Endorsements
Acclaim for American Soccer Nation spans three decades of professional coaches, players, educators, and historians
Mark Franek delivers a fast-paced, engaging soccer book that also serves as a celebration of American soccer. American Soccer Nation is destined to become a positive foundational text about the beautiful game on American soil.
Legends, Coaches, & Pros
Important contribution
“This book is one small but important contribution to the rising tide of knowledge about the history of elite soccer in America and our place—and potential future—in the global game.”
Build on our story year after year
“I'm hopeful and optimistic that my generation—and those that follow—can carry on the American soccer story told in this book, and continue to build on it year after year.”
An essential text for any fan
“An essential text for any fan who wants to take a journey into the U.S. game’s roots and ambitions. It reads like history but feels like a full-field press into our optimistic soccer future.”
Illuminates the emergence of a new era of power and influence
“This book explores the historical roots of the country’s rise, and illuminates the emergence of a new era of power and influence for the sport.”
Finally producing elite American talent
“American Soccer Nation tells the full, dramatic story of how the world’s most popular sport took root in the U.S., only to be defined by a cycle of struggle, failure, and near-collapse. It traces the journey from immigrant-led leagues and the NASL’s high-flying bust to the slow, steady revolution sparked by the 1994 World Cup. Discover the academies and blueprints that are finally producing elite American talent, and why the nation is poised for a spectacular performance at the 2026 World Cup. Mark Franek nails it.”
captures the heart, struggle, and progress of the men’s game
“This book captures the heart, struggle, and progress of the men’s game. The chapters offer a sharp, honest look at how elite men’s soccer evolved across the nation, and what it will take to impress on the international stage.”
A great read for fans and players
“Mark Franek’s perspective from inside the Philadelphia Union makes this book feel genuine, informed, and important. A great read for fans and players who care about the future of the American game.”
A well-told history
“This book is like a hopeful cross into the hearts of American soccer fans. A well-told history about our gritty past and our potential future.”
Rigorous reporting and compelling storytelling
“A rare combination of rigorous reporting and compelling storytelling. And, if that’s not enough, it’s rooted in the DNA of America’s up-and-coming soccer stars!”
Showcases the resilience, ambition, and passion
“American Soccer Nation captures something I’ve always believed: our game in the U.S. has a story worth celebrating. This book showcases the resilience, ambition, and passion that has carried American soccer to this moment—not by accident, but through decades of real investment and belief. Growing up in this system and now living it at the highest level, I know the future isn’t just promising—it’s already taking shape around us.”
A refreshing, in-depth book
“A refreshing, in-depth book just in time for the 2026 World Cup, with insights from some top players and thought leaders. A must-read for fans ready to embrace the growing game of American soccer!”
Bold, thoughtful, and deeply inspiring
“This book rewrites the way American fans will understand their own soccer story. It’s bold, thoughtful, and deeply inspiring.”
A beautifully written history
“A beautifully written history of elite men’s soccer on American soil. Written from somebody who has a front-row seat, and everyday interaction with some of the upcoming talents and next generation of the U.S. Soccer Federation. I’m recommending it with full confidence to all my teammates, and all soccer fans across the globe!”
Journalists, Teachers, & Historians
Timely and entertaining
“Mark Franek’s American Soccer Nation is an engaging introduction to soccer’s long history in the United States. A timely and entertaining starting point for deeper discussion of the myriad topics associated with American soccer’s path toward its explosive growth today, this book is sure to become a classroom staple.” Read Mark's interview with Ed Farnsworth.
Captures the unique history
“This book will be well received by those of us who grew up with the game of soccer in America. Coaches, players, and fans will find that it captures the unique history of our journey to establish the passion, culture, and outcomes needed to compete internationally.”
A representation of the American soccer development system
“As a former player and current content creator engaged in growing the sport of soccer in America, this book is a representation of the American soccer development system. And a reminder of our history, and what’s to come.”
A seminal work and a must-read
“Mark Franek has broken new and fertile ground with American Soccer Nation! He goes beyond previous books limited to the failures of the U.S. Men’s National Team by providing a detailed—and accurate—history of the sport as well as a thought-provoking and insightful analysis of the growth, development, and present state of elite men’s soccer in this country. This is a seminal work and a must-read for players, coaches, fans, and anyone who truly cares about the future of U.S. soccer!”
A beautifully woven story
“Mark Franek is a gifted writer and educator who loves soccer! He brings these qualities to bear in American Soccer Nation, a beautifully woven story of the evolution of the beautiful game in America. I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
Makes a century of American soccer feel close at hand and accessible
“High school boys expect a book to lecture them. So when they pick up one that encourages discourse, not a dissertation, they're compelled to engage with it. That's what Mark Franek does here with American Soccer Nation: he reintroduces the American soccer story as one that's very much alive, not the world's game we borrowed but a game we've shaped and can keep shaping. He moves through the history with a quick, pun-forward wit that makes a century of American soccer feel close at hand and accessible even to a newcomer like me. The boys in my class leaned in instead of checking out. And the conversations took care of themselves. By the end of the book, they weren't just learning about soccer; they were arguing about its future like it was theirs to build.”
