Angels with Dirty Faces

The Masterful, Definitive History of Argentinian Soccer

Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona, Alfredo Di St'fano: in every generation Argentina has uncovered a uniquely brilliant soccer talent. Perhaps it's because the country lives and breathes the game, its theories, and its myths. Argentina's rich, volatile history — by turns sublime and ruthlessly pragmatic — is mirrored in the style and swagger of its national and club sides. In Angels with Dirty Faces, Jonathan Wilson chronicles the operatic drama of Argentinian soccer: the appropriation of the British game, the golden age of la nuestra, the exuberant style of playing that developed as Juan Perón led the country into isolation; a hardening into the brutal methods of anti-fútbol; the fusing of beauty and efficacy under César Luis Menotti, and the emergence of all-time greats.

Praise for Inverting the Pyramid

"Here, for the first time in decades, is a top-notch soccer book on how soccer is actually played on the field." — Simon Kuper

"An outstanding work. . . . The soccer book of the decade." — Sunday Business Post