American folklore asserts that Pilgrim Fathers, upon settling at Plymouth Rock found American Indians along the Massachusetts coast playing a form of soccer. The Indians called it “Pasuckquakkohowog,” which means “they gather to play football.” 

1820 

Many American colleges played soccer, but there was no intercollegiate competition. Rules were casual and changed often. 

1862 

The Oneidas of Boston, the first organized soccer club in America, was formed by Gerritt Miller Smith. The Oneidas were undefeated from 1862-65. A monument now stands in Boston Common, where the Oneidas played their home matches. 

1865-1876 

Soccer was initiated as an organized college sport in the USA in the years following the Civil War. Princeton and Rutgers Universities engaged in the first intercollegiate soccer match Nov. 6, 1876, in New Brunswick, N.J. Rutgers won the match 6-4. The game was more similar to both rugby and soccer than gridiron football. 

1876-1880 

Thousands of British immigrants arrived in the metropolitan areas of the East, Midwest and Pacific Coast. Communities with textile mills, shipyards, quarries or mines also had soccer teams among its immigrant population, a pattern occurring all over the world during the time of the Industrial Revolution. 

1884

The American Football Association was organized in Newark, N.J., uniting the numerous metropolitan area enclaves of the East to maintain uniformity in the interpretation of rules and provide an orderly and stable growth of soccer in America. 

1885-1886

The U..S. and Canada played a game a year against each other, representing the first “international” soccer games to take place outside the British Isles. 
 

1904

The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was formed in Paris on May 21. Charter members included: France, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. The International Board, the authority over the rules and their interpretation continued under the jurisdiction of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, even though they were not affiliated with FIFA. The Olympic Games of 1904 in St. Louis included soccer as an official Olympic sport where club teams competed under the national team banner. FIFA did not become active in Olympic soccer until 1908. 

1913 

FIFA became a member of the International Board, increasing their influence on the interpretation of rules. The U.S. Football Association (USFA) was granted provisional membership by FIFA on Aug. 15. 

1914 

The USFA was incorporated under the laws of the state of New York, May 30, and was granted full membership in FIFA at the annual congress at Oslo, Norway, June 24. 

1916 

The first USFA Men's National Team traveled to Norway and Sweden. The Americans played six matches on this tour, finishing 3-1-2. 

1919 

Bethlehem (Pa.) Steel became the first American professional team to play in Europe when they toured Sweden. 

1921

The original American Professional Soccer League (APSL) began. Franchises were granted to Fall River, Mass.; Philadelphia; Jersey City Celtics, N.J.; Todd Shipyard of Brooklyn, N.Y.; New York FC; Falco FC of Holyoke, Mass.; and JP Coats of Pawtucket, R.I. 

1923

The world’s first indoor soccer league with 11-a-side teams on a full-sized field opened the winter season at the Commonwealth Calvary Armory in Boston. 

1930

The USA was one of 13 nations to compete in the first FIFA World Cup competition in Montevideo, Uruguay. Bert Patenaude (Fall River, Mass.) was the third-leading scorer in the tournament and was the first player to tally three goals in World Cup play. 

1932

At the 10th Olympiad in Los Angeles, soccer was eliminated due to a controversy between FIFA and the IOC over the definition of an amateur and the reluctance of most of the strong soccer countries to travel to California because of the expense involved. 

1938 

West Chester State College and Salisbury College played in the first intercollegiate soccer game under floodlights. 

1941 

The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) was organized by 10 coaches attending the annual meeting of the Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association of America in New York. 

1945

The USFA changed its name to the U.S. Soccer Football Association (USSFA). 

1950

Joe Gaetjens’ goal lifts the USA over England 1-0 at the World Cup in Brazil. It was called the biggest upset ever in international soccer. The first college bowl game was played in St. Louis Jan. 1. Penn State University tied the University of San Francisco 2-2. The National Soccer Hall of Fame was organized by the Philadelphia Old-timers Association. There were 15 inaugural inductees. 

1953 

In an agreement with the Old-timers Soccer Association, the USSFA assumed administration of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. 

1958

The American Soccer League (ASL) was granted permission from the USSFA to create an International Soccer League (ISL), made up of top-class European, South American and U.S. professional league teams that would operate in the cities throughout the United States. 

1959 

The first NCAA championship tournament was held in Storrs, Conn. St. Louis defeated Bridgeport University 5-2. The first National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics college championship was held in Slippery Rock, Pa.. Pratt Institute was victorious over Elizabethtown College 4-3. 

1960 

The International Soccer League began play under the sponsorship of William Cox and the ASL. For more than a decade foreign teams visited the USA to play American teams. The new league, composed of first class European, British and South American teams, was an attempt to test the support of American soccer fans for a top-flight league. 

1961

The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), the governing body of soccer in this part of the world, was recognized by FIFA. 

1967 

Two new major professional leagues made their debut in the USA, the USSFA-sanctioned United Soccer Association (USA) and the independent National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). By the end of the year, the leagues merged at the request of FIFA and the North American Soccer League (NASL) was established. 

1971

Pele retired from international competition after Brazil tied Yugoslavia 2-2 before 150,000 at Rio de Janiero’s Maracana Stadium. 

1973 

Kyle Rote, Jr., became the first rookie and first American to win the NASL scoring title with 10 goals and 10 assists for 30 points. 

1974

The USSFA changed its name to the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). Kyle Rote, Jr. won the first of his three victories in ABC-TV Superstars competitions against elite athletes from other major sports. The NASL reached a membership of 18 teams. 

1975 

In April, the New York Cosmos signed Pele for $4.5 million. 

1977 

The NASL signed a seven-game contract for national television. On October 1, Pele participated for both sides in his farewell game at Giants Stadium between the Cosmos and Santos, his old team from Brazil, in front of a crowd of 77,202. 

1978 

The Chicago Sting played the Cuban National Team in an exhibition in Havana, the first time since 1959 an American professional sports team had visited Castro’s island. The New York Cosmos became the first NASL team to break one million in home and away attendance. 

In September, the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) debuted with six franchises: Cincinnati Kids, Cleveland Force, Houston Summit, New York Arrows, Philadelphia Fever and Pittsburgh Spirit. 

1981

The U.S. Under-20 National Team competed in its first World Youth Championship in Australia. The U.S. team lost to Uruguay 3-0, tied Qatar 1-1, and lost to Poland 4-0. 

1982 

The United States made a formal bid to host the 1986 World Cup. The MISL season opened with 14 teams, including three teams participating for a season from the NASL (San Jose, Chicago and San Diego). 

1983 

FIFA awarded the 1986 World Cup to Mexico, rejecting the U.S. bid. 

1984 
The United Soccer League (USL) was formed. The ASL canceled what would have been its 50th season. Four NASL teams permanently joined the MISL (New York, Chicago, San Diego and Minnesota). The American Indoor Soccer Association (AISA) was formed. 

1985 
The NASL and USL ceased operations. 

1986 
The Western Soccer Alliance (WSA) kicked off with seven teams. At the UNICEF All-Star game in Pasadena, Calif., FIFA officials suggested the USA should bid for the ‘94 World Cup. 

1988 
The ASL began play with 10 teams. On July 4, the United States was awarded the 1994 World Cup during the FIFA Congress in Zurich. 

1989 
Paul Caligiuri scored the biggest goal in U.S. Soccer history since Gaetjens’ 1950 World Cup goal against England. Referred to as the “shot heard around the world,” Caligiuri’s 35-yard dipping shot found the net in a 1-0 victory over Trinidad & Tobago Nov. 19 in front of 35,000 red-clad Trinidadians, clinching the USA’s first appearance in the World Cup since 1950. 

The U.S. Indoor Five-A-Side (Futsal) Team won the bronze medal at the inaugural FIFA World Championship in the Netherlands. 

1990 
The U.S. competed in the World Cup for the first time in 40 years. The WSL and the ASL merged to form the American Professional Soccer League (APSL). 

1991 
The U.S. Women’s National Team captured the first-ever FIFA Women’s World Championship in China with a 2-1 win over Norway Nov. 30. The women qualified for the world championship by defeating its five CONCACAF opponents by a combined score of 49-0. The U.S. National Team won its first-ever regional championship July 7 when it captured the CONCACAF Gold Cup by defeating Honduras 4-3 in penalty kicks. The U.S. U-23 team won the gold medal at the Pan Am Games in Cuba. 

1992 
The U.S. National Team won the inaugural U.S. Cup ‘92 in June, defeating Ireland 3-1 and Portugal 1-0, and tying three-time World Cup champion Italy 1-1. The U.S. Indoor (Five-a-Side) Team won the silver medal at the 2nd FIFA Indoor Five-a-Side World Championship in Hong Kong. The M(I)SL folded after 15 years in existence. 

1993 
In February, U.S. Soccer held the first-ever Strategic Summit where more than 250 soccer leaders and personalities met in Chicago for four days to plan the development of soccer into the 21st Century. U.S. Cup ‘93 was used as a dress rehearsal for World Cup organizers, officials and volunteers, as well as the U.S. National Team. The USA’s 2-0 defeat of England made headlines around the world. Attendance and media interest were high, with 286,761 people attending the tournament’s six games, and ABC-TV broadcasting the June 13 U.S.-Germany match. 

The U.S. Under-20 National Team defeated Europe’s number one seed, Turkey, 6-0 in the first game of the World Youth Championship in Australia. FIFA officials called the trouncing one of the most extraordinary results in the history of the tournament. The U-20s finished eighth in the world. 

The NPSL was granted status in the professional indoor division by U.S. Soccer. The APSL was declared a Division II professional league. The United States Interregional Soccer League (USISL) was given Division III status. Plans for Major League Soccer — a Division I league to follow the legacy of World Cup ‘94 — were presented by U.S. Soccer President Alan Rothenberg. 

1994
U.S. Soccer served as host national association for the 1994 FIFA World Cup and, in conjunction with World Cup USA 1994, Inc., staged the greatest event in FIFA history. More than 3.5 million fans flocked to U.S. stadia — breaking by more than one million the attendance record established in Italy in 1990 — and soccer fever in the U.S. was at an all-time high. The U.S. team advanced beyond the first round for the first time in 64 years, falling to eventual champion Brazil 1-0 in a July 4 round of 16 showdown at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, Calif. On June 4,91,123 fans jammed the Rose Bowl to watch the U.S. defeat Mexico, 1-0, in its final tune-up prior to the World Cup. Game proceeds netted $1 million in a U.S. Soccer contribution to UNICEF/Children’s Defense Fund. 

The Women’s National Team won the Chiquita Cup, a four-team international tournament in which the U.S. hosted Germany, China and Norway. The U.S. went on to successfully defend its CONCACAF championship, qualifying for the 1995 FIFA Women’s World Championship by outscoring the opposition 36-1 en route to winning all four qualification matches. Head coach Anson Dorrance announced his resignation and U.S. Soccer named assistant coach Tony DiCicco to succeed him. 

1995 
U.S. Soccer announced in February its intention to host the 1999 Women’s World Cup and began the formal bid process with FIFA. The men’s national team won U.S. Cup ‘95 in June, defeating Nigeria and Mexico and tying Colombia. The 4-0 victory over Mexico during U.S. Cup ‘95 was the most lopsided U.S. victory in the rivalry’s 61-year history. Later that month, the women’s team placed third in the Women’s World Cup in Sweden, falling to eventual champion Norway in the semifinals 1-0, then defeating China. 

In July, the men’s team made international headlines by advancing to the semifinals of Copa America, one of the world’s most prestigious tournaments. The U.S. scored its first-ever victory over Argentina, 3-0, and advanced via penalty kicks (over Mexico) into the semifinals before falling 1-0 to defending world champion Brazil. Steve Sampson, who had served as interim national team coach since April, was named full-time head coach in August. 

1996 
The women’s national team won the first-ever women’s soccer gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, defeating China 2-1 in the championship game. The U.S. posted a 21-1-2 overall record and won the Brazil Cup and U.S. Women’s Cup ‘96. 

The U.S. men’s Olympic team narrowly missed advancing to the quarterfinals with a 1-1-1 record.
Major League Soccer was launched, providing the United States with its first Division I outdoor pro league since the North American Soccer League ceased operations in 1984. MLS averaged more than 17,000 fans per game. The A-League and USISL merged to form a larger and stronger Division II outdoor league. 

FIFA awarded the 1999 Women’s World Cup to the United States and U.S. Soccer pledged it would be the biggest and most successful women’s sporting event ever. 

1997 
The men’s national team finished off their successful World Cup qualification process with an historic 0-0 draw in Mexico, a 3-0 win in Canada and a 4-2 home victory over El Savlador. Those performances enabled the team to clinch a spot in the 1998 World Cup with a game to spare. The team finished their grueling 16-game qualifying run with just two losses and their 4-1-5 final round record was second by one point in CONCACAF. 

The women’s team continued their impressive play by winning their fourth straight U.S Women’s Cup and going undefeated in the six-game Nike Victory Tour, celebrating their Olympic Gold Medal a year earlier. 

Women’s World Cup Organizing Committee had awarded the ‘99 games to seven U.S. locations: Boston; Chicago; Los Angeles; New York/New Jersey; Portland, Ore.; San Francisco Bay Area; and Washington, D.C. 

1998 
A disappointing World Cup finished with the U.S. in last place after two difficult match-ups against Germany and Yugoslavia, and a heart-breaking loss to Iran. Brian McBride scores the team’s only World Cup goal. The tournament concludes with the resignation of head coach Steve Sampson, who is eventually replaced on Oct. 27 by Bruce Arena, who seemingly won every major championship he encountered with D.C. United and the University of Virginia. 

The women’s team continued their impressive play, losing just twice in 1998 while playing in front of records crowds all across the country. 

1999 
In front of over 90,000 fans at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., the U.S. women won the 1999 FIFA World Cup by defending China to a 0-0 tie through regulation and overtime and then defeating the Chinese women 5-4 in penalty kicks. Their road to victory incites soccer hysteria in America as the women appear on every top news program, at the White House and on the cover of Time, Newsweek, People and Sports Illustrated. U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach Tony DiCicco resigned inNovember as the winningest coach in U.S. Soccer history with a record of 103-8-8. 

In Bruce Arena’s first full year at the helm of the U.S. Men’s National Team, the squad achieved a 7-4-2 mark in 13 international matches, which includes two wins over Germany and victories over Argentina and Chile. His team earned the bronze medal at the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup in Mexico. 

The U-23 Men’s National Team beat Canada to earn the bronze medal at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada, while the U-18 Women took the gold. The Under-21 Women also earned the 1999 Nordic Cup title. 

The U-20s advanced to the second round of the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship in April, with their only two loses coming to eventual finalists Spain and Japan. Taylor Twellman scored four goals to earn himself the Bronze Boot, the first American male to ever earn a FIFA scoring award. In November, the U-17s extended their record unbeaten streak to 24 games, advancing to the semifinals of the World Championships before losing in penalty kicks to Australia. In addition to an all-time best fourth-place finish, forward Landon Donovan and midfielder DaMarcus Beasley earned the Gold and Silver Balls as the tournaments top two MVPs. 

2000
Bruce Arena’s squad continued to advance toward their ultimate goal of qualifying for the 2002 World Cup. The team secured 10 out of a possible 12 points in its last four qualifying matches — all shutouts — to win their semifinal qualifying group and advance into the final qualifying phase. The defense is the story of qualification, as the Americans allowed only three goals in six matches, while the offense exploded for 14 goals. The men also scored an impressive win in Chile, shutout Mexico in two wins and kept the Nike U.S. Cup title in the United States. 

The United States women maintained the momentum from their historic Women’s World Cup title with a record 41 matches in 2000, posting a 26-6-9 record. The U.S. won a whopping six tournament titles in 2000, including — for the first time in six tries — the prestigious Algarve Cup in Portugal. The women claimed a silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics, losing in overtime to arch-rival Norway in the Gold Medal Match. 

The American men and women put on an impressive display for the world at the Sydney Games, as the U.S. is the only nation to have both its teams advance to the semifinals. The American men are the surprise team of the tournament, winning their group and advancing to the semis before grabbing fourth place, the men’s highest Olympic finish. 

The American youth teams used the year to prepare for qualification into the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championships. The Under-17s again spend most of the year in residency with head coach John Ellinger in Florida and post a 35-14-7 record. The team outscored their opponents 167-65 and had three players net more than 20 goals on the year. The Under-20s, coached by Wolfgang Sunholz, are impressive in their warm ups for qualification, despite missing many of their regular players, compiling a 16-8-10 record. 

The Under-21 Women win their third Nordic Cup title in the last four years, showing the world the legacy of the U.S. Women’s National Team is in good hands. 

2001 
The U.S. Men qualified for a fourth straight World Cup appearance, boosted by four wins and a draw to open the final round of CONCACAF qualifying. For the first time in U.S. Soccer history, the Men’s National Team clinched a spot in the World Cup at a home qualifier, topping Jamaica 2-1 behind two goals from Joe-Max Moore in front of 40,483 fans at the last soccer match played at Foxboro Stadium. 

The U.S. Women play only 10 international matches in 2001 as the new Women’s United Soccer Association begins play, with the Bay Area CyberRays winning the inaugural Founders Cup. Mia Hamm was named the first-ever FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year, beating out teammate Tiffeny Milbrett and Chinese superstar Sun Wen for the historic award. 

The U.S. Under-21 Women won their third straight Nordic Cup title with a 6-1 rout of Sweden in the final. The U.S. Under-19 Women’s National Team prepared for the 2002 U-19 Women’s World Championship by going undefeated in five international matches, outscoring opponents 23-1. 

The U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team advanced to their ninth consecutive FIFA U-17 World Championship, but were into the Group of Death in Trinidad & Tobago with Japan, Nigeria and France, and were eliminated in the first round. The U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team qualified for their third straight FIFA World Youth Championship, where the team finished second in their group in Argentina and were eliminated in the second round by Egypt. 

The National Professional Soccer League, in existence since 1984-95, merges with the WISL and is renamed as the Major Indoor Soccer League. 

2002 
The U.S. Men’s National Team advanced to the quarterfinals at the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan, the team’s best World Cup showing since 1930. The U.S. shocks the world with a stunning, 3-2 opening game upset of Portugal, and then earns a difficult draw with the host Koreans to earn enough points for second place in Group D. The U.S. then posts their first-ever victory in the World Cup knockout stage, blanking CONCACAF rival Mexico 2-0 in the Round of 16 with goals by Brian McBride and Landon Donovan. The World Cup run ended in the quarterfinals with a heartbreaking 1-0 decision to Germany. Midfielder Claudio Reyna was named to the All-Tournament Team, while Landon Donovan earned World Cup Honorable Mentions. Prior to the World Cup, the USA began 2002 by winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup in January with a convincing 2-0 victory over Costa Rica at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. It was the first Gold Cup title for the U.S. since 1991. 

The U.S. Women’s National Team qualified for their fourth consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup, set for China 2003, after capturing the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 2-1 overtime victory over Canada at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. 

In one of the stories of the year, the U.S. Under-19 Women’s National Team topped the host Canadians 1-0 in overtime to win the inaugural FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship. The USA was a perfect 6-0 in the tournament, allowing just two goals. Forward Kelly Wilson won the Bronze Ball as the tournament’s third MVP and the Silver Boot as the tournament’s second leading scorer, while forward Lindsay Tarpley earned the Bronze Boot. Additionally, the U.S. Under-21 Women’s National Team won the Nordic Cup in Finland, marking the team’s fifth Nordic Cup title in six years. A new national team, the Under-17 Women’s National Team, was established in October. For the men, the U.S. Under-20 National Team qualified for their fourth consecutive FIFA World Youth Championship, scheduled for the United Arab Emirates in 2003. 

The U.S. National Futsal Team played their first-ever home matches, defeating Canada and tying Mexico in March in Baltimore, Md., and Washington, D.C., respectively. 

2007
David Beckham, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder joined LA Galaxy.

2008
The U.S. women’s national team won the gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, after beating Brazil in the final. 

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Source:  1620-2002: U.S. Soccer Federation.