The Global Game

"As much social commentary as a compendium of soccer tales and soccer reflections, this delightful collection is essential reading for the soccer fan and those interested in soccer and sport generally in a global environment. . . . Bringing a variety of writings together in one volume is a credit to the editors, who provide an excellent introduction for each entry."Library Journal "The first truly global survey of writing on the global game. . . . The collection gives a powerful reminder to Anglo-Saxon literary cultures that footballthe most global cultural phenomenon of allhas a rich, multivocal literary tradition."David Goldblatt, Times Literary Supplement "It is worth every minute of your time to read this collection. You will never see, or experience football (soccer) the same way again."Marc Jolley, Sports Literature Association "I admit a bias. Im a soccer fan. If you are, too, this is the book for you. And if you arent, and you give The Global Game a chance, the light may yet shine upon you."Bill Littlefield, Only A Game "Those who like or study soccer, and would like to read different perspectives about it, will find much to savor."Russell Eisenman, MultiCultural Review "From locations that span the stadiums of Burma and Iran to the northern lights over Greenland to the remotest areas of Sierra Leone, the writers celebrate the players, fans, rituals, and politics of the world's most popular sport."Duke Magazine "This anthology's successful use of essays, memoirs, and poetry demonstrates the varied language of soccer."Gabe Logan, Journal of Sport History

John Turnbull is a freelance writer on soccer and an editorial consultant. He maintains www.theglobalgame.com, a soccer Web site with an accent on womens soccer, media, and culture. Translator and author Thom Satterlee is associate professor of English at Taylor University. Alon Raab is a lecturer in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California, Davis, and the author of articles, reviews, and interviews. Contributors: Rafael Alberti, Eduard Bass, Nalinaksha Bhattacharya, Hebe de Bonafini, Lawrence Cann, Bridget Carson, Hernn Casciari, Elvis Costello, Edilberto Coutinho, Erik Eggers, Friedrich Christian Delius, Gyrgy Dragomn, Philippe Dubath, lvaro Enrigue, Eduardo Galeano, Gnter Grass, Einar Mr Gumundsson, William Heyen, Miroslav Holub, Ted Hughes, Ian Jack, Elsabet Jkulsdttir, Ephraim Kishon, Simon Kuper, Anatoly Kuznetsov, Driton Latifi, Donna J. Gelagotis Lee, Mario Vargas Llosa, Subcomandante Marcos, Javier Maras, Andrew Marshall, Stanley Matthews, Christopher Merrill, Mssimo Moratti, Lady Murasaki, Mark Nuttall, Giovanna Pollarolo, Julio Ramn Ribeyro, Paul Richards, Klaus Rifbjerg, Nelson Rodrigues, Mara Graciela Rodrguez, Umberto Saba, Matilde Snchez, Thom Satterlee, Rogelio Ramos Signes, Charles Simic, Antonio Skrmeta, Osvaldo Soriano, David Starkey, Gay Talese, Crispin Thomas, Bea Vidacs, Luiz Vilela, Sarah Wardle, Chao Yueh-chih, and Uro Zupan.

Preface Acknowledgments Note to Readers Part 1. Space Introduction 1. The Orb Klaus Rifbjerg 2. The Origins Eduardo Galeano 3. Hem and Football Nalinaksha Bhattacharya 4. The Daily Life of Cameroonian Football Bea Vidacs 5. The Soccer Moms--1996 David Starkey 6. Atiguibas Julio Ramn Ribeyro 7. Why Eleven of All Numbers? Football between Carnival and Freemasonry Erik Eggers 8. Klapzuba's Eleven Eduard Bass 9. Holland, a Country of Clubs Simon Kuper 10. Readymade lvaro Enrigue 11. Soccer Fields, Fort Missoula Bridget Carson 12. "Get Him a Body Bag!" (A Brief, Enthusiastic Account) Mara Graciela Rodrguez Part 2. Improvisation Introduction 13. Young Shoots Lady Murasaki 14. A Boy Juggling a Soccer Ball Christopher Merrill 15. Fallen from the Sky Javier Maras 16. Combing Over History Stanley Matthews 17. Encomiastic Arts of Our National Gamesmen Antonio Skrmeta 18. The Longest Penalty Ever Osvaldo Soriano 19. Fretting While the Scarlet Tide Make History Elvis Costello 20. Streaker Disrupts Iceland vs. Albania Einar Mr Gumundsson 21. Football at Slack Ted Hughes 22. Dead Radio Charles Simic 23. Fahrenheit 1976 Rogelio Ramos Signes Part 3. Challenge Introduction 24. Dreaming of Sunday Afternoons Giovanna Pollarolo 25. A Fine Fla-Flu Nelson Rodrigues 26. Escaping with the Ball Luiz Vilela 27. Generals and Fools Andrew Marshall 28. 1974 Gnter Grass 29. End of the World Gyrgy Dragomn 30. Not So Much a Religion, More a Way of Life Ian Jack 31. Kimmel Springs vs. Metula Ephraim Kishon 32. For the Sake of My Right and Not Football Anonymous 33. Let the Games Begin Subcomandante Marcos and Mssimo Moratti Part 4. Loss Introduction 34. On a Painting of Playing Football Ch'ao Yueh-chih 35. Beauty Is Nothing but the Beginning of a Terror We Can Hardly Bear 000 Uro Zupan 36. Playing Football in Secret Driton Latifi 37. Why Does My Wife Love Peter Crouch? Thom Satterlee 38. The Dynamo Team: Legend and Fact Anatoly Kuznetsov 39. Boycotting the World Cup Hebe de Bonafini and Matilde Snchez 40. Football in Athens, with Her Donna J. Gelagotis Lee 41. Sierra Leone, Social Learning, and Soccer Paul Richards 42. Parity William Heyen 43. Penalty Phase Gay Talese 44. Platko (Santander, May 20, 1928) Rafael Alberti Part 5. Belief Introduction 45. The Lord's Prayer, Recast Edilberto Coutinho 46. Communicate, Lads Elsabet Jkulsdttir 47. Five Poems for the Game of Soccer Umberto Saba 48. Living to Tell a Tale (Letter to Diego) Hernn Casciari 49. The Empty Pleasure Mario Vargas Llosa 50. Match Sarah Wardle 51. Zidane and Me Philippe Dubath 52. The Sunday I Became World Champion Friedrich Christian Delius 53. Art Works Football Club Lawrence Cann 54. Football Is Crispin Thomas 55. Arsarnerit: Inuit and the Heavenly Game of Football Mark Nuttall 56. On the Origin of Football Miroslav Holub Source Acknowl