#TACTICAL SOCCER BOOKS HOW TO#

It’s even more intriguing reading it now with the other LA team outshining the MLS team that first learned how to wow the soccer media worldwide. Wahl’s reporting gave soccer fans a glimpse at the terrible conditions of many MLS players, the absolute circus Beckham’s first season was, and how MLS now is so shaped by this major move. It’s easy to forget in the era of MLS-owner David Beckham how monumental this book was. Especially now with so many travel restrictions, the descriptions of the locations and experiences can almost serve as a virtual trip to these locations. The breath of soccer experiences would make any fan jealous, and any WST reader knows Farmer has a way with words. This is one book I always ensure gets returned when I loan it to people.ĭrew is a past WST contributor, but I added this book to the list because it truly deserves to be on any soccer fan’s list. Yet the 2018 edition makes the original even more interesting of a read. What makes this book even more outstanding is the authors released a second edition that updated their research, challenged their assertions, and course corrected some of their predictions. The book is now a go-to in every soccer fan’s bookshelf. Soccernomics by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski Some of the passages in the book are eternally quotable about MLS and soccer in general.ġ8. It’s an interesting look at the beginning of modern MLS in an analytical and experienced view without an agenda. The book’s perspective is through the lens of a soccer fan who experiences 2013 MLS by trying to support the local club. What I liked best was that Nipper was a soccer fan but not a MLS fan, but decided he wants to experience the local game. Like many soccer books, this one is in the Fever Pitch-esque category.

All of that sounds immensely corny, but for a kids’ book, its plot and character building is better than many “adult” books. The protagonist uses a loophole in school rules to make new friends, compete at soccer’s highest levels in Ireland, and discovers himself in the process. Crowley, an Irish author, weaves a fictional world around a gifted soccer player with powerful enemies. I wanted to include a child-focused book in this list but, when I must admit that when I was first reading this book to my daughter, I was hooked. With all that, here are my top 20 soccer book recommendations: That may be due to the fact that (1) your choice is overrated, (2) there just wasn’t room in a top 20 list, or (3) we can agree to disagree. The depth of soccer literature now is so great that you’ll notice a number of famous books are not on this list.

The list below is subjective, admittedly, but as someone who has read A LOT of different types of books over the years, I feel confident that it is an appropriate list that covers the basics. I’ve created my list of my top 20 soccer book recommendations, or a list of those books you must read if you have the time.

Tactical soccer books