The 2010 FIFA World Cup has come to a close, and fans that became addicted to the drama and excitement lament the fact that they'll have to wait four years to experience it all again. There are countless soccer leagues and tournaments around the world, which can get quite confusing unless you're a footy expert. What are some of the best soccer competitions to watch in the meantime?
1. UEFA Champions League (club) - The UEFA Champions league is the most popular annual soccer competition in the world. The best club teams from all around Europe play in an epic tournament from September to May of every year. It begins with four team groups that play a round-robin format. The top two in each group advance to a knockout tournament of the top 16 teams. European leagues are the most competitive and recruit the best players from all around the world. This is a unique opportunity to see the top teams from England, Spain, Italy and Germany face off, each featuring a roster of superstars.
2. EURO 2012 Poland/Ukraine (nations) - The 16 top nations face off in a tournament that serves as the "World Cup" of Europe. It also starts with a group phase before progressing to the quarterfinals, semis and final. The real World Cup final has featured only European nations in the last two tournaments, so you'll see the best nations in the world battling for prestige and national pride.
3. English Premier League (club) - The English Premier League is widely considered the top domestic league in the world, and clubs such as Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal have fanatical followings all around the world. 20 teams play against each other home and away from autumn to spring of each year, and there's drama at both the top and bottom of the standings-the bottom three teams actually get demoted to a lower league the next season. You certainly don't see anything like that in American sports.
4. Copa America 2011 Argentina (nations) - The Copa America is a similar tournament to the EURO, but it involves only South American nations. Other than Europe, South America is the only continent that has produced a World Cup champion, and you'll see powerhouses Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay competing in a passionate and exciting tournament.
5. Spanish La Liga (club) - The Spanish La Liga is the club league of the 2010 World Cup Champions, Spain. The format is very similar to the English Premier League and the style of play is considered to be entertaining, attacking, and very open in nature. It has one of the highest goals-per-game averages of top European leagues.
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