<DIV>Soccer fans love to argue about the tactics a coach puts into play ? sometimes years later, they wake in the middle of the night and curse a decision Arsene Wenger or Alex Ferguson made in 2000 ? and this pioneering study traces the world history of tactics, from modern pioneers?such as Johan Cruyff, Arrigo Sacchi ? right back to the beginning, where tactical chaos reigned. Along the way, author Jonathan Wilson, an erudite and elegant writer who never loses a sense of the grand narrative sweep, explores the lives of the great players and thinkers who shaped the game.<br><BR>This brilliant work of historical detective work explains the tactical development and innovations of soccer and how geography, history, culture and politics also affected the game's development. Wilson shows how tactics spread around the world:<br><BR>? How the South Americans shrugged off the colonial order to add their own finesse to the game;<br>? How the Europeans harnessed individual technique and built it into a team structure;<BR>? How the game once featured five strikers up front; now a lone striker is not uncommon;<br>? How and why it was the Scots who introduced passing into the game. Why did the Scottish introduce passing into the game?<br><BR>And in this new edition ? the first for the North American market ? Wilson will provide a definitive understanding of the tactical genius of Barcelona, arguably the greatest team ever, whose innovations on the field: hard pressing, the inter-movement of players, a focus on the retention of possession with close passing, and a team composed of players who grew up together, in their case through the academy at La Masia, have made it the team both to beat and emulate.<br></DIV>