As we continue to wait for the Major League Soccer season to resume on the pitch, we surveyed the team to find out their favorite soccer-related movies, books, TV shows/documentaries and podcasts. Take a look at the results of our survey below.
Favorite Soccer Movie:
1. Goal! (2005) (Mo Adams, Luiz Fernando, Laurence Wyke)
Tied for the top spot in the movie category was Goal!, a 2005 film that featured actor Kuno Becker as "Santiago Munez" in the lead role. Munez lives in Los Angeles and plays soccer on the weekends with a dream of becoming a professional player. He is then discovered by a professional team in England and begins his journey.
2. Kicking and Screaming (2005) (Brad Guzan, Emerson Hyndman, JJ Williams)
Also receiving three votes was Kicking and Screaming, a 2005 sports comedy film featuring actors Will Ferrell and Robert Duval as soccer coaches for their sons' youth teams. This sports comedy grossed $56 million when it came out in movie theaters worldwide. We believe one of the reasons ATL UTD players chose this movie is because...
Other movies that were mentioned in the Favorite Soccer Movie category were:
3. She's the Man (JJ Williams)
4. Mean Machine (Brendan Moore)
5. The Damned United (Adam Jahn)
Favorite Soccer Books:
With several players from the UK in Atlanta United's ranks, it's no surprise that the list of favorite books features a famous Premier League coach and some top class English footballers:
6. Alex Ferguson - Leading (Mo Adams)
7. Rio Ferdinand - My Story (Anton Walkes)
8. Ian Wright - A Life in Football (Anton Walkes)
On the topic of favorite soccer-related books. Do Atlanta United fans want to know what a MLS midfield veteran's favorite soccer books are? Of course they do:
9. Home and Away (Jeff Larentowicz)
10. Inverting the Pyramid (Jeff Larentowicz)
11. Brilliant Orange (Jeff Larentowicz)
12. The Football Men (Jeff Larentowicz)
Favorite Soccer TV Shows/Documentaries:
This category was the most popular among our player survey responses with 14 of the 20 players responding with their favorite TV Show/Documentary related to soccer. Take a look at some of the most popular ones among the Five Stripes squad:
13. Ronaldo (2015) (George Campbell, Brooks Lennon, Miles Robinson, Mattheus Rossetto)
The "Ronaldo" documentary received the most support among the Five Stripes players. The film is from 2015 and documents the life of football superstar and global icon Cristiano Ronaldo. The film gives people unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to the Portuguese striker.
14. All or Nothing - Manchester City (2018) (Mo Adams, George Bello, Brooks Lennon, Anton Walkes)
The All or Nothing series heads to Manchester to give viewers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of one of the most historic clubs in England during the 2017-18 season. Viewers get to see interviews with players, coaches, staff and others as Man City went on to produce one of the best seasons in Premier League history.
15. The Class of '92 (2013) (Adam Jahn, Anton Walkes)
The Class of '92 is a documentary that focused on six footballers that came through the Manchester United system and went on to become global superstars. The film covers an incredible stretch from 1992-99 that culminated in United hoisting an unprecedented treble. Follow along with David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville as they joined the team during a time when cultural changes were taking place in Britain.
16. Toca y Pasa - Barcelona (2018) (Fernando Meza)
For Atlanta United defender Fernando Meza, his favorite soccer TV show/documentary is Toca y Pasa - Barcelona. This documentary focuses on F.C. Barcelona and in particular the period of coach Pep Guardiola from 2008-2012. Barca won an incredible 14 total team trophies in that time. This documentary provides a behind-the-scenes look and interviews with players on what made Barca so successful during that time. It also provides a glimpse into how Lionel Messi became the best player in the world at Barcelona.
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Favorite Soccer Podcast:
Our final category focuses on soccer podcasts that Atlanta United players listen to the most. There were a few submissions in this category, from Paso a Paso in Argentina (Fernando Meza) to Manuel Castro's submission of Fox Sports Uruguay daily podcast. Midfielder Mo Adams is a big fan of the "The High Performance Podcast" by Jake Humphrey. Recent guests on that show have included Robin van Persie and Mauricio Pochettino.
But our 17th and final recommendation comes from Laurence Wyke, whose favorite podcast is:
17. That Peter Crouch Podcast (Laurence Wyke)
Former England international Peter Crouch hosts the podcast with Tom Fordyce and Chris Stark to talk about being a professional footballer. Crouch was capped by England 42 times and scored 22 goals for his country. His club career included stints at Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Stoke City and Portsmouth among others. Some of his recent guests on the podcast have included Liverpool defender Andy Robertson and Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
17s, tweet us your favorite soccer-related movies, books, TV documentaries or podcasts you have binged during this unprecedented time.
