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3. HISTORY OF SOCCER

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.

The oldest soccer-like sport was played over 2,000
years ago in ancient Chinese, Greek and Roman
cultures. A rock sometimes served as the ball. In
some instances, a small “ball” was made from animal

hide stuffed with hair. In its current form, though
th
soccer evolved from the 19 century in England, it
was brought to the United States by immigrants.

England’s first football association was created in
1863, which is when the sport began to become

standardized. The association established rules
which continued to evolve. Increasing industrialization made soccer more and more popular in
England. Talented players were paid, and soon soccer became a revenue-generating spectator sport
as a result of workplace team matches.

The first professional soccer league was the English Football League. Initially the first American Soccer

Leagues used the term “football” for the sport like their European counterparts. They switched to
the term ‘soccer’ in the late 1910s and early 1920s to avoid confusion. The US Professional Soccer
Leagues formed in 1967, the United Soccer Association and National Professional Soccer League.
These soon merged to create the North American Soccer League in 1968. Soccer’s popularity

continued to increase in the United States, and in 1994, the US hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
Major League Soccer in the US was formed in 1996.

1. How was the oldest soccer played?

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2. When did the sport begin to become standardized?

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3. How did soccer become a revenue-generating spectator sport?

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4. Which was the first professional soccer league?

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5. Who hosted the FIFA World Cup?

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