Kickoff for the World Cup is this Friday, and even though Americans
have tended to stay on the sidelines of the world sport, the U.S.
hosting of the Cup in 1994 and the U.S. inclusion among the 32 teams
that qualified for the month-long soccerfest in Germany this year are
eroding our
solid defenses. The enthusiasm of many foreign-born fans here doesn't hurt either.
For both true fans and "beginner fans" in the U.S., several
books probe soccer and the World Cup from different vantage points.
The Thinking Fan's Guide to the World Cup edited by Matt Weiland and Sean Wilsey (Harper Perennial, $14.95, 0061132268), which has appeared on some bestseller lists, is the soccer equivalent of some of the best baseball writing. Besides statistics and charts, the book features essays on each of the 32 participating countries. The editors have managed to collect some true gems here: among them are Nick Hornby on the strange state of English soccer; Tim Parks on the Italian way of rooting for the Azzurri; former East German Alexander Osang, who has an unusual perspective on the host country's "national" team; Jorge Castaneda, who explores the notion that Mexicans may oddly expect more from their Cup team than the government; and Dave Eggers, who takes an amusing, ironic look at tenuous relationship between the U.S. and soccer.
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National Pastime: How Americans Play Baseball and the Rest of the World Plays Soccer by Stefan Szymanski and Andrew Zimbalist (Brookings Institution Press, $26.95 hardcover 0815782586; $19.95 paper 0815782594) is a 2005 title with a new preface. In the book, the authors contrast and compare the history and institutional structures of baseball and soccer, particularly Major League Baseball and the English Premier League. Perhaps not surprisingly, the two organizations have borrowed from the other sport. For example, Major League Baseball just put on the World Baseball Classic, which operates much like the World Cup.
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The World Cup: The Ultimate Guide to the Greatest Sports Spectacle in the World by Fernando Fiore (Rayo, $14.95, 0060820896) and its Spanish-language version, Vamos al Mundial!: Lo Que Necesitas Saber para Llegar a la Final (Rayo, $14.95, 006082090X). Fiore, the Univision TV sports announcer who will call the World Cup, has a fittingly chipper and conversational style. He discusses all the qualifying teams, putting the accent on Latin American soccer and Cup history. A fun touch: based on his travels, Fiore discusses the host German cities and offers his favorite places for good Latin nightlife and food.
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The World Cup: The Complete History by Terry Crouch (Aurum Press, $24.95, 1845131495) is an encyclopedic work about the Cup from its origins in 1930 and includes the results of every match and the listings of ever player on every team.
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Soccer in Sun and Shadow by Eduardo Galeano (Verso, $17, 1859844235). This is a new edition of a passionate short history of soccer by the Uruguyan poet and writer.
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Soccer for Dummies by the U.S. Soccer Federation and Michael Lewis (Wiley, $21.99, 0764552295).
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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Soccer (Penguin, $18.95, 0028627253).
The Thinking Fan's Guide to the World Cup edited by Matt Weiland and Sean Wilsey (Harper Perennial, $14.95, 0061132268), which has appeared on some bestseller lists, is the soccer equivalent of some of the best baseball writing. Besides statistics and charts, the book features essays on each of the 32 participating countries. The editors have managed to collect some true gems here: among them are Nick Hornby on the strange state of English soccer; Tim Parks on the Italian way of rooting for the Azzurri; former East German Alexander Osang, who has an unusual perspective on the host country's "national" team; Jorge Castaneda, who explores the notion that Mexicans may oddly expect more from their Cup team than the government; and Dave Eggers, who takes an amusing, ironic look at tenuous relationship between the U.S. and soccer.
---
National Pastime: How Americans Play Baseball and the Rest of the World Plays Soccer by Stefan Szymanski and Andrew Zimbalist (Brookings Institution Press, $26.95 hardcover 0815782586; $19.95 paper 0815782594) is a 2005 title with a new preface. In the book, the authors contrast and compare the history and institutional structures of baseball and soccer, particularly Major League Baseball and the English Premier League. Perhaps not surprisingly, the two organizations have borrowed from the other sport. For example, Major League Baseball just put on the World Baseball Classic, which operates much like the World Cup.
---
The World Cup: The Ultimate Guide to the Greatest Sports Spectacle in the World by Fernando Fiore (Rayo, $14.95, 0060820896) and its Spanish-language version, Vamos al Mundial!: Lo Que Necesitas Saber para Llegar a la Final (Rayo, $14.95, 006082090X). Fiore, the Univision TV sports announcer who will call the World Cup, has a fittingly chipper and conversational style. He discusses all the qualifying teams, putting the accent on Latin American soccer and Cup history. A fun touch: based on his travels, Fiore discusses the host German cities and offers his favorite places for good Latin nightlife and food.
---
The World Cup: The Complete History by Terry Crouch (Aurum Press, $24.95, 1845131495) is an encyclopedic work about the Cup from its origins in 1930 and includes the results of every match and the listings of ever player on every team.
---
Soccer in Sun and Shadow by Eduardo Galeano (Verso, $17, 1859844235). This is a new edition of a passionate short history of soccer by the Uruguyan poet and writer.
---
Soccer for Dummies by the U.S. Soccer Federation and Michael Lewis (Wiley, $21.99, 0764552295).
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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Soccer (Penguin, $18.95, 0028627253).