Publisher's Synopsis
In 1994 the World Cup is hosted by the United States of America and the passions and dramas of the sport played at its highest level will be presented to a nation which has a traditional ambivalence to the introduction and development of soccer. How will the USA respond to this latest soccer invasion? How will the worldÆs elite soccer-playing nations respond to the USA? - - Pre-tournament polls have located soccer way down any popularity chart in the USA. But will the skills of the Brazilians, the aggression of the Argentineans, the free spirit of the Cameroon, the artistry of the Romanians, the endeavour of the Scandinavians, the volatility of the Italians, the flair of the Spanish and the industry of the Irish, lay the foundations for the real flowering of soccer in the North American continent? - - Hosts and Champions gives the background to soccerÆs worldwide popularity and looks at where the World Cup has been played and how it has been won. - It includes case-study chapters on: - Argentina û Brazil û England û Germany û Ireland û Italy û Japan û Norway û Russia û Sweden û USA; and general essays on the growth of the world game, the cultural meanings of soccer and the ever-increasing role of the media in staging the sports spectacle. - - The book captures the international impact of soccer and also probes the cultural distinctiveness of the game in the stories of its growth in different countries and nations. It will help the fan and the potential fan, as well as the serious scholar of sport, understand how in USA Æ94 soccerÆs World Cup offered the American public a Real World Series, featuring the globeÆs most popular competitive team sport.
