to such eateries as Forescore Grill, The Diamond Club, Burrito Brothers, Dominic's of New York and Stars and Stripes Brew. Category:Major League Baseball venues Category:Cookie cutter stadiums Category:Washington, D.C. sports Category:FIFA World Cup stadiums Category:FIFA Women's World Cup stadiums Category:Soccer venues in the United States ja:ロバート・F・ケネディ・メモリアル・スタジアム

Bobby Stokes

Bobby Stokes, footballer 1951-1995. Bobby Stokes is well known for scoring the winning goal in the FA Cup Final for Southampton F.C. against Manchester United in 1976.

Childhood and early career

Bobby Stokes was born in Portsmouth in January of 1951. It is ironic that he was born in the city that's team rivals the one he was most famous for playing for, although he did go on to play for Portsmouth F.C.. A talented player from a young age, Bobby Stokes quickly became a target for a number of clubs and looked likely to sign for Portsmouth F.C.. However, due to the failings of the clubs youth system, Bobby Stokes slipped through. But he didn't have to wait long for his next chance to go professional and signed for Southampton F.C. in the 1960's as an apprentice. He struggled to get into the first team as a young player (as most often do) but during the 1968/69 season, he was given his chance, making his debut on April 7th 1969 against Burnley and managing to score as well.

Prolonged Success with the Club

1969 From then on, his presence in the team, though not assured, was constant. He scored his first goals for the club in those late sixties years, and fully broke in the 1969/70 season, playing 19 times. However his fortunes did not go too well, only scoring two goals in that time. The next season (1970/71) he was ravaged by injury and poor form and only played one solitary game. In the way that football careers can sometimes go, this could've been the slope down for Stokes in only his first few years as a pro. However, he proved himself come 1971/72, playing 41 times and scoring 7 times. He continued to impress in the next few years, despite suffering relegation in 1974 with the team. Then came the immortal year of 1976

1976: The Cup Final Year

Bobby Stokes had an average league campaign, putting in 8 goals. However, the season would be remembered for Saints reaching the FA Cup Final. After beating Aston Villa F.C. in the third round, Stokes scored aginst Blackpool F.C. in the fourth round in a 3-1 victory. In the fifth round, Saints were drawn against West Bromwich Albion and were forced to put out a significantly weakened team because of a stomach virus which affected many of the first team. Bobby Stokes was not one of the ill however, as he scored a late equaliser in the game to draw it 1-1. As is the nature of a sport like football, fortunes can turn on such an incident. Saints subsequently won the replay and it is perhaps a moment like that which propelled them to the final. As Saints got closer, the tension rose and their place was sealed with a semi-final defeat of Crystal Palace F.C. Expectations at the time were that Saints would be soundly beaten by a Football League First Division Manchester United F.C. side on the up. But Bobby Stokes didn't listen to the doubters, scoring the only goal of the game, racing onto a Jim McCalliog pass and placing his shot accurately into the extreme corner of the net past Alex Stepney in the United goal. Initial thoughts were that he was offside but replays show that it was his sheer speed that took him past Martin Buchan to create the chance. His name was forever written into Southampton folklore, and it remains Saints highest success as a club.

Post-1976

Things would never return to the summer Wembley high for Stokes, as his final season with Southampton was average at best, managing only 11 appearances and 1 goal. He left Saints not so much with a whimper, but downbeat, with the club still in the Football League Second Division. The shock was where he went next - to Southampton F.C.'s bitter rivals, Portsmouth F.C. But he was never allowed to live down his associations with the Saints and was often unfairly criticised and abused by the supporters. Just one year after joining them, he left Portsmouth F.C.. He would also play for Cheltenham Town F.C. in England and move over to the U.S.A. to play for the