Men in Blazers present encyclopedia blazertannica: a suboptimal guide to soccer, America's ''sport of the future'' since 1972

"From the wildly popular soccer pundits, a hilarious and informative guide to the ever-more popular game. For more than a decade, the "Men in Blazers"--two balding transplants from Britain named Rog and Davo-- have stood at the center of our growing national obsession with soccer. Hundreds of thousands of fans tune in weekly to their podcast and television broadcast to get their analysis of the previous week's matches and soccer news. But for all their passion, many American fans are new to the sport: they weren't following it (or weren't yet born) when, for example, Maradona scored two of the most remarkable World Cup goals of all time in 1986, or when George Best was leading Manchester United to glory on the pitch and boozing and rampaging off of it. Now, Rog and Davo fill in all the gaps with this hugely entertaining and idiosyncratic guide to the sport they--and we--love. Published on the eve of the 2018 World Cup, this will be the book every soccer fan will need to have"-- "A humorous A-to-Z look at all things soccer from 'Men in Blazers' sports personalities Roger Bennett and Michael Davies"-- Soccer has been America's Sport of the Future since 1972. Propelled by the rise of the World Cup, Premier League, the glory of the United States Women's National Team, Lionel Messi's DemiGod-esque talent and repeat exposure to Cristiano Ronaldo's preening abs, that Future has finally arrived. The Men in Blazers are two English-born, soccer-obsessed broadcasters who have savored the dizzying growth of the game along with millions of Americans, as if it was a rollicking, sporting telenovela playing out in real life. Written in such a way that fully immerses Americans in the history and culture of the world's game, their Encyclopedia Blazertannica relives the careers of such greats such as George Best, Maradona, Beckham ... and Alexi Lalas. It examines fan culture, from the tactical variations of scarf tying, to the pathos of England's classic, yet doomed, World Cup theme songs, and explores the complex physics and ethics of both celebratory knee slides and fights between players, along with such burning questions as how professional footballers deal with hair loss. Any reader will feel as if they've had a front-row seat for the classic matches--seeing every dive and missed penalty kick, and hearing every vulgar chant--and will emerge with a deeper appreciation for the dodgy haircuts and ill-judged neck tattoos that populate world football "From the wildly popular soccer pundits, a hilarious and informative guide to the ever-more popular game. For more than a decade, the "Men in Blazers"--two balding transplants from Britain named Rog and Davo-- have stood at the center of our growing national obsession with soccer. Hundreds of thousands of fans tune in weekly to their podcast and television broadcast to get their analysis of the previous week's matches and soccer news. But for all their passion, many American fans are new to the sport: they weren't following it (or weren't yet born) when, for example, Maradona scored two of the most remarkable World Cup goals of all time in 1986, or when George Best was leading Manchester United to glory on the pitch and boozing and rampaging off of it. Now, Rog and Davo fill in all the gaps with this hugely entertaining and idiosyncratic guide to the sport they--and we--love. Published on the eve of the 2018 World Cup, this will be the book every soccer fan will need to have"-- Provided by publisher The essential guide to world soccer—the history, the players, the fan culture—from the phenomenally popular duo from NBC Sports. The Men in Blazers are two English-born, soccer-obsessed broadcasters who have savored the dizzying growth of the game along with millions of Americans. Now they immerse fans and novices alike in the history and culture of the world’s game with Encyclopedia Blazertannica . Examining fan culture, from the famous stadium chants to the tactical variations of scarf tying, exploring the complex physics and ethics of both celebratory knee slides and fights between players, reliving the careers of legendary players, classic matches, and colorful World Cup history, and sharing a deep appreciation for the athletic brilliance and ill-judged neck tattoos that dominate the sport, this indispensable tome gives readers a front-row seat to all the action of football madness. A New York Times Bestseller! "A humorous A-to-Z look at all things soccer from 'Men in Blazers' sports personalities Roger Bennett and Michael Davies"-- Provided by publisher