If you love numbers, data, soccer, or a just a great read, you will absolutely love the 2018 World Cup edition of Soccernomics from Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski. Yes, this is Moneyball for the beautiful game. While there won’t be a movie starring Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill, there are plenty of beautiful statistics and a pair of mathematical rock stars as authors. These statistics are enough to restore your optimism for soccer in the United States. We did miss
We have to say that we were a little skeptical when we saw that another “math book” involving soccer was coming out. That has been done before and quite well, but this time was an even better experience thanks to David Sumpter’s Soccermatics. Cover Art Courtesy of Bloomsbury Publishing Touted as a “mathematical adventure through the beautiful game,” this title certainly lives up to and exceeds expectations. The biggest positive for this book is that it is approachable, certainly much more than Soccernomics from Simon
There is no question that Stefan Szymanski knows the economics of soccer better than anyone else. His best-selling Soccernomics, which he wrote with Simon Kuper, is considered to be the standard for understanding money and the beautiful game. Simply put, when Szymmanski talks, people listen. Cover Art Courtesy of Nation Books Earlier this year, he predicted the collapse of MLS. That certainly got everyone talking, some in agreement and others calling it crazy. You can’t argue with the fact
A 2-1 Dutch victory over West Germany in the 1988 European Championships proved what many believed: the Germans were bad and the Dutch were good. Millions of Dutch citizens hit the streets to celebrate in the largest public gathering since the Liberation. It would nice if the world was this black and white, but there are always gray areas. World War II was no different. The Dutch, once heralded as the great protector of Jews during the Holocaust, look very
This book is the most entertaining of all the World Cup titles. Sometimes we take ourselves too seriously. It is nice to see a title that reflects common sense and a sense of humor. A true bargain at $12.00, The Glorious World Cup: A Balls-Out Guide is a change of pace from the rest of the World Cup titles out there. It is refreshing, something that you would want to keep next to your recliner as you watch the World Cup in