Yes, Virginia, there was pro soccer in the US before Pelé

Many people think pro soccer first burst onto the scene in the US with the founding of the North American Soccer League in the late 1960s. That league reached its peak in the late '70s when world supertstars including Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer, George Best and many others could be found roaming the pitches in various North American cities. Fifty or so years earlier, however, soccer saw its first surge in popularity on this side of the Atlantic, primarily thanks to the many European immigrants who had grown up playing the sport.

The American Soccer League, founded in 1921, was one of the first pro leagues in the U.S. with teams based in towns with large immigrant populations such as Fall River and New Bedford, Mass., Bethlehem, Penn., and Paterson, N.J., as well as the large cities of Philadelphia, Boston and New York. you can read more about the league's interesting history here.

So we’re gonna take it back to a golden age that we look back on with misty eyes and longing wisps of nostalgia. The ’90s. Some of you might cringe at the thought of Garanimals, Hypercolor, rollerblades and hummel shorts but don’t forget about the dizzying heights reached by American culture and sports during this time. Rap music was never better, arguably one of the greatest generations of professional American athletes were at the top of the game, and perhaps most appropriately, it was the second renaissance of American soccer.

Following the retirement of Pele and the subsequent dissolution of the NASL due to waning interest soccer again fell into a dark age during the ’80s. But in 1990 all of that changed with the US qualifying for the World Cup for the first time in 40 years! After our performance there was a resurgence of interest in the sport and as part of the deal for hosting the ’94 World Cup we saw the creation of the MLS! Let’s celebrate all the hard work that our 1990 World Cup put forth as we bask in the glory that is Def Jef & DJ Eric Vaughn’s tribute to the team, “Victory.” If I had to define glorious for someone I would just point them here:

Right here, you cannot fathom this majesty.

As we said, positively glorious. 

¡Viva El Tri!

Later this month, adidas will be releasing the brand new Mexico kit. We're looking forward to seeing it, as are lots of other people. When we get it we'll post a picture and critique of the new design. In the meantime, we came across this cool photo of the Mexican National Team from 1949 we thought we'd share. Enjoy!