6 October 2001 - Beckham Bends It

On 6 October 2001, England midfielder and captain David Beckham converted a spectacular free kick in the last minute of stoppage time to equalize with Greece 2-2 in a World Cup qualifier at Old Trafford in Manchester, England.

England went into the match needing a win or a draw in order to ensure automatic qualification for the 2002 World Cup Finals. The Greek side disrupted those plans with a 36th-minute strike from forward Angelos Charisteas to go up 0-1.

Still down in the 67th minute, England manager Sven Göran Eriksson subbed striker Robbie Fowler out in favor of striker Teddy Sheringham. Sheringham quickly rewarded Eriksson's faith, heading in an equalizer within ten seconds of stepping foot on the pitch--the fastest goal ever by an England substitute. England's euphoria did not last long, however, as in the 69th minute, Greek striker Demis Nikolaidis evaded defender Rio Ferdinand and fired the Greeks back into the lead.

England continued to trail, when, in the 93rd minute, they were awarded a free kick from about 30 yards out in the center of the pitch. Beckham, who had already taken five unsuccessful long-range free kicks in the match, stepped up and delivered a powerful bending right-foot shot into the top left corner of the goal.

The whistle blew shortly afterward, with England claiming the 2-2 draw and automatic qualification for the 2002 World Cup. It was a watershed moment for Beckham, who had previously been hounded by the British press and supporters for his red-card performance in England's loss to Argentina in the knockout stages of the previous World Cup. The goal against Greece, as well as Beckham's overall inspired play and leadership, transformed him from national villain to national hero.

5 October 1957 - The Marvelous José Andrade

On 5 October 1957, José Leandro Andrade died of tuberculosis at a nursing home in Montevideo at the age of 55. The left half earned multiple honors with the Uruguayan national team, including two Olympic gold medals and one World Cup trophy.

Born in Salto, Uruguay in 1902, Andrade played for a number of Uruguayan and Argentinian clubs in his career, but spent the majority of his time with Uruguayan clubs Nacional and Peñarol. He first appeared for the national side in 1923 and was a key member of the team that defeated Switzerland 3-0 in the gold medal match for the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. At that tournament, he became the first black man to play competitive football at the international level on the continent and earned the nickname "The Black Marvel."

He repeated that gold medal success with Uruguay in the 1928 Summer Olympics, defeating Argentina in the final, but suffered an eye injury during a semi-final match against Italy that eventually left him blind in one eye.

In 1930, Uruguay hosted the first World Cup and, fittingly, claimed the first trophy, again defeating Argentina in the Final. Andrade was named to the tournament's All Star Team. The Final was his last appearance for the national side.

In 1994, France Football magazine named him #10 in their list of the top 100 players in the World Cup.

4 October 1933 - Busby's Brief International Career

On 4 October 1933, wing half Matt Busby debuted for Scotland in a 3-2 loss to Wales at Ninian Park in the British Home Championship. He played for Scotland seven more times during World War II, but the 1933 appearance was his only official one for the Scottish national side.

Busby was in the midst of an impressive playing career for Manchester City, for whom he made a total of 229 appearances between 1928 and 1936, scoring 14 goals and winning the 1935 FA Cup. (The photo to the right shows Busby meeting the future King George VI at the 1933 FA Cup Final.)

In 1936, he transferred to Liverpool, where he played until 1939, making 122 appearances. His playing career officially ended with the outbreak of World War II as he, along with many other Liverpool players, signed up for military service with the King's Liverpool Regiment.

Wales went on to win the 1933-34 British Home Championship with a 2-1 win over England and a 1-1 draw with Ireland. Scotland finished at the bottom of the table, losing all three of their matches.

After the war, Busby started a successful management career with Manchester United, where he stayed from 1945 to 1969, and then from 1970-71. He also briefly managed a unified British national side in 1948 and the Scottish national team in 1958.

3 October 1981 - The Sweet-Finishing Swede

On 3 October 1981, Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimović was born in Malmö. The striker, who currently plays for PSG, is now one of the highest-paid footballers in the world.

Ibrahimović started his professional career in 1999 with his hometown club, Malmö FF, but transferred to Ajax in 2001. He helped Ajax win the Eredivisie title in his first season. He also made his first appearance for the Swedish national team senior side in 2001.

In 2004, he moved to Juventus and made an immediate impact, scoring 16 goals his first season. Juve won the Serie A title in Ibrahimović's two seasons there, but were forced to relenquish those Scudettos after being found guilty of match-fixing. As an additional punishment, Juve were relegated to Serie B for the 2006-07 season. As a result, Ibrahimović left Juventus and signed with rivals Inter.

Again, Ibrahimović proved to be an instant success, becoming Inter's top scorer his first season with 15 goals and helping the Milanese club to three consecutive Scudettos. Despite his success, however, he has been the subject of frequent criticism for failing to make an impact in critical matches, including matches in the UEFA Champions League.

In 2009, Ibrahimović moived again, this time to reigning La Liga and Champions League holders Barcelona. The transfer was widely publicized, with Inter receiving forward Barça forward Samuel Eto'o (valued at €20 million) and €46 million for the striker. He currently earns €9.5 million per year with the Catalan club. Despite the price, he stayed there just over a season before returning to Italy to play for Milan. 

In 2012, after two seasons with Milan, he joined Paris Saint-Germain for a fee close to €20 million, raising his total transfer fees to €180 million, breaking the record previously held by Nicolas Anelka. He also received an annual salary of €14 million, making him the second-highest paid footballer in the world at the time, behind only Samuel Eto'.

2 October 1928 - A "Renegade League" Sounds More Exciting Than It Actually Is, Unfortunately

On 2 October 1928, the United States Football Association suspended the nation's top league, the American Soccer League. Established in 1921, the ASL was the United States' first professional league. It was regional, with its teams based primarily around New York and Philadelphia.

The suspension arose from a dispute between the ASL and the USFA over the USFA-run National Challenge Cup (the forerunner of today's U.S. Open Cup). The Challenge Cup was played during the ASL season and was open to all clubs in the nation operating under the USFA umbrella. Thus, ASL clubs often found themselves interrupting their season to travel miles away and play against amateur teams in front of small crowds. The poor crowds combined with high travel expenses to strain the finances of the ASL clubs.

In 1928, the ASL boycotted the Challenge Cup (which they had also done in 1924). Nevertheless, three ASL clubs--Bethlehem Steel, New York Giants, and Newark Skeeters--ignored the boycott and entered the Cup competition. The ASL promptly suspended them, which in turn led the USFA, and later FIFA, to suspend the ASL.

The ASL operated as a renegade league for the rest of the 1928-29 season, while the USFA established a new professional league, the Eastern Professional Soccer League, to take its place. In 1929, at the start of the following season, the ASL agreed to comply with the USFA's demands.

The battle between the ASL and USFA irrevocably damaged the ASL, however, and the league, which had by then merged with the EPSL, dissolved in the spring of 1933.

1 October 1996 - With That Name, He Had To End Up There Sooner Or Later

On 1 October 1996, Arsène Wenger officially took charge as manager of Arsenal. He would go on to become recognized as one of the best managers in football, becoming the first (and to date only) non-British manager to win the English Double and the first Premier League manager to go a full season undefeated.

Wenger was born in Strasbourg, France on 22 October 1949. He enjoyed a brief and undistinguished playing career as a sweeper for FC Mulhouse (1973-75), ASPV Strasbourg (1975-78), and RC Strasbourg (1978-81) before moving into management as an assistant with AS Cannes in 1983.

He received his first full mangerial position with Ligue 1 side AS Nancy in 1984. He stayed there for only three seasons, the last of which ended with the club being relegated to Ligue 2. In 1987, he moved to AS Monaco, where he earned his first managerial honors, winning Ligue 1 in his first season. His Monaco side also won the Coupe de France in 1991.

Wenger left Monaco in 1994 after the club's board denied him permission to speak with Bayern Munich about their managerial vacancy. In 1995, he went to Japan to manage Nagoya Grampus Eight and in 1996 his side won both the Emperor's Cup and the J-League Super Cup.

He moved to Arsenal in 1996 after the London club sacked previous manager Bruce Rioch. His first match in charge was a 2-0 Premier League away win over Blackburn Rovers on 12 October 1996. Arsenal finished in third place that season, but secured Wenger's record-setting Double the following season, winning both the Premier League and the FA Cup in his first full season in charge.

He won a second Double in the 2001-02 season, then won the league again in 2003-04 without losing a match.

30 September 2006 - This Time, Barton Shows His Backside Figuratively AND Literally

On 30 September 2006, Manchester City drew with Everton 1-1 before a crowd of 38,250 at Goodison Park with an equalizer from defender Micah Richards in the fourth minute of stoppage time. City midfielder Joey Barton celebrated the draw by dropping his shorts and exposing his bare bottom to the home fans.

Barton, who played youth football for City, signed with the club as a professional in 2002 and, by 2006, was already in the process of developing a reputation for trouble. At the City Christmas Party in 2004, youth player Jamie Tandy--himself no stranger to trouble--attempted to set fire to Barton's shirt. Barton responded by sticking a lit cigar in Tandy's eye. Although Tandy's injuries were limited to a burnt eyelid, City issued Barton a club-record fine of £60,000.

In the summer of 2005, City were participating in a preseason tournament in Thailand when a 15-year old Everton supporter verbally insulted Barton and kicked him in the shin. Barton responded by attacking the boy and had to be pulled away by teammate Richard Dunne. Afterward, City manager Stuart Pearce ordered Barton to take anger management classes and also fined him £120,000.

By contrast, Barton's backside-baring earned him a paltry £2,000 fine and a caution from the Football Association.

Barton was not through making headlines for off-the-pitch behavior, however. On 27 December 2007, he was caught on video fighting on the streets of Liverpool. He attacked a 16-year old boy, breaking several teeth, and punched another man at least 20 times. He was sentenced to six months in jail, but was released after spending only two months behind bars.

He left Man City in 2007 and, after spells with Newcastle and Marseille, currently plays for Queens Park Rangers.