Now that Beckham is american, I should start following Soccer (Football). What is a 'Cap'?

Answer 1

Beckham really doesn't change the state of soccer in american. I don't care what people say he is just one man.

A cap is when you play one game for your country in international play. So when they some has so many caps that is how many games they have played for their country.

Answer 2

A cap is an appearance for a select team, such as a school, county or international team in sports. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap (meaning an item of headgear) to every player in an international match of Association Football; however, the act of awarding a cap is now international and is applied to other sports. The practice was first approved on May 10, 1886 for Association Football, after a proposal made by N. L. Jackson, founder of Corinthians F.C.:

"That all players taking part for England in future international matches be presented with a white silk cap with red rose embroidered on the front. These to be termed International Caps."

The first football international, Scotland versus England with the players wearing caps. Today it might seem an unusual and perhaps even a bizarre practice to present a player with an actual cap but in the early days of football the concept of each team wearing a set of matching shirts had not been universally adopted, with the result that a team's players would often take the field in a variety of different coloured shirts, and each side would distinguish itself from the other by wearing a specific sort of cap or other headgear. An early illustration of the first international football match between England and Scotland in 1872 shows the Scottish players wearing cowls and the English wearing a variety of school caps.

Actual caps are not usually given any more (caps for friendly matches still exist, and each player gets one cap per international competition), but the term "cap" for an international or other appearance has been retained. Thus, a cap is awarded for each game played and so a player who has played x games, for the team, is said to have been capped x times or have won x caps.

Answer 3

A cap is an appearance in a game for one's country. They used to actually give caps to the players, hence the term.

Beckham isn't becoming American (yet, anyway). As for watching the games, go ahead. You might like them. But don't watch just for Beckham. He's just one player, past his prime, but still useful in many ways.

Answer 4

If you are talking about the US national team Beckham is ineligible. I think the MLS needs to get more starts for more people to take interest. I am a white American from Indiana and I would prefer to watch the Mexican league over MLS.