First of all, forget the title and cover. That's meant to grab your attention on a bookshelf (hey, it works) between the title parodying Freakonomics and the blurb about the US, Japan, Turkey, and even Iraq becoming the kings of soccer. Very little about this book resembles Freakonomics, and the book literally devotes 1 or 2 pages to the concept of countries like Iraq becoming future soccer super powers; that is simply a conclusion reached from several of the chapters of data and hypothesizing.
That being said, I really enjoyed this book taken at face value: a different way of looking at the game of soccer. You don't need to have an extensive background in the game to pick up this book (I am a burgeoning American soccer fan, go ahead and hate away), but you'll enjoy it if you've been a fan for life as well. Soccernomics throws out all of the usual stereotypes and truths and takes a look at what is really going on in soccer, whether player and coaching dynamics, World Cup economics, the fairness of the penalty kick, what countries succeed at sports and why, and more.
If you're a fan of soccer and/or simply enjoy game theory and understanding something deeper about the game, you'll find a lot here for you. I read it last summer and it greatly enhanced my World Cup experience and has further enhanced my following the US team, the Premier League, and more this year. I consistently find myself watching a game or reading an article and something from Soccernomics pops into my head to ponder. Pick it up and give it a shot, and just let the book be what it is, and you'll enjoy it.
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