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I have been enjoying the WC,and while not looking past it as far as enjoying the games, I am wondering about what happens around the world after the WC is over.I know there is MLS,the EPL, something on my Direct TV called UEFA.What goes on here?Are some leagues the big leagues while others are minor league?Do the different leagues interconnect/interplay in any way?What are the championships outside the WC?Do some nations without major leagues simply start trying to put together new teams for the next round of WC qualifying in 2 years or so?
In short,what is the scoop for following soccer/football after the WC?
It's probably a lot easier to follow your home team (Dallas? Houston?) than to follow a european team but if you want to follow team USA there's a friendly against Brazil on August 10th at Giants Stadium. If you want to catch an international friendly Dallas is playing Inter Milan on August 5th. Houston has a games coming up against Pachuca and Puebla (which should be fun to watch as there will probably be a lot of Mexican fans in attendance).
Each continent has their own FIFA affiliated regulatory body. For North American it's CONCACAF.
The Gold Cup is the CONCACAF tournament. It's next year with the winner headed to Brazil for the Confederations cup in 2013 - which is a tournament of the best teams from each continent. UEFA is the European equivalent. CONMEBOL is the South American version. Their "Copa America" should be coming up soon.
The CONCACAF Champions League starts with the group stage in a few weeks but the finals aren't until the spring. The US teams in it this time around are Salt Lake, Columbus, LA and Seattle.
I have been enjoying the WC,and while not looking past it as far as enjoying the games, I am wondering about what happens around the world after the WC is over.I know there is MLS,the EPL, something on my Direct TV called UEFA.What goes on here?Are some leagues the big leagues while others are minor league?Do the different leagues interconnect/interplay in any way?What are the championships outside the WC?Do some nations without major leagues simply start trying to put together new teams for the next round of WC qualifying in 2 years or so?
In short,what is the scoop for following soccer/football after the WC?
First, I would choose a team to follow or even teams.
I will continue to follow my Kansas City Wizards while following the summer transfer window where international club teams get to exchange players.
In mid-July teams in England, Spain, Italy, and other European countries start their preseason.
In August, the EPL, La Liga, and Serie A get underway and also UEFA Champions League.
The UEFA Champions League is a tournament that takes place from August to May each season in which the top club teams all over Europe compete for the top prize in World Club Soccer. Depending on the league, a certain number of teams qualify for the tournament. For example, the top 4 teams in the English Premier League qualify.
If you ever have any questions, please feel free to PM me. I would love to help you get more into the sport.
August 27, UEFA Super Cup. August 28, La Liga (Spain main league) season starts. Copa Libertadores, CONMEBOL's premier international club tournament resumes on July 27.
First, I would choose a team to follow or even teams.
I will continue to follow my Kansas City Wizards while following the summer transfer window where international club teams get to exchange players.
In mid-July teams in England, Spain, Italy, and other European countries start their preseason.
In August, the EPL, La Liga, and Serie A get underway and also UEFA Champions League.
The UEFA Champions League is a tournament that takes place from August to May each season in which the top club teams all over Europe compete for the top prize in World Club Soccer. Depending on the league, a certain number of teams qualify for the tournament. For example, the top 4 teams in the English Premier League qualify.
If you ever have any questions, please feel free to PM me. I would love to help you get more into the sport.
Top 3 from the EPL qualify for the Champions League. The fourth place team has to play a qualifying round prior to getting in.
As others have said, following a local team, if you can, is a good start. Dallas has FC Dallas and Houston has the Houston Dynamo, both in the MLS. Austin has the Austin Aztex, which plays in a league one level down. MLS runs from late spring to fall, to avoid overlapping with the NFL, NBA and NHL. For more international soccer, most of the famous European leagues start up in August or September. I think the EPL is the easiest to watch on American television, but with the internet, it probably isn't hard to get into any of the major European leagues.
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