Eight World Cups

Download or read book Eight World Cups written by George Vecsey and published by Times Books. This book was released on 2014-05-13 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Full of humor and insight about sport and culture.... The pomp, glory, and great entertainment all get their due in Eight World Cups."—The Boston Globe Blending witty travelogue with action on the field—and shady dealings in back rooms—George Vecsey offers an eye-opening, globe-trotting account of eight World Cups. He immerses himself in the great national leagues, historic clubs, and devoted fans and provides his up-close impressions of charismatic soccer stars like Sócrates, Maradona, Baggio, and Zidane, while also chronicling the rise of the U.S. men's and women's teams. Vecsey shows how each host nation has made the World Cup its own, from the all-night street parties in Spain in 1982 to the roar of vuvuzelas in South Africa in 2010, as the game in the stadium is backed up by the game in the street. But the joy is sometimes undermined by those who style themselves the game's protectors.

Download or read book Chasing the Game written by Filip Bondy and published by Da Capo Press. This book was released on 2010-04-27 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A tantalizing account of the triumphs and travails of the U.S. men's soccer team in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, set within the historical context of American soccer on the global stage The U.S. men's soccer team was a huge disappointment at the World Cup in 2006, but a newly constituted team exceeded all expectations in June 2009 with their inspired play at the Confederations Cup in South Africa--where they upset the number one team in the world, Spain, and lost late in the championship game to a supremely talented Brazilian squad. Their impressive showing gave fans, including the ever-loyal Sam's Army, a renewed sense of hope that when the team plays up to its capabilities, the Americans can compete with anyone in the world. In Chasing the Game, Filip Bondy describes the U.S. team's path to qualifying for this year's World Cup--to be held on the African continent for the first time ever, in South Africa in June 2010. Bondy also reveals the back-and-forth saga that resulted in the hiring of Bob Bradley as the American coach, and serves up engaging profiles of several core players, including the U.S. national team's all-time leader in scoring and assists, Landon Donovan, acrobatic goalie Tim Howard, hip-hop devotee and opportunistic goal-scorer Clint "Deuce" Dempsey, up-and-comer Jozy Altidore, and the coach's son, the reticent yet dependable Michael Bradley. Chasing the Gamealso recounts the glorious highlights of past World Cup matches, like the U.S. men's team's stunning 1-0 victory over England in 1950 and the 2002 team's advance to the quarterfinals, as well as heartbreaks like the fiasco in 2006, when the U.S. mustered only four shots on goal in three games. Finally, Bondy also traces the origin of soccer and the evolution of the game in the U.S., chronicling how soccer academies like the one in Bradenton, Florida, have impacted the game at both the youth and national levels. It's all here for the first time in one book--the complete story of American soccer on the global stage.

Download or read book Stan Musial written by George Vecsey and published by ESPN. This book was released on 2012-05-01 with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NATIONAL BESTSELLER Veteran sports journalist George Vecsey finally gives this twenty-time All-Star and St. Louis Cardinals icon the biographical treatment he deserves. Stan Musial is the definitive portrait of one of the game’s best-loved but most unappreciated legends—told through the remembrances of those who played beside, worked with, and covered “Stan the Man” over the course of his nearly seventy years in the national spotlight. Away from the diamond, Musial proved a savvy businessman and a model of humility and graciousness toward his many fans in St. Louis and around the world. From Keith Hernandez’s boyhood memories of Musial leaving tickets for him when the Cardinals were in San Francisco to the little-known story of Musial’s friendship with novelist James Michener, Vecsey weaves an intimate oral history around one of the great gentlemen of baseball’s Greatest Generation.

Download or read book The Treasures of the World Cup written by and published by Carlton Books. This book was released on 2014-03-04 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When the World Cup began in 1930, only 13 teams participated. Now it involves more than 200 countries, and has truly become the international competition it was intended to be. Containing 30 facsimile pieces of rare memorabilia sure to delight fans, The Treasures of the World Cup tells the story of this quadrennial festival. Along with an authoritative account of all 19 tournaments and a preview of Brazil 2014, it includes features on the superstars, memorable moments for each of the finals, maps of the venues, and results boxes. Facsimile items include: soccer programs, match tickets, posters, stickers, postcards, and correspondence gathered from the National Football Museum and other private collections around the world.

Download or read book FIFA World Cup and Beyond written by Kausik Bandyopadhyay and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-10-29 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Soccer, the most popular mass spectator sport in the world, has long been a site which articulates the complexities and diversities of the everyday life of the nation. The imaging and prioritization of the game as a ‘national’ or an ‘international’ event in public opinion and the media also play a critical role in transforming the soccer culture of a nation. In this context, the FIFA World Cup remains the grand spectacle for asserting the identity of the nation. This book intends to offer eclectic perspectives and discourses on the FIFA World Cup, and to throw light on the changing dimensions of football and sports culture in terms of identity, race, ethnicity, gender, fandom, governance, and so on. On the one hand, it focuses on the significance of the FIFA World Cup for nations in terms of hosting, performance, playing style, and identity formation. On the other, it looks beyond the World Cup to highlight the growing importance of a host of perspectives in sport in general and football in particular with reference to art, fandom, gender, media, and governance. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Sport in Society.

Download or read book World Cup 2010 written by Steven D. Stark and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 2010 World Cup will be the first ever held on the continent of Africa. This book features introductory essays on the cultural importance of soccer, the World cup, this tournament in particular, and on African soccer. The book contains an introductory essay, table, analysis of team players, coach, history, flag, foods, and uniforms for each of the 32 teams.

Download or read book ICC Cricket World Cup England and Wales 2019 written by Chris Hawkes and published by Carlton Books. This book was released on 2019-04-04 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ICC Cricket World Cup England 2019: The Official Book is a celebration of the world's most important 50-over cricket tournament, the World Cup. Eight teams will be joining hosts England in the summer 2019 trying to prise loose the grip on the trophy, enjoyed by Australia (they have been world champions four of the last five times). Eleven venues will stage the 48 matches across England and Wales, from Taunton and Cardiff to Headingley and Chester-le-Street between 30 May and 14 July. This book contains everything fans will need, from venue guides to detailed information on every team in the finals, key players, playing strengths, coaches, past form and a prediction of teams' hopes of success. In addition to the fill-in ICC Cricket World Cup England 2019 fixture schedule, famous games are recalled in special features, together with biographies of the men most likely to light up the tournament. The Cricket World Cup's glorious history and tournament records are also fully covered making ICC Cricket World Cup England 2019: The Official Book essential reading for all fans interested in one-day cricket in its longer format.ed making ICC Cricket World Cup England 2019: The Official Book essential reading for all fans interested in one-day cricket in its longer format.ed making ICC Cricket World Cup England 2019: The Official Book essential reading for all fans interested in one-day cricket in its longer format.ed making ICC Cricket World Cup England 2019: The Official Book essential reading for all fans interested in one-day cricket in its longer format.