Quick Summary
With the season ramping up, I wanted to look at soccer from a more local perspective and check out the resources available for anyone interested in learning more about this sport. I turned to the Minnesota Digital Library and Ebooks Minnesota.
Arsenal will win the Premier League this season. Check back in 10 months so I can say “I told you so.” With many of the major soccer leagues returning, so does my anxiety as I watch my favorite teams bottle their chances. But that’s part of the beautiful game. As a lifelong soccer fan, I have always enjoyed playing and watching soccer, regardless of the outcome. With the season ramping up and the Women's World Cup coming to a close, I wanted to look at soccer from a more local perspective and check out the resources available for anyone interested in learning more about this sport. I turned to the Minnesota Digital Library and Ebooks Minnesota.
Ebooks Minnesota includes titles exploring the stars of women’s soccer, such as “Carli Lloyd,” by Heather Schwartz, and “Alex Morgan,” by Laura Murray. Both players have been instrumental to the success of the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT), from winning gold at the Olympics to claiming back-to-back World Cup titles, the pinnacle of soccer. “What a Kick” by Emma Carlson Berne spotlights the USWNT’s impressive 1999 run towards their second World Cup championship, often credited with bringing women’s soccer into the public eye. Ebooks Minnesota has the resources to help you impress at your next watch party.
If you are looking for a team to support, Ebooks Minnesota has books about top-level clubs. The “Soccer Champions” series by Jim Whiting explores historic teams such as AC Milan, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and another of my favorites, Real Madrid. You can learn about these clubs' historical significance and cultural impact worldwide. For example, you can explore the vicious rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid, known as “El Clasico.” This cultural battle captivates and divides fans in Spain and worldwide. I have lost friends over this rivalry! Was it worth it? Absolutely.
Before Minnesota United, there was the Azteca Soccer Club. With soccer becoming increasingly popular in Minnesota thanks to the introduction of Minnesota United into Major League Soccer (MLS), I looked into the history of the scene in our backyard. An interview on Minnesota Digital Library with Lalo Sanchez gives an in-depth look into the rise in interest in Minnesota. Sanchez coached the Azteca Soccer Club that dominated soccer in Minnesota during the latter half of the 1900s. In the interview, we learn how meager Minnesota’s interest in soccer was when Sanchez arrived, and about his establishment of the Azteca Soccer Club. Despite having to battle discrimination along the way, his teams enjoyed record-breaking seasons that garnered public attention and increased the competitiveness of soccer in Minnesota. By the end of his tenure, almost every high school and park in Minnesota had a soccer team. His impact is seen today in Minnesota’s bright future in soccer.
As MLS teams attract bigger and bigger stars to join their ranks, there is little doubt that the popularity and quality of soccer will continue to grow in the United States. Use these and other resources in Ebooks Minnesota and the Minnesota Digital Library to build your knowledge so you don’t get left behind. Maybe someday Cristiano Ronaldo will solidify his status as a legend by joining Minnesota United. One can hope, right?
