Distant Corners: American Soccer’s History of Missed Opportunities and Lost Causes by David Wangerin reminds us again that soccer is an American game with lots of history and more importantly, roots. We are also reminded what made us fall in love with the game in the first place.
We learn how the game here in the States evolved over 100+ years and how the American style of play came to be. Its focus falls upon the never-ending work of Tom Cahill, the true father of American soccer.
Before Lamar Hunt, there was Cahill, who laid the foundation for the beautiful game without fanfare or long-lasting recognition. Without Wangerin, Cahill would never get the credit he deserved. Without Cahill, soccer in the U.S. would not even exist. This is not an exaggeration.
The best thing about this book is that it contains information you will not find anywhere else. You can tell that Wangerin was tireless in his research and that he was a man on a mission, a mission to thoroughly explain the meaning of soccer in America.
You will hear about the early days where Bethlehem Steel FC, Pilgrims FC, and Corinthian FC became household names with soccer fans. You will finish up with the spectacle known as the New York Cosmos of the NASL, a time when soccer hit the mainstream.dist
This title is a must read for soccer fans. It is an intelligent, passionate, and detailed discussion of the history of soccer in America. All of the highs and lows, triumphs and failures, are thoughtfully chronicled by Wangerin, a diehard supporter of Raith Rovers in Scotland. If you liked Soccer in A Football World or Once in a Lifetime, you will love Distant Corners.
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