Sooner or later, every dynasty comes to and end, but as the game ended in a familiar sight for soccer fans, with Xavi embracing Iniesta and Casillas hoisting another trophy skyward as confetti fell down from the stands, it was difficult to imagine how any team could dethrone soccer's reigning kings.
It's difficult for results-oriented American sports fans to grasp, but for many soccer fans, the object of the game is never simply to win but to win beautifully and to play a role in the evolution of the game as an organic work of art.
"We are pleased to be associated with this major move by MLS to increase its presence in the New York market and to enhance the opportunity for New York soccer fans to enjoy high-level play in their own city, " Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement.
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They are not nostalgic soccer fans who own United for the purpose of their undying love for the game or the club.
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The Italian soccer federation confirmed the bad news for Azzuri fans on Wednesday evening, after Vieri, who was Italy's leading scorer in the 1998 World Cup, was forced off in a match against Parma.
By the end of 1984 the league dissolved, and for many American sports fans the idea of professional soccer in the United States became a distant thought.
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The game will be the coaching debut of Juergen Klinsmann, a German soccer legend who many American fans are very excited for.
As MLS and Opta move forward together, they are continuing to seek out and understand the needs of their online soccer fans, and tailor their work to delivering the best possible experience for their youthful fan base.
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Now, with Saudi soccer fans focused as ever on the European game, the Saudi government body responsible for sport is looking to revitalize the national game with a radical plan to fully privatize the country's top soccer league.
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Most are scaled down models of the old giant soccer stadiums emphasizing seating rather than standing room, the better to minimize the chances for hordes of standing, leaning fans to fall and cause a crush.
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