7 November 2008 - Wake Forest Gives Virginia The Deacon Blues

On 7 November 2008, top-ranked Wake Forest University beat the University of Virginia 2-0 before a crowd of 3,968 at Virginia's Klockner Stadium. The win secured the Demon Deacons' first undefeated regular season in program history.

The star of the match was Deacon midfielder Sam Cronin (pictured), whose 6th minute cross was headed in by forward Cody Arnoux to give Wake Forest an early 1-0 lead. Cronin doubled the lead in the 16th minute when he collected a loose ball and fired off an 18-yard strike into the back of the net.

Cronin graduated from Wake Forest in 2009 and currently plays for Toronto FC.

Coincidentally, Wake's win came 139 years to the day after the first intercollegiate football game played in the US. In that match, played on 7 November 1869 using rules drafted by the London Football Association, Rutgers University defeated Princeton University, 6-4. Because the London Rules at the time allowed players to use their hands to bat or hold the ball, that match is also generally considered to be the first-ever "American football" game.

27 July 1994 - The Second Coming Of Barbarossa

On 27 July 1994, defender Alexi Lalas signed with Serie A side Padova, becoming the first American in the modern era to play in Italy's top flight.

Lalas rose to national prominence while playing for Rutgers University, leading them to the NCAA Championship Game in 1990. In 1991, he was named a First Team All American and also won both the Hermann Trophy and the Missouri Athletic Club Player of the Year award.

After graduating from Rutgers in 1991, Lalas did not sign with a club and played exclusively for the United States national team. Between 1991 and 1998, he earned 96 caps and scored 9 goals for the national side.

A charismatic and colorful character, with his trademark long red hair and a beard, Lalas achieved near-celebrity status during the 1994 World Cup. He started and played every minute in the US's four matches, until they were eliminated by eventual winners Brazil in the first knockout round.

Lalas' performance in the World Cup drew the attention of Padova, who had just been promoted to Serie A for the 1994-95 season. Padova finished at the bottom of the table in 1995, but won a relegation playoff to remain in the top flight. At the end of that season, Lalas signed a contract with MLS to play in the new league's inaugural season, but MLS had to delay its start until 1996, so it loaned Lalas back to Padova for the 1995-96 season.

In 1996, Lalas signed for the New England Revolution, where he played until December 1997 (including a brief period on loan with Ecuadorian side Emelec). He spent the next several years with various MLS clubs, including the NY/NJ Metrostars, Kansas City Wizards, and Los Angeles Galaxy.

After his playing career ended, Lalas spent time as a broadcaster as well as serving as the general manager of the San Jose Earthquakes, Metrostars/Red Bulls, and the Galaxy.