United States Wins FIFA Women's World Cup

On July 10, 1999, in front of a Rose Bowl crowd of 90,185, one of the greatest moments in female athletics occurs, as the United States women's soccer team beats China to win the FIFA Women's World Cup. The score was tied at zero at the end of regulation, but on penalty kicks, the U.S. won 5-4. The game-winning kick, and one of the most replayed highlights in history, came from America's Brandi Chastain, who launched the soccer ball just right of Chinese goalie Gao Hong.

As the American crowd erupted, as the United States team raced onto the field in celebration, Chastain whipped off her shirt and twirled it in the air, revealing a black Nike sports bra. The image of Chastain's celebration would grace the cover of Time Magazine, Sports Illustrated, and Newsweek.

It was a phenomenal moment in women's sports. Soccer was said to be irrelevant in America, and women's team sports had been nothing but obscure. But here was a case where a combination of the two had somehow worked.

The crowd of 90,185 was the largest for a women's sporting event ever, while an additional 40 million people watched the World Cup Final on ABC, the largest TV audience ever for a soccer game in America. The team was so huge that even president Bill Clinton was on hand for the final match. The men's soccer team, which had never even come close to winning the World Cup, couldn't approach that if they tried. The women were undeniably better than the men.

Just two years later, the Women's United Soccer Association, the world's first female professional soccer league, played its first game. The league was founded in an attempt to capitalize on the success of the U.S. women's te

am; some believed that the championship game proved that an all-women soccer league could be legitimized in this country. However, even though the league featured many of that team's players, such as Mia Hamm, Briana Scurry, and Chastain, the WUSA failed to reach its expectations. The league incurred zero mainstream attention, and in 2003, the league was forced to fold after accumulating close to $100 million in losses.

San Diego Sockers Win Fourth Consecutive Title

On May 23, 1991, the San Diego Sockers win their fourth consecutive Major Soccer League championship.

The team began as the Baltimore Comets in 1974 but moved to San Diego as the San Diego Jaws in 1976. After a one-year stay in Las Vegas as the Las Vegas Quicksilvers, the team returned as the San Diego Sockers in 1978. They were owned by Bob Bell.

The 1981 NASL Indoor Champs, the San Diego Sockers.

From 1978 to 1996 the Sockers were a soccer team that played in the North American Soccer League, the original Major Indoor Soccer League.

Initially, victories came slowly for the club but mounted quickly and they experienced moderate success over their outdoor history winning several division titles.

However, the San Diego Sockers won the North American Soccer League (NASL) Indoor Championships of 1981-82 and 1983-84. 

Success was far from over for the San Diego Sockers.

The 1987 MASL Champs, the San Diego Sockers.

When the NASL folded, the San Diego Sockers moved to the Major Indoor Soccer League and won eight championships: 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1992. The Sockers carried their success from one league to the next.

They switched to the Continental Indoor Soccer League for three more years from 1993 to 1995.

However, after several ownership changes, Sockers folded after the 1996 season.

In 2001 the Sockers made a return to the soccer world, playing in the World Indoor Soccer League and second Major Indoor Soccer League. The Sockers would play there until 2004.

The second versions of the San Diego Sockers were a team in the new Major Indoor Soccer League. The team began play in the World Indoor Soccer League in 2001, and joined the MISL when it merged with the WISL for the 2002-2003 seasons. Just before the beginning of the 2004-2005 season, the Sockers were sold to Raj Kalra, owner of the Vancouver Ravens of the National Lacrosse League.

However, barely two months after the purchase, it was revealed that Kalra had not paid the Sockers' players, staff, or rent since taking over, and the league voted to discontinue the franchise on December 30, 2004.

In 2009 the Sockers made their second attempt for a come back as an expansion team in the Professional Arena Soccer League that began play in 2009.

The Sockers currently play at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, Calif.

The Sockers hold the record for the longest winning streak in United States professional sports history.

The streak, which began on December 29, 2010, was snapped after 48 games by a 6–5 overtime road loss to the Dallas Sidekicks on January 27, 2013

The San Diego Sockers were one of the most successful indoor soccer teams in the sport's short history. The team won a total of ten championships in the original Major Indoor Soccer League and the indoor North American Soccer League.

They also won 12 regular season titles between the NASL, NASL indoor, MISL and CISL.

In 1982 the Sockers has the NASL indoor Scoring Champion in Julie Veee. The Coach of the Year in 1984 was Sockers Ron Newman. That same year they also were awarded the NASL indoor Goalkeeper of the year in Jim Gorsek.

In the MISL the Sockers have had five MVP’s including Alan Mayer, 1983, Steve Zungul, 1985 and 1986, and Victory Nogueira in 1991 and 1992.

The Sockers Zungul was the Scoring Champion in 1985 and 1986, as well the Pass Master, the Assists leader. The Defender of the Year award was given to Sockers Kevin Crow in 1985, 1988, 1989, 1991 and 1992.

The Sockers were awarded the Goalkeeper of the Year in 1988, Zolton Toth and in 1989, 1991 and 1992 as Nogueira won the award three times.

David Banks was the 1991 Rookie of the Year.

Coach Newman was named the MISL Coach of the Year in 1988.

The Sockers in the CISL were awarded the Goalkeeper of the Year in 1994 as Antonio Cortes won the award. The Sockers also won the Rookie of the Year award in three consecutive years as John Olu Molomo won the award in 1994, Mark Chung in 1995 and Carlos Farias in 1996.

In 2001 the Sockers won the WISL regular season title but lost the Championship game to the Dallas Sidekicks.

From 2009-2012 the Sockers won the PASL-pro and PASL Championships in the U.S. Open Cup.

In the 2012-2013 season the Sockers lost in the finals.

Pele Retires From Soccer

On Oct. 1, 1977, Brazilian soccer great Pele retires with 1,281 goals in 1,363 games.

Those goals came in games with Bauru, an athletic junior club, Santos, the New York Cosmos and with the Brazilian National Team.

According to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) he is the most successful league goal scorer in the world, with 541 league goals.

Many experts regard Pele, football critics, former players, current players and football fans in general as the best player of all time. During his career, he took on several nicknames including: "The Black Pearl," “The King of Football,” “The King Pele,” and “The King.”

He is the all-time leading scorer of the Brazil national football team with 77 goals in 92 appearances, and is the only footballer to be a part of three World Cup-winning squads.

In 1962, his second World Cup victory, he was on the Brazilian squad at the start of the World Cup but because of an injury suffered in the second match, he was not able to play the remainder of the tournament.

In November 2007, FIFA announced that he would be awarded the 1962 medal retroactively, making him the only player in the world to have three World Cup winning medals.

Pele also played in the South American Championship. In the 1959 competition he was named best player of the tournament and was top scorer with 8 goals, as Brazil came second despite being unbeaten in the tournament.

Since his retirement in 1977, Pele has been a worldwide ambassador for football and has undertaken various acting roles and commercial ventures. In August 2010, he was named the Honorary President of the New York Cosmos.

In 1999, he was voted Football Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS).

In the same year French weekly magazine France Football consulted their former Ballon D'Or winners to elect the Football Player of the Century. Pele came in first place.

Pele was elected "Athlete of the Century" by the International Olympic Committee and Reuters News Agency in 1999, and by French newspaper L'Équipe in 1981.

In February 2012, Legends 10 began handling the Pele brand and brought all marketing and management efforts under one roof, including all intellectual property rights, global licensing, branding, endorsements, and public appearances.