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Masters of Modern Soccer
- How the World's Best Play the Twenty-First-Century Game
- Narrated by: Grant Wahl
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
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Masters of Modern Soccer
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Publisher's Summary
In Masters of Modern Soccer, Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl asks: How do some of the game's smartest figures master the craft of soccer? By profiling players in every key position (American phenomenon Christian Pulisic, Mexican superstar Javier "Chicharito" Hernández, Belgium's Vincent Kompany, Spain's Xabi Alonso, Germany's Manuel Neuer) and management (Belgium coach Roberto Martínez and Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc), Wahl reveals how elite players and coaches strategize on and off the field and execute in high pressure game situations.
Masters of Modern Soccer is the definitive thinking fan's guide to modern soccer. For a supporter of any team, from the US national teams to Manchester United, or any competition, from Mexico's Liga MX to the World Cup, this book reveals what players and managers are thinking before, during, and after games and delivers a true behind-the-scenes perspective on the inner workings of the sport's brightest minds.
America's premier soccer journalist, Grant Wahl, follows world-class players from across the globe examining how they do their jobs. This access imbues Masters of Modern Soccer with deep insight from the players on how goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards function individually and as a unit to excel and win. Wahl also shadows a manager and director of soccer as they juggle the challenges of coaching, preparation, and the short- and long-term strategies of how to identify and acquire talent and deploy it on the field.
A book that will stand the test of time, Masters of Modern Soccer is the most in-depth analysis of the craft of soccer ever written for the American fan. For any fan, player, coach, or sideline enthusiast, this book will change the way they watch the game.
What the critics say
“Grant Wahl is a master of modern soccer writing and this book is a Rosetta stone for anyone who wants to fully understand the contemporary game. It’s a user’s manual to how the game is (or ought to be) played, coached, managed, and watched. Everyone interested in soccer - fans, youth coaches, even top professionals - will gain fascinating insights from some of the game’s finest craftsmen, one of whom is Wahl himself.” (Steve Rushin, author of Sting-Ray Afternoons and columnist for Sports Illustrated)
“I started it taking off at LAX and finished it landing at JFK. It’s an incredible peek behind the curtain into the way players, coaches, and technical directors see themselves and their jobs. These entertaining and candid profiles help explain some of the complexities and mysteries of the beautiful game and the people who inhabit it.” (Alexi Lalas)
“Reading Grant Wahl on soccer is always a pleasure. Hardly anyone else gets so much access to players, thinks so hard about what he hears, and tells it so well. No hype here - just insights into top-class professionals, by a top-class professional.” (Simon Kuper, coauthor of Soccernomics)
Featured Article: The Best Soccer Audiobooks for Avid and Prospective Fans
Whether you’re a casual player, a follower of the Champions League, a football fan, or just interested in learning more about the football world, our list of the best football or soccer books captures what makes “the beautiful game” such a sensation and a way of life for many. Playing and watching the sport is a breathtaking experience, but listening to audiobooks about soccer offers a whole new experience that is as entertaining as it is educational. Here’s our list of the best football books for you to hit play on in audio form, brought to you by your favourite sportswriters and international soccer superstars.
What listeners love about Masters of Modern Soccer
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2018-09-29
Great for coaches!
Getting insight from top players, coaches and admin in the world has been very enlightening! I love hearing how others view and approach the game and this book delivers. I highly recommend this book, especially for coaches.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Simonmac
- 2023-04-06
RIP Grant
Sorry about the previous review Grant. RIP. But the modern game needs a new chapter.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- John Heilner
- 2023-03-12
All sides of the beautiful game
As an old guy who has played amateur football on many levels, coached and refereed, I still had much to learn from Grant Wahl’s book. RIP Grant!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Paul Freeman
- 2022-08-08
Good mix of biography and tactics
Interesting combo of interviews and statistics. Top players, coaches and managers talk about their personal tactics.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Zachary Rogers
- 2021-08-24
Very interesting behind the scenes look at professional soccer
You probably need to be a soccer nerd but I enjoyed this book. The section on how Christian Pulisic ended up at Dortmund was especially interesting to me. I’d like to know the whole in-depth story around that one day.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Randall J Nett
- 2020-11-27
Great for those who love soccer
As someone who knows soccer a little bit but is not overly knowledgeable and who found a love of professional soccer about a decade ago, this was a terrific listen. I especially appreciated the detail from those leading teams. This is a worthy listen for anyone who wants a deeper look at top performers in professional soccer.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Robert M Larson
- 2020-01-13
Good, but needed to pick an audience.
A good overview of modern soccer, but it straddles the line between being for soccer aficionados and sports fans who only have a passing understanding of the game. As a coach I found some nuggets and some entertainment, but most of what was said was not particularly new.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- James M.
- 2019-08-23
Insightful and organized, but has a shelf life
I'll admit that I didn't read any reviews, nor did I do any research about the premise of this book before downloading it. I went on name recognition and the title only. So not realizing how time-sensitive the book was is my fault! I liked the interview-style presentation of some really nuanced, in the weeds nuggets about modern soccer. Being merely a fan and never a player of the game, I found it pretty interesting. I would say the only issue I had with it is that I should have read it/listened to it much sooner. It's almost like the names and situations don't even apply anymore 2 years later, since things change so fast in modern sports. But otherwise it was good to listen to while I worked. Pulisic is very relevant now, so that part was nice.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- HCC3
- 2019-06-04
imsightful
Insightful stories about players and a manager who are among the best at what they do. Worthwhile for any soccer fan.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Jose Peraza
- 2018-10-19
Not what I was looking for.
If you are interested in the sport of soccer and lack some concepts of the sport, this is the right book for you. As an experienced soccer coach, I felt that this book did not bring new ideas or concepts of the sport. I was hoping for some insights on the sport. Great book for youth players with promise of new behaviors and commitments to the sport.