Soccer Ebook Best Sellers

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The Club - Joshua Robinson & Jonathan Clegg Cover Art

The Club

The Club How the English Premier League Became the Wildest, Richest, Most Disruptive Force in Sports by Joshua Robinson & Jonathan Clegg

The Club is the inside story of how English soccer’s Premier League became the wildest, richest, most popular sports product on the planet, "a narrative that is part Great Expectations, part Game of Thrones, in equal measure." (Roger Bennett, NBC Sports, Men in Blazers)   This is a sports and business tale of how money, ambition, and twenty-five years of drama remade an ancient institution into a twenty-first-century entertainment empire. No one knew it when their experiment began, but without any particular genius or acumen, the motley cast of billionaires and hucksters behind the modern Premier League struck gold. Pretty soon, everyone wanted to try their luck, from Russian oligarchs to Emirati sheikhs, American tycoons, and Asian Tiger titans. Some succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. Some lost everything. Today, players are sold for tens of millions, clubs are valued in the billions, and games are beamed out to nearly two hundred countries, all while the league struggles to preserve its English soul. Deeply researched and drawing on one hundred exclusive interviews, including the key decision makers at every major English team, The Club is the definitive and wildly entertaining narrative of how the Premier League took over the world.

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Soccernomics (2022 World Cup Edition) - Simon Kuper & Stefan Szymanski Cover Art

Soccernomics (2022 World Cup Edition)

Soccernomics (2022 World Cup Edition) Why European Men and American Women Win and Billionaire Owners Are Destined to Lose by Simon Kuper & Stefan Szymanski

Written with an economist's brain and a soccer writer's skill,  Soccernomics  applies high-powered analytical tools to everyday soccer topics Soccernomics is a revolutionary new way of looking at soccer that has helped to change the way the sport is played. This World Cup edition features ample new material, including a chapter on women’s soccer that makes a case for reparations, an analysis of the pandemic’s impact on soccer finances, and insights into the failed plan to create a European Super League. Soccernomics remains essential reading for anyone in search of a more strategic, systematic perspective on the game, answering the questions that most consume soccer fans. 

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Ajax, the Dutch, the War - Simon Kuper Cover Art

Ajax, the Dutch, the War

Ajax, the Dutch, the War
The Strange Tale of Soccer During Europe's Darkest Hour
by Simon Kuper

A passionate, haunting and moving work that tells the breathtaking story of how Dutch Jews survived the unspeakable and came to play a strong role in the rise of the most exciting and revolutionary style of soccer -- "Total Football" -- the world had ever seen. When most people think about the Netherlands, images of tulips and peaceful pot smoking residents spring to mind. Bring up soccer, and most will think of Johan Cruyff, the Dutch player thought to rival Pele in preternatural skill, and Ajax, one of the most influential soccer clubs in the world whose academy system for young athletes has been replicated around the globe. In  Ajax, The Dutch, The War: Soccer in Europe During the Second World War , bestselling author Simon Kuper shows how the story of soccer in Holland cannot be understood without investigating what really occurred in this country during WWII. For decades, the Dutch have enjoyed the reputation of having a "good war." The myth is even resonant in Israel where Ajax is celebrated. The fact is, the Jews suffered shocking persecution at the hands of Dutch collaborators. Holland had the second largest Nazi movement in Europe outside Germany, and in no other country except Poland was so high a percentage of Jews deported. Kuper challenges Holland's historical amnesia and uses soccer -- particularly the experience of Ajax, a club long supported by Amsterdam's Jews -- as a window on wartime Holland and Europe. Through interviews with Resistance fighters, survivors, wartime soccer players and more, Kuper uncovers this history that has been ignored, and also finds out why the Holocaust had a profound effect on soccer in the country. Ajax produced Cruyff but was also built by members of the Dutch resistance and Holocaust survivors. It became a surrogate family for many who survived the war and its method for producing unparalleled talent became the envy of clubs around the world.

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Men in Blazers Present Gods of Soccer - Roger Bennett, Michael Davies & Miranda Davis Cover Art

Men in Blazers Present Gods of Soccer

Men in Blazers Present Gods of Soccer The Pantheon of the 100 Greatest Soccer Players (According to Us) by Roger Bennett, Michael Davies & Miranda Davis

From the hosts of the popular podcast and tv show Men in Blazers, comes their completely scientific, 100% definitive, defend-to-the-death list of the greatest soccer players of all time. Every fan has their own list of the 100 soccer players they consider the greatest ever to play the game. A list based on triumphs, sublime moments of skill, superhuman tenacity, and telenovela-esque backstories. To the list-maker, that 100 feels objective. Unequivocal. An absolute truth. This is one such list. Written with the same signature Men in Blazers humor found in their New York Times bestseller Encyclopedia Blazertannica, and accompanied by Nate Kitch's iconic photographic illustrations, Men in Blazers share the stories of household names like David Beckham and Alex Morgan, along with cult icons such as Garrincha, the Brazilian star of the 1960s who was born with one leg six inches shorter than the other, and Briana Scurry, a trailblazer who paved a path for young Black soccer-playing women. Page by page, you will revel in the depictions of players you adore, discover tales you have never heard, and experience vivid stories of dreams, loyalty, perseverance, creativity, and luck. Together, they form an alternative telling of the history of soccer, tracing the evolution of the men's and women's games around the globe, one unlikely, unbelievable, unforgettable career at a time. Thanks to the transcendent career arcs depicted within, Gods of Soccer is rife with tales that will make readers' hearts soar. Encourage them to dream. And then quickly rush off to make their own lists. FOR READERS OF: Complete Book of Soccer, The Baseball 100, Encyclopedia Blazertannica, and Reborn in the USA A COMPANION TO MEN IN BLAZERS PODCAST AND SHOWS: This is the perfect companion for avid fans of the Men in Blazers podcast, one of the largest soccer podcasts in the world, and their weekly NBC show. A GREAT GIFT: Surprise the soccer fans in your life or introduce someone to the sport with God's of Soccer. This will make a fantastic gift for both novice and die-hard players and soccer fans of all ages.

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Lionesses - Abdullah Abdullah Cover Art

Lionesses

Lionesses Gamechangers by Abdullah Abdullah

England's emphatic victory at the 2022 women's Euros has been called a watershed moment both for the team and for women's football. But can this talented side prove their mettle on the biggest stage of all and achieve World Cup glory in 2023? Tactical writer Abdullah Abdullah once again lifts the lid on a women's footballing institution, this time through an international lens - deconstructing match tactics, analysing player performances and assessing the key improvements made in Sarina Wiegman's time in charge. Abdullah explores the standout tactical profiles from the current generation, including Fran Kirby and Lucy Bronze as well as the future crop, like Leah Williamson and wunderkind Lauren Hemp. This book dives into the specifics of how this iteration of the Lionesses can perform at the 2023 Women's World Cup. Will this be the moment they shed their status as perennial challengers and prove they are the best team in the world?

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Data Game - Josh Williams Cover Art

Data Game

Data Game
The Story of Liverpool FC's Analytics Revolution
by Josh Williams

Data Game: The Story of Liverpool FC's Analytics Revolution explores the lesser-known story of how Liverpool rose to greatness in the 21st century with the help of big data. The Anfield institution is an industry leader in the field of data science, but little is known about how Liverpool's relationship with numbers began, and how the marriage of data and football helped to deliver wins on the pitch by impacting tactics and recruitment. Upon their takeover, Fenway Sports Group set out to transform Liverpool into a data-driven organisation, but there is a story behind why that vision took around a decade to become a reality. From errors in the transfer market, to suboptimal playing styles, to conflicting egos, Liverpool jumped many hurdles before achieving their ambitions under JÜrgen Klopp, with the German surrounded by unsung heroes who shunned the limelight. This is the tale of how Liverpool gained an edge over their wealthier rivals by getting smart.

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Inverting The Pyramid - Jonathan Wilson Cover Art

Inverting The Pyramid

Inverting The Pyramid The History of Soccer Tactics by Jonathan Wilson

"An outstanding work the [soccer] book of the decade." -- Sunday Business Post Inverting the Pyramid is a pioneering soccer book that chronicles the evolution of soccer tactics and the lives of the itinerant coaching geniuses who have spread their distinctive styles across the globe. Through Jonathan Wilson's brilliant historical detective work we learn how the South Americans shrugged off the British colonial order to add their own finesse to the game; how the Europeans harnessed individual technique and built it into a team structure; how the game once featured five forwards up front, while now a lone striker is not uncommon. Inverting the Pyramid provides a definitive understanding of the tactical genius of modern-day Barcelona, for the first time showing how their style of play developed from Dutch "Total Football," which itself was an evolution of the Scottish passing game invented by Queens Park in the 1870s and taken on by Tottenham Hotspur in the 1930s. Inverting the Pyramid has been called the "Big Daddy" (Zonal Marking) of soccer tactics books; it is essential for any coach, fan, player, or fantasy manager of the beautiful game.

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White Angels - John Carlin Cover Art

White Angels

White Angels Beckham, the Real Madrid, and the New Football by John Carlin

A look at soccer superstar David Beckham, the Real Madrid team he joined in 2003, and at how this combination has forever changed the face of the world's most popular sport.

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Among the Thugs - Bill Buford Cover Art

Among the Thugs

Among the Thugs by Bill Buford

They have names like Barmy Bernie, Daft Donald, and Steamin' Sammy. They like lager (in huge quantities), the Queen, football clubs (especially Manchester United), and themselves. Their dislike encompasses the rest of the known universe, and England's soccer thugs express it in ways that range from mere vandalism to riots that terrorize entire cities. Now Bill Buford, editor of the prestigious journal Granta, enters this alternate society and records both its savageries and its sinister allure with the social imagination of a George Orwell and the raw personal engagement of a Hunter Thompson.

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Solo - Hope Solo Cover Art

Solo

Solo
A Memoir of Hope
by Hope Solo

"My family doesn't do happy endings. We do sad endings or frustrating endings or no endings at all. We are hardwired to expect the next interruption or disappearance or broken promise." Hope Solo is the face of the modern female athlete. She is fearless, outspoken, and the best in the world at what she does: protecting the goal of the U.S. women's soccer team. Her outsized talent has led her to the pinnacle of her sport—the Olympics and the World Cup—and made her into an international celebrity who is just as likely to appear on ABC's Dancing with the Stars as she is on the covers of Sports Illustrated, ESPN The Magazine, and Vogue. But her journey—which began in Richland, Washington, where she was raised by her strong-willed mother on the scorched earth of defunct nuclear testing sites—is similarly haunted by the fallout of her family history. Her father, a philanderer and con man, was convicted of embezzlement when Solo was an infant. She lost touch with him as he drifted out of prison and into homelessness. By the time they reunited, years later, in the parking lot of a grocery store, she was an All-American goalkeeper at the University of Washington and already a budding prospect for the U.S. national team. He was living in the woods. Despite harboring serious doubts even about the provenance of her father's last name (and her own), Solo embraces him as fiercely as she pursues her dreams of being a world-class soccer player. When those dreams are threatened by her standing within the national team, as when she was famously benched in the semifinals of the 2007 World Cup after four shutouts and spoke her piece publicly, we see a woman of uncompromising independence and hard-won perseverance navigate the petty backlash against her. For the first time, she tells her version of that controversial episode, and offers with it a full understanding of her hard-scrabble life. Moving, sometimes shocking, Solo is a portrait of an athlete finding redemption. This is the Hope Solo whom few have ever glimpsed. Signed poster inside.

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Soccer Rules and Positions In A Day For Dummies - Michael Lewis & United States Soccer Federation, Inc. Cover Art

Soccer Rules and Positions In A Day For Dummies

Soccer Rules and Positions In A Day For Dummies by Michael Lewis & United States Soccer Federation, Inc.

Soccer basics in a day? Easy. Do you get a kick out of soccer, but need to brush up your knowledge on the key elements of the game? Look no further! Soccer Rules & Positions In A Day For Dummies quickly brings you up to speed on one of the most popular sports in the world. From essential information on the sport to expert coverage of the game's rules, regulations, and players, this book provides invaluable insight to new and veteran fans alike. The essential information you need to understand and enjoy soccer Expert coverage of the game's rules and regulations Helpful breakdowns of soccer positions and their roles in offense and defense Online component takes readers beyond the book with bonus content and features Get set to impress your friends with your newfound knowledge in no time!

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The Keeper - Tim Howard Cover Art

The Keeper

The Keeper A Life of Saving Goals and Achieving Them by Tim Howard

In this inspiring, down-to-earth memoir the revered goalkeeper and American icon  idolized by millions worldwide for his dependability, daring, and humility recounts his rise to stardom at the 2014 World Cup, the psychological and professional challenges he has faced, and the enduring faith that has sustained him. In The Keeper, the man who electrified the world with his amazing performance in Brazil does something he would never do on a soccer field: he drops his guard. As fiercely protective about his privacy as he is guarding the goal on the field, Howard opens up for the first time about how a hyperactive kid from New Jersey with Tourette’s syndrome defied the odds to become one of the world’s premier goalkeepers. The Keeper recalls his childhood, being raised by a single mother who instilled in him a love of sports and a devout Christian faith that helped him cope when he was diagnosed with Tourette’s in the fifth grade. He looks back over his fifteen-year professional career—from becoming the youngest player to win MLS Goalkeeper of the Year to his storied move to the English Premier League with Manchester United and his current team, Liverpool’s Everton, to becoming an overnight star after his record-making performance with the United States Men’s National Team. He also talks about the things closest to his heart—the importance of family and the Christian beliefs that guide him. Told in his thoughtful and articulate voice, The Keeper is an illuminating look at a remarkable man who is an inspirational role model for all of us. The Keeper is illustrated with two 8-page color photo inserts.

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Coming Out to Play - Robbie Rogers & Eric Marcus Cover Art

Coming Out to Play

Coming Out to Play by Robbie Rogers & Eric Marcus

The first openly gay professional athlete in North America tells the story of his landmark decision to come out of the closet and how he changed the playing field of professional sports forever. “Rogers made history.” — Sports Illustrated Robbie Rogers knows better than most that keeping secrets can crush you. But for much of his life Robbie lived in paralyzing fear that sharing his big secret would cost him the love of his family and his career as a professional soccer player. So he never told anyone what was destroying his soul, both on and off the field. While the world around Robbie was changing with breathtaking speed, he knew that for a gay man playing a professional team sport it might as well be 1958. He could be a professional soccer player.  Or he could be an out gay man. He couldn’t do both.  Then last year, at the age of twenty-five and after nearly stepping away from a brilliant career—one that included an NCAA Championship, winning the MLS Cup, and competing in the Olympics—he chose to tell the truth. But instead of facing the rejection he feared, he was embraced—by his family, by his teammates, and his fans.  In Coming Out to Play, Robbie takes readers on his incredible journey from terrified teenager to a trailblazing out and proud professional soccer player for the L.A. Galaxy, who has embraced his new identity as a role model and champion for those still struggling with the secrets that keep them from living their dreams.

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The Numbers Game - Chris Anderson & David Sally Cover Art

The Numbers Game

The Numbers Game Why Everything You Know About Soccer Is Wrong by Chris Anderson & David Sally

Moneyball meets Freakonomics in this myth-busting guide to understanding—and winning—the most popular sport on the planet. Innovation is coming to soccer, and at the center of it all are the numbers—a way of thinking about the game that ignores the obvious in favor of how things actually are. In The Numbers Game , Chris Anderson, a former professional goalkeeper turned soccer statistics guru, teams up with behavioral analyst David Sally to uncover the numbers that really matter when it comes to predicting a winner. Investigating basic but profound questions—How valuable are corners? Which goal matters most? Is possession really nine-tenths of the law? How should a player’s value be judged?—they deliver an incisive, revolutionary new way of watching and understanding soccer.

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So Paddy Got Up - Andrew Mangan, Amy Lawrence, Philippe Auclair, Paolo Bandini, Michael Cox, Nigel Brown, James McNicholas, Leanne Hurley, Tom Clark, Tim Clark, Jim Haryott, Stuart Stratford, Sian Ranscombe, Andrew Allen, Jake Morris, Julian Harris, Kieron O'Connor, Tim Stillman, Tim Bostelle, Tim Payton, Chris Harris, Nick Ames, Tim Barkwill, John Cross, Jonathan Swan & David Faber Cover Art

So Paddy Got Up

So Paddy Got Up An Arsenal Anthology by Andrew Mangan, Amy Lawrence, Philippe Auclair, Paolo Bandini, Michael Cox, Nigel Brown, James McNicholas, Leanne Hurley, Tom Clark, Tim Clark, Jim Haryott, Stuart Stratford, Sian Ranscombe, Andrew Allen, Jake Morris, Julian Harris, Kieron O'Connor, Tim Stillman, Tim Bostelle, Tim Payton, Chris Harris, Nick Ames, Tim Barkwill, John Cross, Jonathan Swan & David Faber

So Paddy Got Up is a unique collection of writing about Arsenal Football Club. Edited by Andrew Mangan, founder of Arseblog, it features bloggers, writers and journalists reminiscing, eulogising, analysing and waxing lyrical about everything from the club’s humble origins to where it finds itself now, from great players to great managers, from tactics to fans to stadia to kits, amongst many other things. It’s by far the greatest Arsenal anthology the world has ever seen.

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Why Soccer Matters - Pelé & Brian Winter Cover Art

Why Soccer Matters

Why Soccer Matters A Look at More Than Sixty Years of International Soccer by Pelé & Brian Winter

Pelé—legendary footballer and humanitarian—explores the sport’s recent history and shares his most inspiring experiences, heartwarming stories, and hard-won wisdom. “I know in my heart that soccer was good to me, and great to the world....I saw, time and again, how the sport improved countless millions of lives, both on and off the field. For me, at least, that’s why soccer matters.” The world’s most popular sport goes by many names—soccer, football, the beautiful game—but fans have always agreed on one thing: The greatest player of all time was Pelé. Before Messi, before Ronaldo, before Beckham, Pelé had a stunning twenty-year career, where he was heralded as an international treasure. His accomplishments on the field proved to be pure magic: an unprecedented three World Cup championships and the all-time scoring record, with 1,283 goals. Since retiring, he has traveled the world as soccer’s global ambassador, relentlessly promoting the positive ways soccer can transform young men and women, struggling communities, even entire nations. This is Pelé’s legacy, his way of passing on everything he’s learned and inspiring a new generation. In Why Soccer Matters , Pelé details his ambitious goals for the future of the sport and, by extension, the world.

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The Ball is Round - David Goldblatt Cover Art

The Ball is Round

The Ball is Round A Global History of Soccer by David Goldblatt

The definitive book about soccer, from the author of The Games: A Global History of the Olympics. There may be no cultural practice more global than soccer. Rites of birth and marriage are infinitely diverse, but the rules of soccer are universal. No world religion can match its geographical scope. The single greatest simultaneous human collective experience is the World Cup final. In this extraordinary tour de force, David Goldblatt tells the full story of soccer's rise from chaotic folk ritual to the world's most popular sport-now poised to fully establish itself in the USA. Already celebrated internationally, The Ball Is Round illuminates soccer's role in the political and social histories of modern societies, but never loses sight of the beauty, joy, and excitement of the game itself.

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A Beautiful Game - Tom Watt Cover Art

A Beautiful Game

A Beautiful Game The World's Greatest Players and How Soccer Changed Their Lives by Tom Watt

Foreword by Arsene Wenger, Introduction by David Beckham Soccer writer and bestselling author of My Side, Tom Watt, talked to the world's top soccer players about growing up and falling in love with the game: Argentina's Lionel Messi and Brazil's Gilberto Silva; England's David James and Scotland's Craig Gordon; Italy's Fabio Cannavaro, Spain's Iker Casillas, and France's Franck Ribéry; South Africa's Benni McCarthy and Nigeria's Nwankwo Kanu; USA's Landon Donovan and Japan's Shunsuke Nakamura; and the world's most famous player, David Beckham. A Beautiful Game tells their stories, in the players' own words—stories of boys who would grow up to be heroes for a new generation of young players and fans. They look back to their childhoods: to their family homes, to their schoolrooms, to the friends they grew up with, and to the places where they first played the game that has made them stars. Combining stunning photographs with the world's greatest players sharing their personal stories of how soccer transformed their lives, this inspiring book is an intoxicating celebration of the "beautiful game."

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Beckham - David Beckham & Tom Watt Cover Art

Beckham

Beckham Both Feet on the Ground: An Autobiography by David Beckham & Tom Watt

Perfect for fans of the hit Netflix docuseries, Beckham. The autobiography of arguably the world’s most celebrated sports icon, David Beckham—a classic rags to riches saga of a boy, born into a poor East End London family, with prodigious talent and a father who believed in him and supported him until he became the most gifted athlete of his generation and his nation’s captain. In his own words, Beckham talks about the pressures of celebrity, his controversial and celebrated career, his marriage to Victoria Beckham and family, and, of course, life as the world’s best-known soccer player. In Beckham, the ordinary guy who fate decided would be lifted to glory tells the story of how it all happened.

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Lionel Messi - Belmont & Belcourt Biographies Cover Art

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi An Unauthorized Biography by Belmont & Belcourt Biographies

Lionel Messi is one of the greatest soccer players of his generation. In fact, although still so young, he has been dubbed by many fellow professionals as "The Best Player to Ever Grace the Sport." Most fans are aware of his successes on the field, but in order to truly understand Lionel Messi, you must first understand where he came from. Lionel Messi: An Unauthorized Biography explores Messi's upbringing and details his breakthrough onto the world stage, all the way through his 2012 loss to Real Madrid. Messi's exceptional talents have fans and critics alike wondering where his career will take him next. Inside, you will discover where it all started and learn why so many fans love Messi so much. From family to soccer to the future, all you need to know about Lionel Messi is right here, right now, in the most up to date coverage of Lionel Messi's life. This book also includes all of Lionel Messi’s statistics.

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Red Card - Ken Bensinger Cover Art

Red Card

Red Card How the U.S. Blew the Whistle on the World's Biggest Sports Scandal by Ken Bensinger

The definitive, shocking account of the FIFA scandal—the biggest corruption case of recent years—involving dozens of countries and implicating nearly every aspect of the world’s most popular sport, soccer, including the World Cup is “an engrossing and jaw-dropping tale of international intrigue…A riveting book” ( The New York Times ). The FIFA case began small, boosted by an IRS agent’s review of an American soccer official’s tax returns. But that humble investigation eventually led to a huge worldwide corruption scandal that crossed continents and reached the highest levels of the soccer’s world governing body in Switzerland. “The meeting of American investigative reporting and real-life cop show” ( The Financial Times ), Ken Bensinger’s Red Card explores the case, and the personalities behind it, in vivid detail. There’s Chuck Blazer, a high-living soccer dad who ascended to the highest ranks of the sport while creaming millions from its coffers; Jack Warner, a Trinidadian soccer official whose lust for power was matched only by his boundless greed; and the sport’s most powerful man, FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who held on to his position at any cost even as soccer rotted from the inside out. Remarkably, this corruption existed for decades before American law enforcement officials began to secretly dig, finally revealing that nearly every aspect of the planet’s favorite sport was corrupted by bribes, kickbacks, fraud, and money laundering. Not even the World Cup, the most-watched sporting event in history, was safe from the thick web of corruption, as powerful FIFA officials extracted their bribes at every turn. “A gripping white-collar crime thriller that, in its scope and human drama, ranks with some of the best investigative business books of the past thirty years” ( The Wall Street Journal ), Red Card goes beyond the headlines to bring the real story to light.

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KISS: Keep it Simple Soccer: How to coach youth soccer - John Barry Cover Art

KISS: Keep it Simple Soccer: How to coach youth soccer

KISS: Keep it Simple Soccer: How to coach youth soccer by John Barry

Keep it Simple Soccer was written to provide a new coach with all the information they need to manage and coach youth soccer at a basic level in a short amount of time.

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Wayne Rooney: My Decade in the Premier League - Wayne Rooney Cover Art

Wayne Rooney: My Decade in the Premier League

Wayne Rooney: My Decade in the Premier League by Wayne Rooney

‘My Decade in the Premier League’ is Wayne’s first hand account of his 10 years playing at the highest level in English football – and for the biggest club in the world. This is his inside story of life on the pitch for Manchester Utd; the League titles, FA Cups, League Cups and Champions League adventures. A must for any Utd fan. Wayne Rooney is widely regarded as one of the leading football players of his generation. A talisman for Manchester United, since his transfer to them in 2004, Rooney is their star player and the first name on the team sheet. In the 10 years since he made his debut as a 16 year old for Everton, he has acquired trophy after trophy, accolade after accolade and headline after headline. ‘My Decade in the Premier League’ is the inside account of life as a Premier League footballer from the man every one wants to hear from. This is his story, in his words. From gracing the ground at Goodison as an excitable 16 year old to lifting the Champions League trophy with Manchester United. From the emotional high of scoring the winner against Manchester City with that overhead bicycle kick to the crushing low of the thrashing City handed out at Old Trafford in the 2011-12 season. This is a book for the fan who would kill to get just 30 seconds on the pitch at The Theatre of Dreams – to run on the famous turf and score in front of the Stretford End. ‘My Decade in the Premier League’ gives a real insight in to what goes in to being part of the biggest club in the world; the training pitch, the dressing room, the manager, the coaches and, most importantly, the buzz of crossing that white line and hearing the 76,000 strong crowd chant your name. In intricate, emotional detail Wayne talks about every season he has spent in the Premier League and how it feels to be one the most celebrated footballers on the planet. About the author Wayne Rooney was born in Liverpool in October 1985. He was only nine when he was spotted by Everton scout Bob Pendleton playing for boys' club Copplehouse in the local Walton and Kirkdale Junior League. In his last season with them he scored 99 goals before joining the Everton academy. He was the youngest scorer in Premier League history in 2002, at the age of 16, and the youngest to score for England, age 17. He joined Manchester United in August 2004 for a fee of £20 million. He has 27 international caps and 10 goals to date.

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Pray - Nick Hornby Cover Art

Pray

Pray Notes on a Football Season by Nick Hornby

Nick Hornby, author of the bestselling soccer classic Fever Pitch , offers an insightful account of an extraordinary sports season. Concentrating on a number of significant games in British soccer during the 2011–2012 season, Hornby chronicles the emotional, political, and societal highlights and woes that played out on the field. There were alleged racist clashes, revealing the deep cultural fissures still present in British life. There was a fairy-tale return for the legendary Thierry Henry, and the terrifying collapse of Bolton’s Fabrice Muamba, clinically dead for seventy-eight minutes after a heart attack. Throughout, Hornby delves into the impact of the economy on the beloved sport of Britain. As sheikhs and oligarchs buy and sell teams and players at astronomical financial levels, other teams are left behind to struggle with diminished talent. And as income inequality hits all-time highs worldwide, so it does in British soccer. It was a season of tumultuous incident and enormous entertainment, a season more glorious than most. By the end, in May 2012, fans of most clubs had been enthralled, appalled, depressed, elated, shocked, and enraged. Along the way, soccer had somehow managed to encompass politics, high finance, the law, and matters of life and death. Read all about it, and relive it, here.

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Masters of Modern Soccer - Grant Wahl Cover Art

Masters of Modern Soccer

Masters of Modern Soccer How the World's Best Play the Twenty-First-Century Game by Grant Wahl

How do some of soccer’s smartest and most accomplished figures master the craft of the game? This in-depth analysis of modern soccer reveals how elite players and coaches strategize on and off the field to execute in high-pressure situations.   “A worthy addition to any soccer fan’s shelf.”— The Wall Street Journal In Masters of Modern Soccer, America’s premier soccer journalist, Grant Wahl, reveals what players and managers are thinking before, during, and after games and delivers a true behind-the-scenes perspective on the inner workings of the sport’s brightest minds.    Wahl follows world-class players from across the globe, examining how they do their jobs and gaining deep insight from the players on how goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards function individually and as a unit to excel and win. He also shadows a manager and director of soccer as they juggle the challenges of coaching, preparation, and the short- and long-term strategies of how to identify and acquire talent and deploy it on the field.    These central figures share the little details that matter, position by position:   • Attacking midfielder Christian Pulisic explains why he wears his soccer cleats a size too small to make his first touch even better.  • Forward Javier “Chicharito” Hernández reveals the Mexican national team’s secret synchronized patterns that create space for him in front of the goal.  • Defender Vincent Kompany tells you why his teammates’ pressure on the ball means he can defend his man more tightly in the penalty box.  • Defensive midfielder Xabi Alonso describes his disdain for slide tackles and the tendency among even the best professional midfielders to play too closely to one another.  • Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer tells the origin story of his sweeper-keeper role, which has allowed him to redefine the position for the modern game.  • Head coach Roberto Martínez explains the differences between coaching clubs and national teams and why one of the first things he looks for in any game situation is numerical advantage.  • Director of football Michael Zorc discusses what he looks for when it comes to identifying players he can buy low and sell high, Moneyball -style, while still competing to win trophies.  The definitive analysis of the craft of soccer, Masters of Modern Soccer will change the way any fan, player, coach, or sideline enthusiast experiences the game.

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Assumptions - Melanie Codina Cover Art

Assumptions

Assumptions by Melanie Codina

What happens when a girl, set on playing by the rules ... finds a guy worth breaking them for? Leeann Bradley is a college graduate who has achieved many of her personal goals, all because she follows the rules she's set for herself. It's simple. You work hard, enjoy life, surround yourself with friends and family, avoid jumping to conclusions ... and oh yeah, don't date jocks. These rules have worked well and have taken her down the path she wants in life. So what's a girl to do when temptation, in the form of a sexy college soccer player, is placed right in the middle fo that path? Deciding when to break the rules has never been easier for Leeann. But when assumptions are made, adn more than just the rules are broken ... will she be able to find her way down that path again? And what happens when it's no longer the path she's meant to take? Until now, Jonathan Baxter had one primary focus in his life, soccer. All decision made have been based on how it could affect his ability to play. His grades, his choice of college, any type of extracurricular activities, were all carefully assessed. All of it has made playing college soccer possible. But when an injury sidelines him for the forseeable future, and jeopardizes his dreams, he has to work even harder than before. Rehabilitating his injury becomes his primary objective. Until he meets Leeann, a physical therapy assistant whose touch has the ability to make him lose focus. She has him thinking there could be more in his life--in his future--than just soccer. So what's Jonathan to do when Leeann assumes he's just like every other jock out there? He has to prove her assumptions wrong. You know what they say about people who assume, right? So what do you do when you find yourself doing just that ... making assumptions, only to find out just how wrong you were.

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Coaching Kids to Play Soccer - Kurt Aschermann Cover Art

Coaching Kids to Play Soccer

Coaching Kids to Play Soccer by Kurt Aschermann

COACHES AND PARENTS OF SOCCER PLAYERS OF ALL LEVELS, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU! Revised and updated with new information, drills, diagrams, and photos, this friendly, easy-to-use, fully illustrated guide shows coaches how to run a successful soccer team -- no matter how much experience they have or what level of soccer they coach. From building a roster to making sure everyone has a ride home at the end of the game and everything in between: • SETTING UP THE FIRST PRACTICE • TEACHING THE BASICS • DEVELOPING SKILL THROUGH DRILLS AND EXERCISES • LEARNING THE RULES • ENCOURAGING FAIR PLAY AND HEALTHY COMPETITION Emphasizing that kids should have fun, stay active, and learn about team spirit and competition, win or lose, the authors detail every step of building a soccer team that plays well and plays healthy, while having a great time. Whether you're a seasoned professional or new to the game, Coaching Kids to Play Soccer has the answers to every coach's questions. Don't start the season without it!

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Go For The Goal - Mia Hamm & Aaron Heifetz Cover Art

Go For The Goal

Go For The Goal A Champion's Guide To Winning In Soccer And Life by Mia Hamm & Aaron Heifetz

For the more than seven million girls—from knobby-kneed tykes to high school and college stars—who are tearing across the country chasing a soccer ball and dreams of glory, there is one name that eclipses all others, male or female: Mia Hamm. With her cheetahlike acceleration and lightning-bolt shot, Hamm broke nearly every record in her sport, while galvanizing a whole generation of fans and players. Go for the Goal is not only the inspiring story of how a tiny suburban sprite became a global terror with a ball (and the world) at her feet—it's also a step-by-step or dribble-by-dribble guide for any kid with the all-American dream of making the team and becoming a champion. Filled with personal anecdotes and fully illustrated with both action and instructional photographs, Go for the Goal shows readers exactly how to master the silky skills and techniques that made Hamm and her teammates the finest women's soccer team in the world.

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Soccer in Sun and Shadow - Eduardo Galeano Cover Art

Soccer in Sun and Shadow

Soccer in Sun and Shadow by Eduardo Galeano

One of Sports Illustrated ’s Top 100 Sports Books of All Time—a history of soccer that “stands out like Pelé on a field of second-stringers” ( The New Yorker ). The beautiful game deserves a beautiful book, and Eduardo Galeano—one of Latin America’s most acclaimed authors—has written it. From Aztec champions sacrificed to appease the gods, to the goals that were literally scored into wooden posts in Victorian England, to Spain’s victory in the 2010 World Cup, Soccer in Sun and Shadow is a history of the sport unlike any other. Galeano portrays the irruption of South American soccer that made the game sublime: the elegant, mischievous, joyful style based on deft dribbling, close passes, and quick changes in rhythm, perfected by poor black children who had no toy but a rag ball. He describes the superstitions that vex players, the martyrdom of referees, the exquisite misery of fans, the sad denouement of stars past their prime. Striding across the pages are players born with the ball—and entire nations—at their feet: Arthur Friedenreich, the son of a German immigrant and a black washerwoman, who first brought Brazilian style from the slums into the stadiums; Brazil’s Garrincha, whose body, warped by polio, could make the ball dance; and the Dutch great Ruud Gullit, who campaigned against apartheid on and off the pitch. And, of course, Beckenbauer, Pelé, Cruyff, and Maradona, a man blessed with “the hand of God” and a left foot equally as divine. Soccer in Sun and Shadow traces the rise of the soccer industry and the concurrent voyage “from beauty to duty”: attempts to impose a soccer of lightning speed and brute force, one that disdains fantasy and forfeits play for results. Eduardo Galeano, who describes himself as “a beggar for good soccer,” gives the world’s most popular sport all the poetry, passion, and politics it deserves.

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The Modern Soccer Coach 2014: A Four Dimensional Approach - Gary Curneen Cover Art

The Modern Soccer Coach 2014: A Four Dimensional Approach

The Modern Soccer Coach 2014: A Four Dimensional Approach by Gary Curneen

Over the last 20 years, no sport has changed more than soccer. The modern player is technically more capable, physically faster and stronger, and has access to more coaching and sports science resources than ever before. With the high rewards associated with success, there has never been more pressure on coaches to win, develop players, and play soccer the ‘right way’. Aimed at Soccer coaches of all levels and with players of all ages and abilities The Modern Soccer Coach 2014 identifies the areas that must be targeted by coaches who want to maximize a team’s potential – the Technical, Tactical, Physical, and Mental sides to the game. Written by UEFA ‘A’ and NSCAA Premier licensed coach Gary Curneen – The Modern Soccer Coach 2014 offers contemporary focused and distilled insight into what soccer coaches need to do, and how! Filled with practical no-nonsense explanations, focused players drills and more than 30 illustrated soccer templates, The Modern Soccer Coach 2014 will help you – the modern coach - to create team performances that win match after match! - Understand how the game has changed and what areas determine success in the game today. - Create modern exercises that focus on tactical, technical, mental, and physical elements of the game. - Learn what sets coaches like Mourinho, Klopp, Rodgers, and Guardiola apart from the rest. - Develop a competitive and enjoyable atmosphere for yourself and your players. - And much more!

31

Zonal Marking - Michael W. Cox Cover Art

Zonal Marking

Zonal Marking From Ajax to Zidane, the Making of Modern Soccer by Michael W. Cox

A mazy dribble through the recent history of European soccer, showing how shifting styles and influence have shaped the game. In the early 1990s, the Dutch footballing philosophy was worshipped across the continent. Then the baton passed to the Italians, who clearly boasted Europe's strongest league. But when France started winning everything at the international level its national academy became the template for others, until suddenly, almost out of nowhere, Europe's most revered player and manager both hailed from Portugal. Next, Barcelona and Spain won everything during a very obvious four-year period of dominance, before tiki-taka's decline meant Bayern and Germany took control. Finally, Europe's most successful coaches found themselves competing in England, introducing a brilliant cacophony of styles to the Premier League. Zonal Marking is a glorious travelogue through soccer's triumphant styles and characters.

32

The Beckham Experiment - Grant Wahl Cover Art

The Beckham Experiment

The Beckham Experiment How the World's Most Famous Athlete Tried to Conquer America by Grant Wahl

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The book that rocked the sports world with its explosive revelations of a bitter feud between David Beckham and American star Landon Donovan—and how they overcame their differences to lead the L.A. Galaxy to the championship final, now updated with a new Afterword “Far more than merely a soccer book, The Beckham Experiment brilliantly explores—and exposes—that odd place where sports and celebrity collide.”—Jeff Pearlman, author of Boys Will Be Boys   In 2007, David Beckham shocked the international sports world when he signed a five-year contract with an American team, the Los Angeles Galaxy. Could he pull off what no player had ever accomplished and transform soccer into one of the most popular spectator sports in America? It was a bold experiment: failure meant a team, a league, a sport, and Beckham himself might miss their chance to hit primetime in the U.S. With unprecedented access to the Galaxy and one-on-one interviews with Beckham, veteran Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl provides behind-the-scenes accounts, on the road with the team and inside the locker room, to reveal just what happened on and off the field when the most renowned player in the world left the glamour of European soccer to play in a country that has yet to fully embrace the sport   With The Beckham Experiment, Wahl presents a vivid account of ego clashes and epic winless streaks, rivalries and resentments, big gambles and great expectations, cultural and class collisions, and ultimately the volatile mix of celebrity and professional sports that was the Beckham experiment.

33

Messi - Luca Caioli Cover Art

Messi

Messi The Inside Story of the Boy Who Became a Legend by Luca Caioli

Nominated by Maradona as successor to his No. 10 Argentina shirt, he is already set for football divinity.  Luca Caioli draws on numerous exclusive testimonies to tell Messi's story: his parents and extended family; his coaches at Grandoli and Newell's Old Boys; Rjikaard and Zambrotta from Barcelona; Jorge Valdano and many others from Argentina, Manchester City's Pablo Zabaleta and ex-Chelsea defender Asier del Horno.  In the final chapter Messi himself sizes up his life so far. Messi is a brilliant, insightful and revealing portrait of football's most exciting player and a must-read for all true fans of the game.

34

Cristiano Ronaldo - Guillem Balagué Cover Art

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo The Award-Winning Biography by Guillem Balagué

The definitive biography of Cristiano Ronaldo, named Football Book of the Year at the Cross Sports Book Awards 2016 Fully updated to include the 2017-18 season and Ronaldo's transfer to Juventus Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest footballers of all time, a dream he pursued from the age of just twelve when he left his humble origins on Madeira behind. It wasn't long before he had the biggest clubs in Europe knocking on his door, but it was Manchester United who won the race for his signature. Under the tutelage of Sir Alex Ferguson, Ronaldo developed into the complete footballer and athlete, winning three league titles and a Champions League along the way. He then became the biggest galáctico of them all when he transferred to Real Madrid for a record-breaking fee. Unprecedented success in the Champions League and a record-equalling five Ballons d'Or followed, before his sensational move to Juventus in the summer of 2018. Guillem Balagué, respected football journalist and expert on the Spanish game, provides the definitive account of a twenty-first-century footballing icon.

35

How To Watch Football - Tifo - The Athletic Cover Art

How To Watch Football

How To Watch Football 52 Rules for Understanding the Beautiful Game, On and Off the Pitch by Tifo - The Athletic

'I love Tifo' Ian Wright 'Tifo are great' Alan Shearer 'Tifo have changed the game when it comes to football analysis' Elis James RULE #1: DON'T WATCH THE BALL Yes, football is about stars, goals and glory. But it's also about the intense calculations and movements being made by the twenty-one other players on the pitch. It's about the ticking clock, and the bellowing fans, and their impact on player psychology. It's about the coach, the club owner, and the director of football, who are watching, scouting and scheming from the side-lines. It's about money and data, about geopolitics and architecture, and even about climate change. Football is the most popular sport in the world, and Tifo Football is one of the world's most popular football channels. In this short, illustrated guide, its creators share fifty-two simple 'rules' for understanding and enjoying the beautiful game-both on and off the pitch. Covering the key concepts, tactics and philosophies that are shaping the sport today, How to Watch Football reveals surprising new perspectives on familiar elements of gameplay, while highlighting lesser-known aspects of the industry and its history. Whether you're a casual fan or a football obsessive, the fifty-two golden rules in this pocket-size guide will deepen your delight in the world's favourite sport.

36

Eight World Cups - George Vecsey Cover Art

Eight World Cups

Eight World Cups My Journey through the Beauty and Dark Side of Soccer by George Vecsey

"Full of humor and insight about sport and culture.... The pomp, glory, and great entertainment all get their due in Eight World Cups ."— The Boston Globe Blending witty travelogue with action on the field—and shady dealings in back rooms—George Vecsey offers an eye-opening, globe-trotting account of eight World Cups. He immerses himself in the great national leagues, historic clubs, and devoted fans and provides his up-close impressions of charismatic soccer stars like Sócrates, Maradona, Baggio, and Zidane, while also chronicling the rise of the U.S. men's and women's teams. Vecsey shows how each host nation has made the World Cup its own, from the all-night street parties in Spain in 1982 to the roar of vuvuzelas in South Africa in 2010, as the game in the stadium is backed up by the game in the street. But the joy is sometimes undermined by those who style themselves the game's protectors.

37

Attacking Soccer - Massimo Lucchesi Cover Art

Attacking Soccer

Attacking Soccer A Tactical Analysis by Massimo Lucchesi

This book examines match strategies for creating goal scoring opportunities out of the following systems of play: 4-4-2 4-3-3 3-5-2 4-3-1-2 4-5-1 For each system, the author discusses the strategy, tactics, system and schemes of play as well as the technical, tactical and physical characteristics of the players who use the system. Several situational attacking schemes are also presented using clear diagrams and detailed descriptions.

38

The World's Best Soccer Strikers - Noah Davis & Yonatan Ginsberg Cover Art

The World's Best Soccer Strikers

The World's Best Soccer Strikers by Noah Davis & Yonatan Ginsberg

Goal Scorer. Finisher. Poacher. The hardest thing to do in the game of soccer is to put the ball in the back of the net, and the men who do so regularly are prized beyond all others. The players in this book are the best in the world today at what they do. Get the essentials about Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, Robin Van Persie, and many more. They are The Strikers.

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Cristiano Ronaldo - Belmont & Belcourt Biographies Cover Art

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo An Unauthorized Biography by Belmont & Belcourt Biographies

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest soccer players of his generation. Most fans are aware of his successes for Real Madrid and the Portuguese national team, but in order to truly understand Cristiano Ronaldo, you must first understand where he came from. Cristiano Ronaldo: An Unauthorized Biography explores Ronaldo's upbringing and details his breakthrough onto the world stage, all the way through Real Madrid's La Liga title in 2012. Ronaldo's exceptional talents have fans and critics alike wondering where his career will take him next. Inside, you will discover where it all started and learn why so many fans love Ronaldo so much. From family to soccer to the future, all you need to know about Cristiano Ronaldo is right here, right now, in the most up to date coverage of Cristiano Ronaldo's life. This book also includes all of Cristiano Ronaldo’s statistics.

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Fear and Loathing in La Liga - Sid Lowe Cover Art

Fear and Loathing in La Liga

Fear and Loathing in La Liga Barcelona, Real Madrid, and the World's Greatest Sports Rivalry by Sid Lowe

Fear and Loathing in La Liga is the definitive history of the greatest rivalry in world sport: FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid. It's Messi vs. Ronaldo, Guardiola vs. Mourinho, the nation against the state, freedom fighters vs. Franco's fascists, plus majestic goals and mesmerizing skills. It's the best two teams on the planet going head-to-head. It's more than a game. It's a war. It's El Cláco. Only, it's not quite that simple. Spanish soccer expert and historian Sid Lowe covers 100 years of rivalry, athletic beauty, and excellence. Fear and Loathing in La Liga is a nuanced, revisionist, and brilliantly informed history that goes beyond sport. Lowe weaves together this story of the rivalry with the history and culture of Spain, emphasizing that it is "never about just the soccer." With exclusive testimonies and astonishing anecdotes, he takes us inside this epic battle, including the wounds left by the Civil War, Madrid's golden age in the fifties when they won five European cups, Johan Cruyff's Barcelona Dream Team, the doomed Galáico experiment, and LuíFigo's "betrayal." By exploring the history, politics, culture, economics, and language -- while never forgetting the drama on the field -- Lowe demonstrates the relationship between these two soccer giants and reveals the true story behind their explosive rivalry.

41

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Soccer Basics - Sam Borden Cover Art

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Soccer Basics

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Soccer Basics Essential Rules and Strategies for Coaches, Players, and Parents by Sam Borden

The ultimate resource for getting on the ball The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Soccer Basics explains anything and everything a parent or new coach needs to know to understand the game and make the most of a child's soccer experience. From the rules of the game to playing techniques, this is a one-volume course for parents and children to score winning goals. • Since 1974, total individual participation in U.S. soccer programs has grown from 100,000 to more than 3 million, primarily young players between the ages of 6 and 14 • Most parents of today's youth soccer players didn't play soccer themselves growing up, and will welcome this reference book • Includes game strategies and practice techniques for every player position

42

Men in Blazers Present Encyclopedia Blazertannica - Roger Bennett & Michael Davies Cover Art

Men in Blazers Present Encyclopedia Blazertannica

Men in Blazers Present Encyclopedia Blazertannica A Suboptimal Guide to Soccer, America's "Sport of the Future" Since 1972 by Roger Bennett & Michael Davies

The essential guide to world soccer—the history, the players, the fan culture—from the phenomenally popular duo from NBC Sports. The Men in Blazers are two English-born, soccer-obsessed broadcasters who have savored the dizzying growth of the game along with millions of Americans. Now they immerse fans and novices alike in the history and culture of the world’s game with  Encyclopedia Blazertannica . Examining fan culture, from the famous stadium chants to the tactical variations of scarf tying, exploring the complex physics and ethics of both celebratory knee slides and fights between players, reliving the careers of legendary players, classic matches, and colorful World Cup history, and sharing a deep appreciation for the athletic brilliance and ill-judged neck tattoos that dominate the sport, this indispensable tome gives readers a front-row seat to all the action of football madness. A New York Times   Bestseller!

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Together: the story of Arsenal's unbeaten season - Andrew Mangan & Andrew Allen Cover Art

Together: the story of Arsenal's unbeaten season

Together: the story of Arsenal's unbeaten season by Andrew Mangan & Andrew Allen

When Arsene Wenger said he wanted his team to go through a season undefeated, he was roundly mocked, yet just over 12 months later the Arsenal manager guided his team to footballing immortality. The Gunners’ 2003-2004 campaign was extraordinary, and not just because of their remarkable league achievement. From the highs and lows of Europe, to disciplinary charges, pitched battles, the frantic scramble to finance a new stadium, a club record transfer in January, and winning the title at the ground of the old enemy, this special collector’s edition book looks back on everything that happened during an unforgettable campaign.  Match reports, behind the scenes stories, exclusive interviews and illustrations, stats, tactics, pictures; all the things you know, and lots of stuff you’ve forgotten: 'Together' tells the story of Arsenal’s ‘unbeaten’ season.

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Invincible - Amy Lawrence Cover Art

Invincible

Invincible Inside Arsenal's Unbeaten 2003-2004 Season by Amy Lawrence

Invincible by Amy Lawrence: A gripping insider's account of how Bergkamp, Henry, Vieira and Pires became the first team in 100 years to go the entire season undefeated 2014 Writer of the Year, Football Supporters' Federation 'This book is so full of exclusive interviews you'll soon feel like part of the squad. A worthy tribute to one of English football's best ever teams, it makes you long for one more game at Highbury' Shortlist 'Unbeatable insight' Henry Winter, Daily Telegraph In 2003-04, a team that played with lightning speed and lustrous skill fulfilled Wenger's lifelong dream - to go a whole season unbeaten. They pushed and inspired each other, bringing the best out of strong characters like Jens Lehmann, a self-styled 'Mad German', Sol Campbell, an intense competitor, Robert Pirès , an instant friend if you give him a football, Patrick Vieira, a soft-spoken, battle-hardened captain, Gilberto, a thoughtful Brazilian, Thierry Henry, a supremely gifted and obsessed scorer and creator, and Dennis Bergkamp, the perfectionist conductor. Based on exclusive player interviews, and with a foreword and afterword by Arsene Wenger, this definitive book allows the Invincibles to tell their own story. Football writer Amy Lawrence weaves together the team's recollections, and the testimonies of other key players and protagonists around the club, to relive the pivotal games and moments. From the battle of Old Trafford to jubilation at White Hart Lane, from training ground sparks to dressing room revelations, readers will go behind closed doors, onto the pitch, and into the players' minds to understand the teamwork and the psychology to go unbeaten. Published in time for the 10-year anniversary , this is a must-have read for any Arsenal fan. It will be enjoyed by readers of memoirs by Dennis Bergkamp and Tony Adams, and will also appeal to football fans everywhere who enjoy classic sports books such as The Damned United. Amy Lawrence has watched football avidly since her first trip to Highbury at the age of six, and has written about it, mostly for the Guardian and the Observer, for twenty years. She lives in London.

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101 Great Youth Soccer Drills - Robert Koger Cover Art

101 Great Youth Soccer Drills

101 Great Youth Soccer Drills Skills and Drills for Better Fundamental Play by Robert Koger

101 Great Youth Soccer Drills is an exhaustive collection of the very best drills available, providing a solid foundation for you to build your players' skills. Filled with simple step-by-step instructions and diagrams, plus a sample practice program, this encyclopedia of drills provides you with solid skill-building fundamentals as well as the advanced techniques you need to get your players in top form.

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Torres: El Niño - Fernando Torres Cover Art

Torres: El Niño

Torres: El Niño My Story by Fernando Torres

Fernando Torres is one of the hottest properties in world football. From local Madrid idol to Kop hero and European Championship winner, he talks here for the first time about the unique challenges faced in his two seasons in England, with candid snapshots of his early years in Spain and life in the North West on and off the field. At the age of 25, Spain’s Fernando Torres has already established himself as one of the Liverpool greats and a proud wearer of the fabled No 9 shirt. His first book, framed within 25 pivotal themes of his life, provides a captivating illustrated story of his career to date, alongside revealing insights into his formative years in Madrid, as a child football prodigy and lifelong fan of local club Atletico. Nicknamed ‘El Nino’ (The Kid), Torres opens up about life on the streets besides Atletico’s Vicente Calderon stadium, signing for the club at aged 15 and appointed club captain by 19, becoming, as one local journalist put it, ‘one part folk hero, one part native son, one part messiah.’ When Liverpool broke their club transfer record to bring Torres to Anfield in July 2007, it proved the turning point in his career. Competing in the goldfish bowl of the English Premier League, settling into the North West and playing alongside Liverpool heroes like Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, in the company of Spanish team-mates Pepe Reina, Xavi Alonso and Albert Rieira, and performing in front of the Kop who quickly adopted him as one of their own – Torres describes what it means to him to play on one of the greatest stages in world football, and compares and contrasts life in Spain with his new career in England. Away from the football, Torres talks about life out of the spotlight with his family and close friends, and what inspires and motivates him. Reviews ‘Torres has already achieved legend status at Liverpool’ Jamie Carragher About the author Fernando Torrres was born in Madrid in March 1984. He played for his first football team, aged 5, as a goalkeeper and signed as a professional for Atletico Madrid aged 15, made his first-team debut two years later, and became club captain at 19. After 200 appearances for Atletico, he was signed for a club-record £20 million by Liverpool in July 2007, and in his debut season in the Premier League became the first Liverpool player in 12 years to score 20 goals. He made his debut for Spain in 2003, has amassed over 50 caps to date, and has played in two European Championships and one World Cup. He scored the winning goal for Spain in the 2008 European Championships Final. He has an older brother and sister, and has a current personal fortune estimated at more than £14 million.

47

Bloody Confused! - Chuck Culpepper Cover Art

Bloody Confused!

Bloody Confused! A Clueless American Sportswriter Seeks Solace in English Soccer by Chuck Culpepper

Chuck Culpepper was a veteran sports journalist edging toward burnout . . . then he went to London and discovered the high-octane, fanatical (and bloody confusing!) world of English soccer. After covering the American sports scene for fifteen years, Chuck Culpepper suffered from a profound case of Common Sportswriter Malaise. He was fed up with self-righteous proclamations, steroid scandals, and the deluge of in-your-face PR that saturated the NFL, the NBA, and MLB. Then in 2006, he moved to London and discovered a new and baffling world—the renowned Premiership soccer league. Culpepper pledged his loyalty to Portsmouth, a gutsy, small-market team at the bottom of the standings. As he puts it, “It was like childhood, with beer.” Writing in the vein of perennial bestsellers such as Fever Pitch and Among the Thugs , Chuck Culpepper brings penetrating insight to the vibrant landscape of English soccer—visiting such storied franchises as Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool . . . and an equally celebrated assortment of pubs. Bloody Confused! will put a smile on the face of any sports fan who has ever questioned what makes us love sports in the first place.

48

A Home on the Field - Paul Cuadros Cover Art

A Home on the Field

A Home on the Field The Great Latino Migration Comes to Smal by Paul Cuadros

A Home on the Field is about faith, loyalty, and trust. It is a parable in the tradition of Stand and Deliver and Hoosiers—a story of one team and their accidental coach who became certain heroes to the whole community. For the past ten years, Siler City, North Carolina, has been at the front lines of immigration in the interior portion of the United States. Like a number of small Southern towns, workers come from traditional Latino enclaves across the United States, as well as from Latin American countries, to work in what is considered the home of industrial-scale poultry processing. At enormous risk, these people have come with the hope of a better life and a chance to realize their portion of the American Dream. But it isn't always easy. Assimilation into the South is fraught with struggles, and in no place is this more poignant than in the schools. When Paul Cuadros packed his bags and moved south to study the impact of the burgeoning Latino community, he encountered a culture clash between the long-time residents and the newcomers that eventually boiled over into an anti-immigrant rally featuring former Klansman David Duke. It became Paul's goal to show the growing numbers of Latino youth that their lives could be more than the cutting line at the poultry plants, that finishing high school and heading to college could be a reality. He needed to find something that the boys could commit to passionately, knowing that devotion to something bigger than them would be the key to helping the boys find where they fit in the world. The answer was soccer. But Siler City, like so many other small rural communities, was a football town, and long-time residents saw soccer as a foreign sport and yet another accommodation to the newcomers. After an uphill battle, the Jets soccer team at Jordan-Matthews High School was born. Suffering setbacks and heartbreak, the majority Latino team, in only three seasons and against all odds, emerged poised to win the state championship.

49

Fan Mail - Nick Hornby Cover Art

Fan Mail

Fan Mail Twenty Years of Writing About Soccer (an eBook original from Riverhead Books) by Nick Hornby

A new collection of soccer writing by the bestselling author of Fever Pitch . After the phenomenal success of  Fever Pitch , Nick Hornby tried to avoid writing about soccer, for fear that he'd be writing about it forever. But occasionally over the years he’s found it impossible to turn down a particularly enticing assignment or, in the case of the 2012-13 Premier League, just unable to resist  writing about that most spectacular of seasons.   Fortunately for those who love great writing about soccer, all these fugitive pieces are collected in  Fan Mail . You can follow the fortunes, as Hornby did, of a hopelessly out-of-their-depth Cambridge United in the old Second Division, discover why Perry Groves was an unlikely hero among Arsenal fans, enjoy Hornby trying to explain the World Cup to Americans, and share with him the pain of watching his national team.  

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The Modern Soccer Coach: Position-Specific Training - Gary Curneen Cover Art

The Modern Soccer Coach: Position-Specific Training

The Modern Soccer Coach: Position-Specific Training by Gary Curneen

In recent years, player development has been a hot topic in the soccer world. With more pressure on coaches to win than ever before, the modern game seems to be less about actual players and more about tactical systems. In many places, the majority of training sessions are structured so that each player receives the same training as his or her teammates, even though they are asked to perform different functions. As a result, players do not receive specific feedback and lack the ability to produce functional skills in the heat of a game. Aimed at football coaches of all levels, and players of all ages and abilities, The Modern Soccer Coach: Position-Specific Training seeks to identify, develop, and enhance the skills and functions of the modern soccer player whatever their position and role on the pitch. This book offers unique insight into how to develop an elite program that can both improve players and win games. Filled with practical no-nonsense explanations, focused player drills, and more than 40 illustrated soccer templates, this book will help you – the modern coach - to create a coaching environment that will take your players to the next level. > Understand how the concept of player development needs to change as players progress in the game. > Examine how learning styles have changed and how coaches must adapt accordingly. > Enhance your players’ performance levels with innovative exercises and ways to share feedback and critical information. > Includes chapters and exercises for developing Centre Backs, Full Backs, Holding Midfielders, Attacking Midfielders, Wide Attackers, and Centre Forwards. > Learn how certain coaches can move their players from ‘interested’ to ‘committed’. > Develop ways to maximize the talent levels of your players.

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