Reviews

Shameless Self-Promotion for My New World Cup Book

5/5/2014

I Still Wear This on Special Occasions

The best news is that Eight World Cups: My Journey Through the Beauty and Dark Side of Soccer has been chosen one of the top non-fiction books of May by Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=s9_dnav_bw_BoNF_b?_encoding=UTF8&node=4919321011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-4&pf_rd_r=1T1PXY4FHWCZ2E4AA4S2&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1800977162&pf_rd_i=390919011

The publication date is May 13. The e-book version will also be released that day.

There will be an excerpt in a major publication very soon.

I will be making appearances at book stores in the East, starting May 29, in Huntington, Long Island, at the terrific Book Revue. Please consult this list, to be updated regularly:

http://www.georgevecsey.com/book-appearances-2014.html

The reception has been lovely, particularly from soccer lifers.

“George Vecsey gets it,” one review began:

http://internationalsoccernetwork.com/blog/?tag=george-vecsey

I will also be visiting ESPN soon to talk about my book. No schedule yet. I sat in on a conference by ESPN in New York the other day and was enthused to hear about the documentaries and game coverage in the works. It was great to catch up with John Skipper, Bob Ley, Julie Foudy, Alexi Lalas. Taylor Twellman and Jeremy Schaap and pick up on the planning and enthusiasm of this soccer-friendly network.

Finally, I plan to write occasionally for my own site in between appearances. Your input about the World Cup will be more than welcome. Who will make the final cut for the U.S. squad? Who will win the World Cup? Plenty of time to talk about that.

Best, GV.

Mendel

5/5/2014 05:34:10 am

When marathon training I made contact with the storied Hal Higdon through his blog. On his subsequent trip to the Middle East I hosted Hal in Israel where he participated in a Q & A with a local running club. An autographed copy of his book adorns my office shelf. Care for an international tour?

George Vecsey

5/5/2014 06:34:21 am

Dear Mendel: It sounds great, thank you. My international tour right now consists of Philadelphia and Harrisburg and Boston -- and NYC and Long Island. But, as the saying goes, next year in....
Best to you,
GV

Jeff from Jersey; yes New Jersey

5/5/2014 10:28:25 am

Recently, the IOC said that they were not satisfied with the progress Brazil is making towards the games of 2016. Can the same be true with the World Cup reps in terms of stadium prep and security?

George Vecsey

5/5/2014 11:23:58 am

Glad you asked. It illustrated the subtitle of my book: The Dark Side.
FIFA and IOC operate differently.
IOC has thick books of standards, and committees, and inspectors.
They jump in at sign of trouble.
Salt Lake City, locals bribing IOC delegates, the organization jumped in, replaced the rustics with a clean, competent top guy -- Mitt Romney (I mean that, he did a good job.)
FIFA has many top officials who have been bounced after years of taking bribes and giving them. Oversight non-existent,
They may be stuck with a horror show in multiple cities, but it's also Brazil's fault for not overseeing FIFA and vice versa.
GV

mike from whitestone

5/5/2014 04:16:23 pm

GV, best of luck with the book and tour! Between you, the expanded coverage and students from the Bronx......I am slowly becoming a student of this exciting game!! I hope the international tour heads over your favorite bridge through Fort Lee (if traffic allows) and in Bergen Cty, a recovering friend will be there.

George Vecsey

5/6/2014 12:43:04 am

Mike, listen to those students from the Bronx.

No NJ gig as of now, but check the one on June 30 in Chelsea.

Enjoy the day,

GV

Sam Toperoff

5/5/2014 07:12:09 pm

So pleased to hear the good pre-publication news. You've got a success coming, George, and a well-deserved one too.
Ordered it from Amazon. They said two weeks for an overseas delivery. I, too, am learning the game, mostly from watching European teams, and it pleases me. Great game, great athletes, great history. Saw an analysis on the BBC of United which claimed one problem is that the fans tumbled to third in the club's value system--owner's first, investors second, fans third. Help me understand what that meant. Another ting that confuses me is how important the coaches seem to be in the coverage over here...coaches are interviewed endlessly on the tube, far more than the players. Why? And is it deserved?
Please, anyone, drop some wisdom on a neophyte.
Now--let the sales roll in.

George Vecsey

5/6/2014 12:48:59 am

Sam, tried to order an e-book for you but Amazon was not accepting them. Thanks so much.
My guess is that management is adhering to bottom-line rather than just order up players -- which has some top clubs in Europe in big trouble.
As for comments, football is far behind American sports in availability. There is no access to locker rooms and spontaneity. There is the occasional rigid press conference and the mixed zone, when most players blast through, nose in the air. FIFA and UEFA could care less. So reporters use their "imagination" and quote the manager (coach). I covered an FA Cup match at Arsenal a decade ago, when a mostly amateur lot lost, 3-1, but played quite well. Only person to show was M. Wenger. I would have loved to talk to players, but it just isn't done. Hence, blather from coaches. GV

Alan Rubin link

5/6/2014 06:05:10 pm

George--you should toot your horn loud and long. Eight World Cups gives insight that goes well beyound watching the games. I've been following soccer since 1948 and there is new insight with almost every page. Whether new to soccer or an old hand, the reader will experience soccer's universal appeal.

It is nice to see your ever growing schedule of events, Hopefully, th Berkshires can be added.

Sam--being new to soccer, you will probably want to revisit Eight World Cups many times as you understanding of the game improves. www.understandingsoccer.com might also help you know and enjoy the games.

An interesting aspect of the book is following the development of a very savvy soccer journalist from a raw rookie.

George Vecsey

5/7/2014 01:42:58 am

Alan, thanks. Sam is being modest. He observes footy up close from his perch in France...and wrote about the other football when following the Steelers around....and played hoops for Hofstra -- when it was only on the south side of that main road, Hempstead Tpke.
GV

Sam Toperoff

5/7/2014 03:03:40 am

Still an unanswered question--please tell me why, at some length if necessary, why the soccer coach--or manager--is so important.

George Vecsey

5/7/2014 07:20:53 am

Sam, my impression is that coach/manager has hand in personnel, and of course makes out the lineup and the formation. Lots of hocus-pocus about where players play. For example, Liverpool being blasted because they persist in using a center back combo that coughs up goals, all season.
Baseball and basketball probably more obvious for lineups, but soccer games -- and careers -- can change because of pre-game choices and instructions by coach. During the match, not so much, which I find refreshing.
Great coaching: 2002, USA vs. Mexico, round of 16: Arena moves Claudio wide right, to defend but also send attack down that line. Tony Sanneh told to be aggressive, makes runs from the RB position, something that US players never could do. (Cherundolo did later; man, do they miss him.) Reyna and Sanneh had the games of their lives. And that was on Bruce., too.
When I started coming to Cosmos games, 1980 on, I heard my pal Alex Yannis mutter about their lineups and formations at the start of the match. I thought he was obsessing, but now I see it more his way.
And personnel decisions are huge. Sacchi pulling Baggio in 94, the previous coach not using Baggio in the 90 SF against Argentina til it was too late. Games, championships, ride on that.
A demain,
GV

Gary Sprott

5/23/2014 01:42:48 am

Mr. Vecsey,
Even for a long-suffering fan of the Scottish national team like myself, nothing quite compares to the build-up to the World Cup. I've been enjoying your new book as I get ready to watch the tournament, but I wanted to point out something that perhaps can be corrected in the next printing run. At the end of the chapter titled "The Kid Comes Back," you write about Maradona's role in Argentina's three goals in the final. Maradona did not set up his team's first two goals; at best, he had a slight role in the second goal. As for the winning goal, he did not send in a cross from the left corner to the head of Burruchaga. He threaded a one-touch pass from the center circle to the streaking Burruchaga, who ran almost the entire length of the German half before sliding the ball under the keeper.
It's an exquisite pass from Maradona; I just watched it again this morning on YouTube.
Again, I'm really enjoying your book and I certainly don't want to appear unreasonably finicky. But once an editor, always an editor.

sentence check link

11/13/2015 07:43:22 am

As for the winning goal, he did not send in a cross from the left corner to the head of Burruchaga. He threaded a one-touch pass from the center circle to the streaking Burruchaga.

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Shameless Self-Promotion for My New World Cup Book

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