The Soccer Diaries, by Michael Agovino, is a very readable personal soccer history by a passionate follower of the game.
It begins in the Bronx when, as a child, Agovino finds himself captivated by ‘the beautiful game.’ (It’s a lso a reminder of how hard it was to follow soccer in those pre-Internet days…he relies on foreign magazines and mail ordered VHS tape.) Over the 30 years he covers (and follows) the game — both as a fan and as a freelance writer — in the U.S. and in Europe.
Read reviews from Kirkus Reviews and Clever Through Balls.
I found it to be interesting and very well-written. (My son — who fell in love with the game during the 2014 World Cup — enjoyed it as well.) I’m looking forward to reading one of his other books, The Bookmaker.