Soccer Books

Discussion in 'New England Revolution' started by MrSangster, Dec 13, 2007.

  1. MrSangster

    MrSangster Member

    Feb 16, 1999
    Duxbury,MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I just finished reading , " When Saturday Comes - The half decent Football Book" which is a collection of short essays on soccer ( Association Football) from A to Z.

    " Alcohol - Even now , foreign players coming to English Football for the first time frequently register their surprise and often horror at the sheer quantity of alcohol consumed by fellow players...German goalkeeper Lars Leese's experiences during his time playing in the Premiership for B..On the continent it was well known that many English professionals thought it was all part of a good night out to down nine or ten pints of beer..what amazed Lars was that they never had to go to the toilet. He had drunk 4 beers and had been to the gents several ties. 'How do they do that ?' he wondered. He worked it out when he heard a splashing noise under the table; midfielder Darren Sheridan had rolled up one leg of his shorts and was watering the pub garden grass under the table. 'Above the table he went on taking as though nothing was happening."


    " After a decade of relentless tabloid exposure the words David Beckham tend to conjure up an unwanted mental flip chart. This usually goes something like : goal from the halfway line, floppy hair, Posh Spice, sarong, petulant kick, hanged in effigy, Hello! magazine, gay icon, England captain, kids with silly names, free kick, runs around a lot, Mohican, sunglasses, Japan, metatarsal, flying boot, Real madrid, hanging out in LA, tattoos, steamy text messages, wife very skinny....The only really exceptional things about David Beckham are that he is very good looking and very determined. The world would have been a very different place and Becharm's career a very different thing, if his name was Nigel Onions and he'd grown up looking like Peter Beardsley."

    A good read and recommended for fans of British soccer.

    "Recommended for constipated fans to leave in the loo."



    I also just read " Preventive Officiating - How a referee avoids Trouble on the soccer field" by Randy Vogt.

    Mr. Vogt has refereed 7,000+ games over the past three decades from professional to u-little's. A quick ,very easy read which I recommend for young or new referee's. Filled with common sense ref information from a very experienced referee.
     
  2. MrSangster

    MrSangster Member

    Feb 16, 1999
    Duxbury,MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I just finished reading " Soccer's Most wanted 2 - the top 10 book of more glorious goals, superb saves, and fantastic free-kicks" by Jeff Carlisle.

    A good, quick read filled with soccer top ten trivia lists with short paragraphs on a variety of topics ( e.g. , We knew them when, MLS firsts, weird transfers, etc.) . Lothar Matthaus topped the list for The foreign flops in MLS. Michael Parkhurst made the Fair Play list, " during his rookie season of 2005, Parkhurst committed a scant six fouls during the entire season, a mark he bettered in 2007 when he was adjudged to have only 5 infractions." The Rev's reached # 3 in the greatest moments in MLS playoffs in 2004's DC united vs Rev's back & forth goalfest. The rev's made #10 on teh same list for the battle against New York.

    A good light read.
     
  3. MrSangster

    MrSangster Member

    Feb 16, 1999
    Duxbury,MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I just finished reading , " The World is a Ball - the joy, madness, and meaning of soccer" by John Doyle.

    I appreciate a book that is well written and Doyle is the well accomplished TV critic for the Toronto Globe and Mail newspaper. Born in Ireland, he developed a love for the game at an early age.

    "This soccer was different. It seemed aloof, more about the tactics and skill than brute strength. The players were of all shapes and sizes. A small man could beat a big man with the skill and speed of his feat. The game had a spare, uncomplicated grace. It seemed to radiate the purest form of exhilaration in running , kicking and following a rolling ball along green grass.... The game required thinking , agility and tactics. "

    Working in Toronto, he began to cover a few soccer events : 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004, the 2006 World Cup, Euro 2008, the launch of Toronto FC and the 2010 World Cup. Here Doyle writes what it is like to be in one of these stadiums:

    "It is a game to shred nerves. For the first time here, the huge stadium in Vienna is pulsatingly alive, throbbing with human noise, and there is a surreal magnificence to it. The players, the fans, and even the press are one mass of emotional energy. If you're here, in this cauldron, you know , you just know it in your blood, that strange, stunning events will unfold. This is a fable now. There will be screams and tears; nightmares will become bliss; exultation will evaporate. The rhythm of it will never settle until it ends."


    He concludes the book with what soccer means to him and every passionate fan.

    "Everything I've thought about the joy, madness and meaning of soccer has come under confused scrutiny in my head, on this very street. On the day not long ago that France beat Ireland and qualified for the World Cup., it became clear. The game goes beyond logic. Nothing matters beyond the touchline. The game is like life. The referee's decision is final, even if he's wrong and the whole world knows it. The game brings joy and kills it. It is so mercurial it transcends ideals of 'sporting' and 'fair play.' Cheating happens, and just as in life itself, an injustice unfolds, flourishes. Then, not always, but often enough, justice prevails.

    I have traveled the world to watch soccer and write about it, and celebrate it.. Yet it was here, near my home, that I knew , heart scalded, the terrible meaning of it all. The game brings joy, breaks your heart, brings joy, breaks your heart, brings joy, breaks your heart....The meaning whirls and turns as the ball does--as the world does."


    Simply a great book which I recommend for all fans of the beautiful game.
     
  4. brittkamp

    brittkamp Member

    Nov 22, 2003
    Connecticut
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I just finished Beau Dure's book on MLS, "Long Range Goals" and I found it a very nice read. The most interesting part was about the lawsuit the players brought against the league.
    The end of the book has some opinions about where the league was as of the end of 2009 and that was also very interesting reading.

    Go read it.
     
  5. Roger Allaway

    Roger Allaway Member+

    Apr 22, 2009
    Warminster, Pa.
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Even better than the part about the lawsuit, I thought, was the part about the maneuvering before before the USSF vote in 1993 among the three competing bidders.

    As brittkamp says, go read it.
     
  6. ToMhIlL

    ToMhIlL Member+

    Feb 18, 1999
    Boxborough, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yeah, definitely a good read, especially if you weren't following the league back in the very early years. It puts a lot of today's moves into context.

    The only quibbles I have are that he still gives credibility to the guy who was in charge of one of the competing bids--there were 3: 1) MLS, 2) Promoting the APSL, and 3) this very bizarre abomnation of soccer that gave all kinds of extra points for scoring goals from furhter out, bigger goals and tons of other stuff that makes the shootout and backwards clock look downright stodgy and traditional. Sure, talk to the guy about his proposal for the chapter that covered that stuff, but the guy has no business commenting on whether he thinks David Beckham was a good signing! Simply by proposing what he did, he has abdicated any right to be taken seriously as a "soccer" person. Jim Rome has more soccer credibility.

    I also found Dure's Doug Logan quotes very interesting. Either one of two things is going on, and I can't quite figure out which: 1) Total revisionist history, and he is allowing Logan to whitewash over the canvas and start fresh, or 2) Logan was a good soldier, doing the bidding of some powerful owners and was very good at keeping his mouth shut and parroting what the owners wanted him to say, even though he disagreed 180 degrees.

    Some of us old-timers remember what it was like in the Logan years, and the kinds of things he would publicly say. Trust me, it was nothing like the stuff that he says now, like saying how "great" it is that there are loud, active supporters groups in places like Toronto and Seattle. When he was in charge, he (through the individual teams' front offices) did everything in his power to prevent that kind of spectacle. Logan also infers that one of the ownership groups (he wouldn't say which) was horrified that market surveys showed the league to be popular with Hispanics. The owner allegedly said "we can't let this get out," according to Logan.

    Definitely give it a read, you'll be glad you did
     
  7. MrSangster

    MrSangster Member

    Feb 16, 1999
    Duxbury,MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I just finished reading Gary Hopkins "star spangled soccer" and it is a must read for MLS and us soccer fans. The book starts with the us qualifying in Trinidad for world cup '90. The inglorious return to the world stage was then overshadowed by the incredible decision to have the US host the 1994 world cup. The third world status of US soccer had to be quickly brought up to world class standards. Some of e bs kroon dealings and power plays were exposed.

    "any hint of potential embarrassment or **failure cannot and will not be tolerated.FIFA sensed that both of these were possible with US soccer prior to the 1990 election and stepped in to act.FIFA made it clear that they were committed to cracking the vey lucrative US market- why else spend so much initiating change?"

    The successful marketing of the world cup helped launch soccer in America.**

    "soccer was smart enough to ask america to not just support Harkes, Doyle and Lalas take on the world: take on the global soccer powers that ruled over them for decades and were now coming to American shores to rub it in. Along the way it was to latch on to soccer moms, soccer kids an reluctant fathers"

    "soccer represented gender equity that mirrored the increasing power that women asserted in society. Throughout america the inclusive sport of soccer was quietly becoming the family bonding event of the weekend, with mini van driving soccer moms, grandparents and siblings in tow."

    Overcoming bias and blatant vitriol against the sport, the us went on to host a succesful world cup, generate a lot of revenues and provide the seeds for MLS. The league launched with an assortment of garish names , uniforms and teams filled with us stars from the us men's national team. But the early successes were quickly erased as the novelty wore off.

    "true to their word, a league would launch in 1996 amid great fanfare and hype. By 1999 it would be on it's knees hemorrhaging cash in a death spiral of falling crowds, plummeting viewers, sponsor detections and a 'fight to the death' legal battle with it's players."

    "the single most important event besides the incredible success of the world cup 94 was the decision by Rothenburg send two "free" tickets to the Italy versus brazil final to phil anschultz.
    ...it would be Anschultzs involvement as an investor and his decision in 2002/3 to carry
    **The financial burden of owning six teams that would save the league from financial collapse."


    "the Hunets and the Krafts were equally "soccer guys" with both dep pockets and great patience. In spite of the recession, in spite of mounting losses,they did what probably made them rich in the first place, they took a calculated risk and rather than chucking in their cards they "double downed" betting on both the league and on American soccer."

    the league then brought in don Garber who set into motion other plans for financial stability. He bought the tv broadcast rights to the English premier league and future world cups which proved to be lucrative for a cash starved league. The developed a plan for profitability for the league and the owner investors.**

    "1) own your own stadium(or wow rent and a strong revenue share agreement)
    2) own the naming rights sponsorship $$ for the stadium
    3)a strong jersey sponsor
    4) strong and committed fan base (20000 plus)
    5) good corporate sales and suite sales
    6) player costs matched to the revenue of the club. No superstar that can't pay his way
    7) be close to town and urban if possible drawing 16-35 males with disposable income"

    The book then delves into the particulars of most teams and lays out several ideas for the improvement and future success of the league. Definitely recommended for MLS fans
     
  8. Roger Allaway

    Roger Allaway Member+

    Apr 22, 2009
    Warminster, Pa.
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    David Wangerin's new book, "Distant Corners: American Soccer's History of Missed Opportunities and Lost Causes," is out. I'm only three chapters into it, but it's terrific.
     
  9. cml1394

    cml1394 Member

    Apr 5, 2010
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    "4) Bloody Confused, a clueless American Sportswriter Seeks Solace in English Soccer, by Chuck Culpepper"

    Read this one, Culpepper has a great sense of humor and the book gives good insight on how different attending games and following teams is in England after doing it for over a year. I would definitely reccomend it.

    Two others I would reccomend are Outcasts United by Warren St. John and Keeper by Mal Peet. I'm only into the first few chapters of OU but already love it, and Keeper has a very interesting and thought provoking storyline, and unique as well.
     
  10. MrSangster

    MrSangster Member

    Feb 16, 1999
    Duxbury,MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Caveat Emptor!

    The demise of Borders means opportunity to add to your library. They always had a good assortment of arcane and eclectic selections. Saw plenty of good books on the shelf of my local store....

    Long Range Goals....
    Soccernomics....
    Brilliant Orange....
    Outcasts United...etc., etc., etc.
     
  11. rustynation

    rustynation New Member

    Jul 25, 2008
    Boston
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    I have Soccernomics somewhere, but it seems to have disappeared. I'm still reading The Ball is Round, and my friend made me something that makes an awesome bookmark for it and makes the book go WAY faster.
     
  12. dougiebrimson

    dougiebrimson Member

    Sep 14, 2007
  13. rkupp

    rkupp Member+

    Jan 3, 2001
  14. MrSangster

    MrSangster Member

    Feb 16, 1999
    Duxbury,MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    patfan1 repped this.
  15. MrSangster

    MrSangster Member

    Feb 16, 1999
    Duxbury,MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Dusting off a very old thread...

    Just read, " Das Reboot - How German soccer reinvented itself and conquered the world". Germany crashing out of Euro and WC matches needed a way to reinvigorate themselves. Bring in Jurgen Klinnsman and his American Style of health, fitness and tactical analysis. Germany finishes 2nd at home in 2006 but lays the path for a new generation of homegrown players. This is the road map for the current US development academy system. Follows the team through South Africa and then through Brazil where the lift the trophy. Well written, good read.
     
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  16. dncm

    dncm Member+

    Apr 22, 2003
    Boston
    Thanks, I did not remember this thread existed.

    I also read this book, referencing it in one of the existing threads.

    I too recommend this book!
     
  17. BostonTrotter

    BostonTrotter New Member

    Feb 5, 2013
    Near Boston
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Now that this thread has been dusted off and brought back to life, I'd like to recommend a book called " America's Soccer Heritage." It's a bit dated (1979, Soccer for Americans), it obviously can't cover MLS or even the demise of the original NASL, but it gives a clear background of the game here, dating back to 1894. Disclaimer: My uncle wrote the book.
     
    ToMhIlL repped this.
  18. rkupp

    rkupp Member+

    Jan 3, 2001
    It must include the Chyzowych brothers:
    1. Gene Chyzowych
      Soccer player
      Eugene Chyzowych, was a professional soccer player and coach, who was the coach of the Columbia High School soccer team in Maplewood, New Jersey, US.Wikipedia

      Born: January 27, 1935, Liutovyska, Ukraine
      Died: May 10, 2014

    1. Walter Chyzowych
      Soccer player
      Walter Chyzowych was a Ukrainian born soccer player who played for Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals and Newark Sitch of the American Soccer League and was later a coach for the United States national soccer team.Wikipedia

      Born: April 20, 1937, Staryi Sambir Raion, Ukraine
      Died: September 2, 1994, Research Triangle
      Education: Temple University
      Position: Forward
    I went to their soccer camp in the early 70's. They brought in the Polish NT goalkeeper and he wowed us by kicking away a pk attempt while stretched out completely horizontal going the wrong way.
     

    Attached Files:

  19. MrSangster

    MrSangster Member

    Feb 16, 1999
    Duxbury,MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Cruyff was the maestro, we lost a legend today, RIP #14
     
    ToMhIlL repped this.
  20. ToMhIlL

    ToMhIlL Member+

    Feb 18, 1999
    Boxborough, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    What an amazing player who revolutionized the game. We'll never see another one like him. RIP
     
  21. MrSangster

    MrSangster Member

    Feb 16, 1999
    Duxbury,MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    No Revs on TV has me reading more . I am currently reading David Goldblatt’s , “The Age of Football.” He wrote the excellent soccer book, “The Ball is Round”. Thorough, insightful author that has written another fascinating book. To quote Simon Kuper,

    “ Reading David Goldblatt you don’t just understand football better. You understand the world a bit better, too. The breadth of his research is unmatched, and writingis always a pleasure.”
     
  22. rkupp

    rkupp Member+

    Jan 3, 2001
    Thanks for the recommendation (and nice job locating the 4 year old thread!).
     
  23. dcochran

    dcochran Member+

    Feb 17, 1999
    Vero Beach, FL
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I recently read The Club: How the English Premier League Became the Wildest, Richest, Most Disruptive Force in Sports by Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg. It's more about the business of football than the game itself, but it's a fascinating read with insights into how the league and the teams evolved and how they learned some of their approaches (including from the NFL).
     
  24. ToMhIlL

    ToMhIlL Member+

    Feb 18, 1999
    Boxborough, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I recently re-read Steve Nicol's book, which is mostly about this Liverpool and Scotland days. A good read and highly recommended. Thanks @rkupp!

    Although nowhere in the book does he say "A thu endathadey, yuh gut tae loo' a yuurself inna mirra."
     
  25. frankieg73

    frankieg73 Member

    New England Revolution
    Portugal
    Apr 8, 2001
    St. Petersburg, FL (not my choice)
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    Portugal
    https://www.amazon.com/Stamping-Grounds-Charlie-Connelly/dp/0349114889

    Stamping Grounds by Charlie Connelly. A look at the Liechtensteiner national team and its players. There's a player from Serie A but many of these players are part timers with real day jobs.

    I still have my copy that I read a few years ago. One player is a banker (?) and trains a few hours per week then gets to play against the Spanish national team.
     
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