Steve Zakuani
Steve Zakuani (born 9 February 1988) is a Congolese former association football, footballer. He was born in Zaire—now the Democratic Republic of the Congo—and grew up in London. After a successful college career, he played for the Seattle Sounders FC and the Portland Timbers. Zakuani played for the Arsenal F.C. Academy, Arsenal youth academy, but then struggled finding a team. He attended the University of Akron on a soccer scholarship, excelling as a Forward (association football), forward. In 2009, Seattle selected Zakuani with the first overall pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft, MLS SuperDraft. He quickly became a fan favorite as a winger with the speed and ability to take on opposing defenders. Success continued in 2010 with Zakuani scoring ten goals and debuting for the Congo DR national football team in a friendly. However, in 2011, he suffered an almost career-ending leg injury. He failed to recapture his early success upon returning in 2012, before retiring after playi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional association football, soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The club was established on November 13, 2007, and began play in 2009 as an MLS expansion team. The Sounders are a Phoenix club (sports), phoenix club, replacing the Seattle Sounders (1994–2008), second-division franchise that played in the American Professional Soccer League (APSL), A-League (1995–2004), A-League, and USL First Division (USL-1) from 1994 to 2008, and carrying the same name as the Seattle Sounders (1974–1983), original Sounders franchise that competed in the North American Soccer League (1968–1984), North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1974 to 1983. The club's majority owner is Adrian Hanauer, and its minority owners are Jody Allen, the estate of Paul Allen, Drew Carey, and 14 families from the Seattle area. Former USL-1 Sounders coach a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Zaire
Zaire, officially the Republic of Zaire, was the name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1971 to 18 May 1997. Located in Central Africa, it was, by area, the third-largest country in Africa after Sudan and Algeria, and the 11th-largest country in the world from 1965 to 1991. With a population of over 23 million, Zaire was the most populous Francophone country in Africa. Zaire was strategically important to the West during the Cold War, particularly the U.S., as a counterbalance to Soviet influence in Africa. The U.S. and its allies supported the Mobutu regime (1965–1997) with military and economic aid to prevent the spread of communism. The country was a one-party totalitarian military dictatorship, run by Mobutu Sese Seko and his Popular Movement of the Revolution. Zaire was established following Mobutu's seizure of power in a military coup in 1965, after five years of political upheaval following independence from Belgium known as the Congo Crisis. Zaire ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Generation Adidas
Generation Adidas is a joint venture between Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer aimed at raising the level of young professional soccer talent in the United States. The program, sponsored by Adidas, offers professional-ready players in the U.S. developmental system not yet eligible for the MLS SuperDraft early entry, allowing MLS to compete with foreign professional clubs without comparable restrictions on player signing. From its establishment in 1997 to 2005, the program was sponsored by Nike and was called ''Project-40''. Originally intended to improve the U.S. national team player pool, American national team eligibility is no longer required for program entry. Carlos Parra was the first Project-40 player when he signed with the league and was allocated to the New York/New Jersey MetroStars in 1997. Since then, the program has included players such as Tim Howard, DaMarcus Beasley, Maurice Edu, Carlos Bocanegra, Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore, Ben Olsen, Sacha Kljest ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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USL Premier Development League
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States, forming part of the United States soccer league system. The league will feature 144 teams for the 2025 season, split into nineteen regional divisions across four conferences. USL League Two is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. The Seacoast United Phantoms are the current champions, having defeated Peoria City 3–2 in extra time to win the 2024 USL League Two Championship final on August 3, 2024. Competition format USL League Two is divided into 4 conferences (Eastern, Central, Southern, and Western), comprising 19 divisions. The league season runs from May through July, with the playoffs decided through July and August. All teams play a regular season schedule of 12-14 games, up to seven home and seven away, within their division, depending on the size of the division. Playoffs The USL2 playoffs see division wi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Soccer America
''Soccer America'', the oldest soccer-specific media publisher in the United States, was founded in 1971 by Clay Berling in Albany, California. The magazine is headquartered in Oakland, California. History The magazine was founded by Clay Berling in 1971 under the name Soccer West. In 1972, the name changed to Soccer America because the magazine had begun fulfilling subscriptions nationwide. A weekly print magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ... throughout most of its history, Soccer America was included in the Chicago Tribune's selection of "The 50 Best Magazines" in 2003. Soccer America launched its web site in 1995, its e-letters in 2001, and discontinued its print magazine in 2017. Soccer America's e-letters include: SoccerAmericaDaily, SA Confidential, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Hermann Trophy
The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually by the Missouri Athletic Club to the United States's top men's and women's college soccer players. History In 1967, Bob Hermann, the president of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) and the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the NPSL's successor, the North American Soccer League, established a trophy to annually recognize the top men's collegiate soccer player. The trophy, which was first announced in the December 9, 1967 issue of '' The Sporting News'', was named the Hermann Trophy and has been awarded each year since. In 1988, a second Hermann Trophy was inaugurated to recognize the top women's collegiate player of the year. In 1986, the Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) began naming an annual player of the year as a rival to the Hermann Trophy. Then in 1996, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) initiated its own annual player of the year award. These three competing awards began merging three ye ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Preston North End F
Preston or Prestons may refer to: Places Australia *Preston, Victoria ** City of Preston (Victoria) ** Electoral district of Preston ** Preston railway station, Melbourne * Preston, Queensland, Toowoomba and Lockyer Valley regions * Preston, Queensland (Whitsunday Region) * Preston, Tasmania * South Preston, Tasmania * Prestons, New South Wales Canada * Preston, Nova Scotia ** East Preston, Nova Scotia ** North Preston ** Preston (electoral district) * Preston, Ontario Cuba * Guatemala, Cuba, also known as Preston, in the Holguín Province England * Preston, Lancashire, city in Lancashire **The City of Preston, Lancashire, a borough and non-metropolitan district ** County Borough of Preston, a local government district containing the settlement from 1835 to 1974 ** Preston (UK Parliament constituency) ** Preston railway station in Preston, Lancashire **The PR postcode area, also known as the Preston postcode area ** Preston Urban Area, the conurbation with Preston at its c ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol, S.A.D., or simply Real Valladolid (), is a Spanish professional List of football clubs in Spain, football club based in Valladolid, Castile and León that will compete from the 2025–26 season in the . The club colours are violet and white, used on the kit in stripes from its foundation on 20 June 1928. The team plays its home games at the Estadio José Zorrilla, which seats 27,846 spectators. Valladolid's honours include a single trophy of great relevance, the defunct 1984 Copa de la Liga, Copa de la Liga 1983–84. It has been runner-up in the Copa del Rey on two occasions (1949–50 Copa del Generalísimo, 1949–50 and 1988–89 Copa del Rey, 1988–89), and has participated in two editions of the UEFA Cup (1984–85 UEFA Cup, 1984–85 and 1997–98 UEFA Cup, 1997–98) and also one edition of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1989–90 European Cup Winners' Cup, 1989–90). The team subsidiary, the Real Valladolid Promesas, currently play in the Se ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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AZ Alkmaar
Alkmaar Zaanstreek (), better known internationally as AZ Alkmaar, or simply and most commonly as AZ () in the Netherlands, is a Dutch professional Association football, football club from Alkmaar and the Zaan#The Zaan district, Zaan district. The club plays in the Eredivisie, the highest professional football league in the Netherlands. AZ won the Eredivisie in 1980–81 Eredivisie, 1980–81 and 2008–09 Eredivisie, 2008–09. In the same season as their first league title, they also reached the 1981 UEFA Cup Final, UEFA Cup Final, which they lost to Ipswich Town F.C., Ipswich Town. The team has won the KNVB Cup on four occasions, and one Johan Cruyff Shield. History 1910–1972: Foundation and first years AZ was founded on 10 May 1967 as AZ '67, the result of a merger of Alkmaar '54 and FC Zaanstreek. Alkmaar '54 was founded as a professional team in April 1954 to play in the 10-team NBVB league, created because the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Wigan Athletic F
Wigan ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. It is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town has a population of 107,732 and the wider borough of 330,714. Wigan is part of the historic county of Lancashire. Wigan was in the territory of the Brigantes, an ancient Celtic tribe that ruled much of what is now Northern England. The Brigantes were subjugated in the Roman conquest of Britain and the Roman settlement of was established where Wigan lies. Wigan was incorporated as a borough in 1246, following the issue of a charter by King Henry III of England. At the end of the Middle Ages, it was one of four boroughs in Lancashire established by royal charter. The Industrial Revolution saw a dramatic economic expansion and rapid rise in population. Wigan became a major mill town and coal mining district ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional association football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. The club was founded as Christchurch Rangers in 1882 and took up their current name after merging with St Judes Institute four years later, near the Queen's Park and Kensal areas. Having won the West London League in 1898–99, QPR joined the Southern and Western leagues where they won titles in both. It was during this period that the club reached the final of the FA Charity Shield twice in 1908 and 1912. QPR were elected to the Football League in 1920. The club played in the Third Division South until winning promotion as champions in 1947–48. The club was relegated in 1952, but slowly rebuilt under the stewardship of Alec Stock which culminated in winning the Third Division title and also their only maj ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Myles Munroe
Myles Munroe, (20 April 1954 – 9 November 2014) was a Bahamian evangelist and ordained minister, professor, author, speaker and leadership consultant. He founded and led the Bahamas Faith Ministries International (BFMI), and Myles Munroe International (MMI). He was also the chief executive officer and chairman of the board of the International Third World Leaders Association, and president of the International Leadership Training Institute. Dr Munroe was a prolific author as well. Munroe and his wife died in a plane crash on November 9, 2014. Bahamian officials stated their aircraft struck a crane at a ship yard near Grand Bahama International Airport. Munroe and the other passengers were heading to Grand Bahama for a conference. Biography Early life and education Born Myles Egbert Munroe in 1954 in Nassau, Bahamas, Munroe grew up poor in a family of eleven children. Raised in the Nassau constituency of Bain Town, he was a lifelong resident of the Commonwealth. Munroe became a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |