It's probably not fair to call the United States a "soccer nation" quite yet. However, it's fair to say the game has gained a solid following after about 60 of attempting to grow the sport in both a draw for participants and spectators. That, in turn, has led to Major League Soccer carving out a niche on the sport's calendar. What's more, it's not that unusual for people to have their favorite teams overseas these days.
In this age of instant communications around the world and the Internet, it's relatively easy to keep track of a team in the English Premier League. Meanwhile, the World Cup is coming back to the United States this year, and that means the rest of the world will be following the games either here or in person.
Following a team from day to day is one thing, but it's a natural but difficult jump to follow the sport's history. There's been about a century of drama taking place in soccer over the years, in part because so many people care so much about outcomes. The game crosses international boundaries in many ways.
What might be helpful, then, is a book on some of the biggest dramatics that have come up involving soccer over the years. At least that was the goal of Italian journalist Stefano Bizzutto with his book "The History of the World in 12 Soccer Matches." The author has covered eight World Cups and several Olympic Games.
OK, the title promises a little bit more than it can deliver. It is, naturally, only soccer. However, the concept of picking 12 matches - and the definition doesn't have to be strict - that were of particular interest in an historical sense is a fair one.
This begins with a classic story from World War I, of all times and places, that pops up every so often in histories of that conflict. It seems that the two sides enjoyed a moment of silence early in the war during a Christmas truce. Somehow a soccer ball appeared in the area between the two armies - Allies and Germans - in what was called "No man's land." A loosely run soccer game between the sides followed, and gifts between the two sides were later exchanged. It was a rare moment of humanity at an insane period in our history.
In 1969, tensions between El Salvador and Honduras were at a high point when the two countries played a soccer game in Mexico City. The winner would get a trip to the World Cup. The match was played under tense circumstances but finished without incident. However, soon after that a shooting war between the two sides. About 1,000 people died in the 100 hours of conflict.
There's plenty of other drama as well. Teams from Croatia and Serbia squared off in 1990 just when Yugoslavia was breaking apart, reigniting old hostilities in that region. Chile and the Soviet Union were supposed to play in 1973, but the Soviets stayed home because of a political situation. Chile won the game by kicking the ball into an empty net with no opposing players on the field. I particularly liked the story of an East German player who joined his team in West Germany for a friendly, only to not come back over the border with his teammates. Those Cold War defection stories are always good ones.
Some of the chapters work better than others, as you'd expect. There are a couple of other problems here, at least for the American audience. Some knowledge of the history and strategy of the game is assumed along the way here, particularly when it comes to personalities. Such references are easy to skim over. Also, remember that this book was written in Italian at first and then translated to English. That's a tough job as it is, and it's tougher to write for those not so familiar with the subject. The prose comes out a little flowery in spots.
The World Cup will certainly bring in some new eyeballs in the United States for the curious, and those people might wonder about why and how the sports is taken so seriously elsewhere. "The History of the World in 12 Soccer Matches" zips through its list of memorable games/events over the years in soccer in hardly any time. That makes it a reasonable choice for those looking for a primer on the subject.
Three stars
Learn more about this book from Amazon.com.
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