[skipshady]

No, this isn't a Free For All thread, so we're talking about soccer. Sorry.
I'd like to know when you were first exposed to the game, especially the US posters who may not have grown up with the game.

First match on TV: Liverpool vs Everton, Charity Shields 1986
First match in person: Barnet vs Huddersfield (?), FA Cup 1st Round, sometime in the late 80's
First time I played: my neighborhood in Kobe, Japan, sometime in the early 80's.
First time I played in a real match: Woodridge Primary School, London, 1987

[Ictar]

First match on TV: USA's matches in '94. Watched them all religiously.

First match in person: Still not that lucky. Too busy to travel for MLS games. My aunt lives in Manchester so I hopefully will get to go see them this winter. =D

First time I played: My mom signed me up before I even really knew what soccer was when I was 6 for a local Kids Inc. season.

First time I played in a real match: That Kids Inc. season. From then on I played both seasons each year until I was 13 and had surgery.

[westcoast ape]

First match on TV - around '92 or '93, AC Milan vs. Ajax in Champions League final, or maybe UEFA cup, or something. Actually, now that I think about it I think this was in '95. So maybe my first match on TV was the opener of WC '94.

First match attended: USA vs. Switzerland at Cal State University Fullerton in January or February 1994. In the months before the world cup I was also able to see Romania vs. Sweden at Trabuco Hills High School of all places. There was also a match at CSUF, I think it was US vs. Korea followed by a match between the LA Salsa and some Korean club team.

First time playing: Kindergarten playground, then went into AYSO. I was not very good, didn't make the high school team. Picked up soccer again in '93 and now play on an over-25 men's team.

[nowhere]

First Match on TV: Germany-Argentina '90 final, and even after that atrocious mess I still became a soccer fan. Well, I was only seven at the time so I was still in awe of the players skill.

First Match in person: Some Richmond Kickers game I would imagine, but first big match was US vs. T&T WC '98 qualifying.

First Time I played: My parents say when I was little, before I could walk, I'd hold onto two rails and try to kick a soccer ball. So maybe it's then, I know I've got a scar from playing soccer when I was three.

First time I played in a real match: As soon as I was old enough to play in the local rec league I started, which I guess was when I was five.

[ChangeT]

First Match on TV - Chicago Sting vs. NY Cosmos 1981 final.

First Match in Person - Chicago Sting vs. San Diego Sockers (Semifinals- '81)

First Time I played - 1975 when I was 6 years old.

First Time I played in a real match - 1975 Youth Soccer in Hanover Park, IL

[jotadia]

First match on TV.
Valencia Real - Madrid 1973
- heavy duty, nonstop watching during WC74 in Germany.

First match in person
Atletico Madrid-Barcelona 1974

First time playing in the second grade American School of Madrid early 1970's

First US Nats: US vs Trinidad and Tobago in Torrance CA during late 80's (1988 or 1989).

[O'Dubhghaill Rules!]

First Match on TV: USA-Switzerland - WC '94

First Nat/MLS/European Match in Person: USA-Ireland 2000/New England-Chicago 2000 playoffs/Barcelona-Zaragoza April 2001

First Time Played: U-6 3v3 league '91/'92

[GoFireGo]

Lets see i first played when i was 5

I went to countless indoor Chicago Power/Sting games

First game on TV was some EPL game that involved Sheffield Wednesday and some other team. Just the fact that there was a team with the name Sheffield Wednesday got the biggest kick outta me. i was like 9 or 10 at the time.

First match was Greece vs Bulgaria world cup 94 in Chicago. Amazing atmosphere. bad game. i was 11 or 12 at the time and i still remember it do this day. as you know Chicago has a huge Greek population, so they introduce the Bulgarian line up and some cheers go up and and then they accounce the starting lineup for Greece and the whole end of Soldier's Field gets covered by a Greek flag. then the game started and it was quite awful but thats not the point.

[rcoull]

First Match on TV I can remember:- Man Utd vs Southampton, FA Cup final 1976...although according to my Dad we used to Match of the Day together since I was about 5 ('74)

First live match:- Newcastle United vs Manchester United March 1977

First started playing...no idea...I guess ever since I started school age 4 and 5...its a religion in the NE of England so its been as long as I can remember...

First real match..no idea..can't remember again probably at infant school (see above)

-Richard

[irishFS1921]

First match on TV: ManU match early 90's i have a godawful memory.
First match in person:Atlanta Sharks indoor soccer late 80's early 90's can't remember
First time I played: probably 4-5 i used to play with my uncle who was a really good keeper but never had the grades to get into the NCAA and traveling leagues never got him anywhere.
First time I played in a real match: from 8 to 13 i was a top defender in youth soccer in GA

edit- haha 8 to 13 oh the irony for some reason.