Soccer Without Borders Jürgen Klinsmann, Coaching the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team and the Quest for the World Cup

by Kirschbaum, Erik; Klinsmann, Jürgen

• ISBN13: 9781250098313
• ISBN10: 1250098319
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2016-05-10
• Publisher: Picador

Summary

A GAME-CHANGING AND FASCINATING BOOK ON HOW TO USE WISDOM FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO CREATE A WORLD-CLASS SOCCER TEAM, ABOUT ONE OF THE SPORT'S MOST ICONIC AND EFFECTIVE COACHES

Jurgen Klinsmann, head coach of the U.S. men's national soccer team, has become a household name after the United States' unprecedentedly strong run at the 2014 World Cup. Klinsmann's reputation is that of a maverick, of an unconventional leader who isn't afraid to challenge traditional notions of coaching, and who will breathe new life into foundering programs through sometimes unpopular -but resoundingly successful -new tactics.

In Soccer Without Borders, journalist Erik Kirschbaum lays out Klinsmann's vision for making the U.S. men's soccer team a dominant world power for the first time in its history. Featuring fascinating insights gleaned from Klinsmann's decades of dedicated study - both as a professional striker and as coach of the German national team - this book is an immersive and unparalleled road map for how to build a winning team in the most competitive professional sport on the globe, as well as an infectious tribute to "the beautiful game" by one of its most adroit students.

Author Biography

Erik Kirschbaum is a foreign correspondent based in Germany. Kirschbaum has worked for Reuters, the Los Angeles Times, and other newspapers from Europe since 1989. A native of New York City, he grew up in Connecticut and studied history and German at the University of Wisconsin. He has covered World Cups and Olympics, and is the author of Burning Beethoven: The Eradication of German Culture in the United States during World War I, Rocking the Wall: Bruce Springsteen: The Berlin Concer That Changed the World, and Swim and Bike and Run: Triathlon — The Sporting Trinity.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments — xi
Author’s Note — xiii
Introduction — 1

PART I: THE EARLY YEARS

Starting Out — 25
German Attitude — 37
Moving Up — 43
Stuttgarter Kickers — 51
School or Soccer? — 57
Maiden Voyage to America — 65

PART II: GERMANY, ITALY, MONACO, AND ENGLAND

Breaking into the Bundesliga — 73
Five Goals — 81
The Goal That Got Him Noticed — 84
Debut Against Brazil — 91
Move to Italy — 99
Winning the World Cup — 109
Strong in Sweden — 112
Milan to Monaco — 114
World Cup in the USA — 117
Change of Pace in London — 121
Back in Germany — 137
Winning the Euro in England — 144
Final World Cup — 147

PART III: THE GERMAN REVOLUTION

A Job Others Wouldn’t Touch — 153
Barbecue Brainstorming — 164
No Time to Waste — 176
New Style — 191
“Made in America” for Germany — 203
Confed Cup — 210
Critics Come Out — 213
American- style Patriotism — 223
Time to Move On — 232
Right Time, Right Place — 237

PART IV: FC BAYERN MUNICH

A Different View of Bayern Munich — 243

PART V: THE RISE OF SOCCER IN THE UNITED STATES

A Vision for Soccer in America — 259
Lay of the Land — 270
Connecting the Dots — 274
Competitive Intensity — 289
Best College Soccer in the World — 295
The Passion of College Sports — 303
Landon Donovan — 310
Experience in Europe — 313
Why So Few Americans in Europe? — 323
How U.S. Skiers Won by Going to Europe — 329
Friendly Fire — 333
American Anomalies — 339
Ten-Point Plan — 346

Afterword: Bright Future — 351
Index — 359