carrying in your pocket and being able to zoom enough to take pictures of players in a game don't go well together unless you're looking for those 12X optical zoom cameras. if you want a better zoom, go for one of the bridge cameras with 18X or more optical zoom. You'll find these bridge cameras with upto 34x optical zoom, maybe even more. Now, they're not going to fit in your pocket but they're still light and easy to carry around, and most importantly - versatile. 

canon sx40, and sx30 series are pretty good bang for the buck. you might also want to look at panasonic lumix fz-40, fz-100, or fz-150. fujifilm is also launching some okay bridge cameras. check the reviews and decide what you want.