Soccer around the World: A Cultural Guide to the World's Favorite Sport

by Charles Parrish, John Nauright

Overview

How popular is soccer worldwide? Here's one indicator: 3.2 billion people—nearly half of the planet's population—tuned in to watch the 2010 World Cup on television. Soccer matches attract a gargantuan number of fans from around the globe due to the po

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781610693035
Publisher:	ABC-CLIO, Incorporated
Publication date:	04/21/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	400
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Charles Parrish is a lecturer and research assistant in the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism at George Mason University.

John Nauright, PhD, is professor of sport and leisure cultures in the School of Sport and Service Management at the University of Brighton, UK.

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Timeline of Important Events in Soccer History
Argentina
Brazil
Cameroon
Egypt
England
France
Germany
Italy
Japan
Korea, Republic of
Mexico
The Netherlands
Nigeria
Portugal
Russia
Spain
United States
Uruguay
Appendix 1: Additional Iconic Clubs from around the World
Appendix 2: Additional Legendary Players from around the World
Selected Bibliography
Index
About the Authors

Editorial Reviews

The authors note that space limitations caused them to make difficult choices regarding which nations, clubs, and players to include, but, overall, this is a solid reference suitable for high school, public, and academic libraries.” —Booklist

“This hardcover text is well written. The authors have successfully provided an overview of the sport and profession of soccer in 400 pages. This text is timely and informative. . . . This is an effective way to capture the interest of a wide variety of readers. . . . The authors provide the reader with a comprehensive overview of soccer. . . . This well-written text will likely be appealing to a wide range of individuals, especially those who are interested in any aspect of soccer. The text will complement personal or professional libraries, including academic settings such as schools and colleges.” —ARBA

“Overall, this is a good historical summary of the global significance of the game of soccer. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; general readers.” —Choice

From the Publisher

10/01/2014
Gr 8 Up—During summer 2014, the World Cup dominated the news. This volume covers the major 18 countries that were frequently mentioned during the event. Readers will discover how soccer has contributed to the globalization of the economy and interactions among nations. The authors start off with a brief overview of the six regional confederations that are encompassed under the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The book is organized alphabetically by country, and each entry presents sections on the history and culture of soccer in that region, star athletes (such as Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi from Argentina), and how the nation has performed at the World Cup. Unfortunately, only small black-and-white illustrations break up the dense text. Using the index to search for a name is difficult; knowledgeable readers will realize that famous players are listed as a subindex underneath their country. However, students looking for newer players from the recent World Cup, such as Toni Kroos, Miroslav Klose, or Manuel Neuer, will not find information about them here. The time line is as recent as 2014 (prior to the World Cup). Information about women's soccer is included within each country but to a lesser extent. Because Parrish and Nauright, both of whom edited Sports Around the World (ABC-CLIO, 2012), have expertly synthesized material on sports, this book will be useful to report writers and soccer enthusiasts, not only for its coverage of the sport but also for its global implications.—Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA

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