Beginning June 12th, and running through the finals on July 13th, the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil will captivate and unite soccer fans throughout the world. Thirty-two countries will battle it out for the chance to lift the trophy in the sweltering heat of the Amazon. The United States has been grouped with three-time winner Germany, Portugal, and Ghana in what is being referred to as “the Group of Death”, but their never-say-die attitude has won them countless fans and support. The U.S. plays their games (within their group) on Monday June 16th, Sunday June 22nd, and Thursday June 26th. You can see the full FIFA World Cup schedule here.
Mechanics' Institute Library has several World Cup and soccer related titles to help spur your interest in this quadrennial event of the most popular sport in the world.
Fútbol action starts this month. See you on the pitch!
Eight World Cups: My Journey Through the Beauty and Dark Side of Soccer by George Vecsey (796.334 V413)
By good fortune, New York Times sports columnist George Vecsey has been able to report on eight World Cup tournaments beginning with the 1982 games in Spain through the last event in South Africa. This book is a culmination of those writings and is part memoir, travelogue, and social analysis. He condenses the tournaments into the key highlights and revisits the most infamous incidents to have taken place during the games including Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal and Zidane’s red card head butt. He’s clearly a fan and isn’t afraid to outline the corruption within FIFA that has marred the tournament, but these scandals have not been able to tarnish the love and enthusiasm that brings fans together for this celebration of the beautiful game.
Chasing the Game: America and the Quest for the World Cup by Filip Bondy (796.334 B711)
Covering the 2010 U.S. World Cup team in the lead up to that year’s tournament in South Africa, New York Daily News columnist Filip Bondy traces the evolution of the sport in America. He recounts highlights from past U.S. World Cup participation including the improbable 1950 victory over England to the 2002 team’s over-achieving to reach the quarterfinals, and also describes the disappointment of the 2006 team as they barely managed 4 shots on goal. He gives an insider view into some of the personalities of that 2010 team that helps give perspective and insight into the mind of the American player and fan.
A History of the World Cup: 1930-2006 by Clemente Angelo Lisi (796.334 L76)
As the title describes, this book gives the full history of the World Cup via game summaries, statistics, and photos from each of the tournaments beginning with the inaugural games won by Uruguay in 1930 through the 2006 tournament won by Italy. Profiles of some of the more famous and controversial figures of the sport are featured including Maradona, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, and Pelé. Of special note is the inclusion of the U.S. teams over the last few tournaments and their contribution to the event.
The Thinking Fan's Guide to the World Cup edited by Matt Weiland and Sean Wilsey (796.334 T443)
Published in the lead up to the 2006 games in Germany, The Thinking Fan’s Guide to the World Cup includes the requisite history of the tournament, the complete 2006 match schedule, and profiles of each participating nation and their players. What stands out about this book are the essays written by thirty-two writers and journalists regarding the thirty-two nations that qualified for the tournament. Their perspective provides a fresh view of soccer from all ends of the globe.
Why Soccer Matters by Pelé with Brian Winter (796.334 P381w)
It’s not his first book, but Why Soccer Matters by one of the world’s most well known soccer players is timed perfectly with the 2014 tournament in his home country. Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, has come full circle with his fame and popularity and shares his story of rising up the ranks in Brazil, winning three World Cups for the country, and his final playing days as a member of the New York Cosmos. He describes “Pelé” as the persona he allowed the public to see that protected him against celebrity and shares his observations on how the sport has changed since his first World Cup in Sweden at the age of 17.
Here's a few additional books about the World cup and soccer that can be found in our collection:
Distant Corners: American soccer’s history of missed opportunities and lost causes
Soccer in a football world
Brazil’s Dance with the Devil: The World Cup, the Olympics, and the Fight for Democracy
How soccer explains the world: an unlikely theory of globalization
Home and away: one writer’s inspiring experience at the Homeless World Cup
Outcasts united: an American town, a refugee team, and one woman’s quest to make a difference
The global game: writers on soccer
Soccer in sun and shadow
Soccernomics: why England loses, why Germany and Brazil win, and why the U.S., Japan, Australia, Turkey and even India are destined to become the kings of the world’s most popular sport
