"Are You Ready For Some Football?"

The 2014 FIFA World Cup was held in Brazil ended over a month ago, with Germany defeating Argentina in a match loaded with international soccer stars. 

What is not over is America’s exponentially-growing love for the sport of football (or, soccer, as most of us refer to it in the United States). If you followed the world’s largest sports tournament to any degree, you undoubtedly fell in love with the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT), led by stars Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore, and several New Jersey-tied stars such as goaltender Tim Howard and midfielder Michael Bradley. 

To catch you up to speed on this installment of the USMNT, as well as some history on previous United States squads, I recommend (believe it or not) a juvenile title: U.S. Mens Team: New Stars On The Field.

Want a crash course on World Cup history? Check out these titles!

The Mammoth Book of the Word Cup by Nick Holt

Match! Brazil 2014 Guide: The World Cup Book for Football-Mad Fans by Matt Read 

Golazo! The Beautiful Game from the Aztecs to the World Cup by Andreas Campomar

If you find yourself watching a lot of MLS (Major League Soccer) these days now that the matches are broadcast on major cable channels like ESPN, and because several of the USMNT stars play on the teams, you will be interested in reading this new title:

The Soccer Diaries: An American’s Thirty-Year Pursuit of the International Game by Michael Agovino

Want to learn about the lives of soccer stars? Here are some biographies and memoirs:

Why Soccer Matters by Pele 

The Life and Career of David Beckham: Football Legend, Cultural Icon by Tracey Savell Reavis

Ronaldo: The Obsession for Perfection by Luca Caioli

Solo: A Memoir of Hope by Hope Solo (goaltender for the USWNT)

The best part about soccer is that it is being played all over the world during the entire year. Besides the United States’ MLS, England, Spain, France, Germany, Russia, Japan and Mexico are countries with high-end leagues, not to mention the leagues that play in South America, Africa and Australia! Tune in and get hooked!

- John R.