Club Soccer 101: The Essential Guide to the Stars, Stats, and Stories of 101 of the Greatest Teams in the World
-
-
3.7 • 3 Ratings
-
-
- $9.99
-
- $9.99
Publisher Description
Everything any fan needs to know.
Club Soccer 101 is the essential guide to 101 of the most storied soccer clubs in the world. The book covers the history of European powerhouses like Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid; historic South American clubs like Boca Juniors, Corinthians, Penarol, and Santos; and rising clubs from Africa, Asia, and America, including such leading MLS clubs as LA Galaxy, New York Red Bulls, and Seattle Sounders. Writing with the passion and panache of a deeply knowledgeable and opinionated fan, Luke Dempsey explains what makes each club distinctive: their origins, fans, and style of play; their greatest (and most heartbreaking) seasons and historic victories and defeats; and their most famous players—from Pelé, Eusébio, and Maradona to Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney, and Ronaldo.
With club soccer exploding in popularity, Club Soccer 101 provides everything any fan needs to know.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
By giving quick overviews of the top 101 club teams in the world including the U.S., Dempsey, a U.K.-born journalist and former editor, helps U.S. sports fans new to soccer to make sense of the world of soccer. Along the way, readers may find reasons to support one team or another whether they want to root for a powerhouse (Manchester United or Barcelona, for example); to celebrate their Scot-Irish heritage (Celtic Rangers);to cultivate a fancy for "Crazy Goats" (Guadalajara); or to avoid a team might have fascist connections (Italy's Lazio; Real Madrid). All the classic stories are here, like Arsenal's miracle victory at Liverpool to win the '88 '89 league championship; but there are also lesser-known tidbits, such as tales about V lez Sarsfield goalie Jos Luis Chilavert or the exploits of Porto's Rabah Madjer in 1987 European Cup final. Dempsey's prose is a nice mix of flavorful sports-reporting and poetic impressions ("they will always wear yellow and green: a team of nonaggressive but pleasant enough birds, abandoned as they are in a faraway land"), making this an enjoyable and informative collection of vignettes.
