Garrincha

Garrincha
Author: Ruy Castro
Publisher: Random House
Total Pages: 456
Release: 2011-12-31
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1448128056

The World Cup Finals, Sweden 1958. Brazil vs the fearsome USSR. In the opening three minutes - 'the greatest three minutes in the history of football' - one man wrote himself into the record books alongside the game's greatest players, men like Pelé, Di Stefano, Puskas and Maradona. Brazil went on to win the cup, and in Garrincha, a star was born. Garrincha was the unlikeliest of footballers - with a right leg that turned inwards and a left that turned out, he looked as if he could barely walk, but with a ball at his feet he had the poise of an angel. He played for the love of the game, uninterested in money, and ignoring tactical advice. And he was as wild off the pitch as he was mesmerising on it - mischievous, audacious and dripping with sex appeal. It was his affair and subsequent marriage to the singer Elza Soares that caught the imagination of a nation - their mouth-watering combination of soccer and samba made them the toast of 1960s Rio. But by the age of forty-nine, Garrincha was dead, destroyed by the excesses that made him so compelling. ‘Funny and moving, zealously researched and lovingly told’ Daily Telegraph

The Ball is Round

The Ball is Round
Author: David Goldblatt
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 1012
Release: 2008-01-02
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 9781594482960

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.

The Black Man in Brazilian Soccer

The Black Man in Brazilian Soccer
Author: Mario Filho
Publisher: UNC Press Books
Total Pages: 369
Release: 2021-02-10
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1469637030

At turns lyrical, ironic, and sympathetic, Mario Filho's chronicle of "the beautiful game" is a classic of Brazilian sports writing. Filho (1908–1966)—a famous Brazilian journalist after whom Rio's Maracana stadium is officially named—tells the Brazilian soccer story as a boundary-busting one of race relations, popular culture, and national identity. Now in English for the first time, the book highlights national debates about the inclusion of African-descended people in the body politic and situates early black footballers as key creators of Brazilian culture. When first introduced to Brazil by British expatriots at the end of the nineteenth century, the game was reserved for elites, excluding poor, working-class, and black Brazilians. Filho, drawing on lively in-depth interviews with coaches, players, and fans, points to the 1920s and 1930s as watershed decades when the gates cracked open. The poor players and players of color entered the game despite virulent discrimination. By the mid-1960s, Brazil had established itself as a global soccer powerhouse, winning two World Cups with the help of star Afro-Brazilians such as Pele and Garrincha. As a story of sport and racism in the world's most popular sport, this book could not be more relevant today.

Soccer Stories

Soccer Stories
Author: Donn Risolo
Publisher: U of Nebraska Press
Total Pages: 404
Release: 2010-01-01
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 0803233957

Arguably the world's most popular sport, soccer has its own colorful lore, still little known in a nation only now beginning to give the game its due. This book offers the perfect opportunity to catch up on soccer's rich historyand to discover some of the funniest, most ironic, outlandish, and tragic stories ever to come out of the world of sports. Taking readers as far afield as the Faeroe Islands, Thailand, Madagascar, Belarus, Bhutan, and the North Pole, the selections inSoccer Storiesrange from the strange (Brazilian players paid in cattle by their cash-strapped club) to the wild (the Mexican prison warden who threw open all the cell doors in celebration of a World Cup victory) to the comical (the referee who ejected himself). Here is the plane crash that wiped out the Italian team on the eve of its fifth straight national championship; the spiteful African club that scored 149 goals against itself in one game; and the youngster who banked a shot into the goal off a passing seagull. As lively as it is informative,Soccer Storieswill engage fans of all levels.

A History of the World Cup

A History of the World Cup
Author: Clemente A. Lisi
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 577
Release: 2019-03-15
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 153810833X

There is no sporting event more popular than the World Cup. For one month every four years, billions of people around the world turn their attention to the tournament. Fans call in sick to work, pack into bars to watch games, or stay home for days at a time glued to their TV sets. In A History of the World Cup: 1930-2018, Clemente A. Lisi chronicles this international phenomenon, providing vivid accounts of individual games from the tournament's origins in 1930 to modern times. In addition, the book features statistics for each competition, photos, and profiles of the most memorable—and controversial—figures of the sport, including Diego Maradona, Juste Fontaine, Franz Beckenbauer, Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Miroslave Klose, and Pelé. This new edition includes coverage of the FIFA corruption scandal, the use of video technology, a profile of 2018 Golden Ball winner Luka Modric, revised statistical information, and memorable moments from the 2018 tournament. Comprehensive yet highly readable, A History of the World Cup is a wonderful book for fans of the beautiful game.

Men in Blazers Present Gods of Soccer

Men in Blazers Present Gods of Soccer
Author: Roger Bennett
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2022-10-11
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1797208039

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.

A History of the World Cup, 1930-2010

A History of the World Cup, 1930-2010
Author: Clemente Angelo Lisi
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
Total Pages: 495
Release: 2011
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 0810877538

Lisi chronicles the most popular sporting event in the world, providing vivid accounts of individual games from the tournament's origins in 1930 to modern times.

A History of the World Cup

A History of the World Cup
Author: Clemente Angelo Lisi
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
Total Pages: 444
Release: 2007
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 9780810859050

Detailed descriptions of important games and profiles of outstanding managers and athletes are included in a chronicle of the World Cup soccer tournament since its inception in 1930.

The Blizzard - The Football Quarterly: Issue Zero

The Blizzard - The Football Quarterly: Issue Zero
Author: Jonathan Wilson
Publisher: Blizzard Media Ltd
Total Pages: 285
Release: 2011-03-04
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN:

The Blizzard is a quarterly publication, put together by a cooperative of journalists and authors, its main aim to provide a platform for top-class writers from across the globe to enjoy the space and the freedom to write what they like about the football stories that matter to them. Contents of Issue Zero St Pauli ------------ * The Conversion of St Pauli?, by Uli Hesse—Back in the Bundesliga, Europe's most noted counter-cultural club is having to balance its ethos with the desire for a secure financial future Interview ------------ * Guus Hiddink — Philippe Auclair talks to Guus Hiddink about his latest challenge, as coach of Turkey Going Wrong ------------------- * An African Parable, by Luke Alfred—For African teams, it's often after qualifying for the World Cup that the real challenge begins * The Dark Heart of Russian Football, by James Appell—Will winning the right to host the World Cup force Russia to confront the corruption that stains its domestic game? * Double Trouble, by Joel Richards—Argentina's short seasons are fun, but are they behind a culture of short-termism? * How Roy Race Ruined English Football, by Scott Murray—He may be Britain's most popular comic footballer, but Roy of the Rovers embodies everything wrong about the English game Ethics ---------- * Man and Superman, by Gabriele Marcotti—Why football has some questions to answer about the ethics of performance enhancement Stony Ground --------------------- * Matters of Blood, by Andy Brassell—The travails of Corsica's football clubs reflect the struggles of the island and its quest for autonomy "First Time Around", by Michael Orr—As Portland celebrates winning an MLS franchise, memories are stirred of the Timbers' debut season in the NASL Theory ---------- * The Dutch Style and the Dutch Nation, by Simon Kuper—How the Netherlands' move away from liberalism is reflected in its football * Xavi and the Square Pass, by Musa Okwonga—How going sideways became the future * The Search for Space, by Michael Cox—How a theory of political polling explains why New Labour was like Dennis Bergkamp Bosnian Coaching --------------------------- * The Professor of Mostar, by Saša Ibrulj—Sulejman Rebac never won a trophy as manager, but 35 years after his retirement, his influence continues to be felt * The Watchmaker of Travnik, by Vladimir Novak—After six decades in football, could Ćiro Blažević's odyssey be coming to an end in China? Verona ----------- * Verona's Great Romance, by James Horncastle—Recalling the drama of Italy's unlikeliest champions Sausages --------------- * Bangers and Cash, by Philippe Auclair- How Uli Hoeness became a sausage magnate * Garrincha's Swedish Son, by Lars Sivertsen—When Garrincha toured Sweden with Botafogo, memories weren't all he left behind Polemics ------------- * What's Good for the Goose..., by Paul Tomkins—Just because a manager has had success with one club does not mean his methods will transfer to another * Why The Away Goals Rule Must Be Abolished, by Ian Hawkey—The away goals rule is an archaism that is encouraging defensive play * Tradition and the Individual Talent, by Jacob Steinberg—There's more to judging players than goals and medals * How the Champions League is Selling European Football Short, by Ouriel Daskal—Could it be that the commercialisation of the Champions League has not gone far enough? * Dessert Comes at the End, by Raphael Honigstein—Football's administrators must beware killing the golden goose Football Manager ------------------------- * The Heidenheim Chronicles, by Iain Macintosh—When somebody takes their game of Football Manager just a little too seriously... Greatest Games ------------------------ * Crvena Zvezda 2 Bayern Munich 2, by Jonathan Wilson—European Cup semi-final second leg, Marakana, Belgrade, 24 April 1991 Eight Bells ---------------- * European Cup Upsets, by Rob Smyth—A selection of the European Cup's most unexpected results