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Under the Lights and In the Dark: Untold Stories of Women’s Soccer

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In 2004, journalist and award-winning documentary maker Gwendolyn Oxenham played futebol feminino for Santos FC, Brazil. The team hitchhiked to practice, shared their field with a horse and wore hand-me-downs from the men's team.

If this was Brazil, the mecca of futebol, what did the women's game look like in other countries?

Under the Lights and in the Dark takes us inside the world of women's soccer, following players across the globe, from Portland Thorns star Allie Long, who trains in an underground men's league in New York City; to Fara Williams, who hid her homelessness from her teammates while playing for the English national team. Oxenham takes us to Voronezh, Russia, where players battle more than just snowy pitches in pursuing their dream of playing pro, and to a refugee camp in Denmark, where Nadia Nadim, now a Danish international star, honed her skills after her family fled from the Taliban.

Whether you're a newcomer to the sport or a die-hard fan, this is an inspiring book about stars' beginnings and adventures, struggles and hardship, and, above all, the time-honored romance of the game.

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

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Gwendolyn Oxenham

3 books18 followers

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257 (31%)
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58 (7%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
Profile Image for Katie.
29 reviews2 followers
July 30, 2019
Let me start off by saying, I am not a sports person. At least, I wasn’t until this year when after reading an NPR article and noticing that the French team had polka dot jerseys, I decided I was going to watch the women’s World Cup. So now here we are, weeks after the US beat the Netherlands in the final, and I, caught up in a sports fandom I didn’t seek out and don’t really know what to do with, took the logical next step of trying to find a book about it.

This is honestly one of the best books I’ve read this year. I can’t classify it as the best sports book I’ve ever read, because it’s the only sports book I’ve ever read, but even if sports books were my genre I think I’d still rate this one pretty high on the list. I couldn’t put it down.

I loved the diversity of the players and their circumstances and their stories. And now I don’t think I can be a Chicago Red Stars fan because I don’t hate Allie Long?
Profile Image for Charles.
590 reviews25 followers
September 25, 2017
This is truly delightful book, wonderfully written, telling a variety of excellent stories. Some are about people and teams that I already knew well, but were told with such care that everything came far more vividly to life than I had ever expected. I've read quite a bit about Nadia Nadim, for example, but nothing written as beautifully as her chapter here.

And then there are all the sections that dig into parts of the world and people that you would never otherwise encounter.

This is a great book if you like soccer, care at all about the role of gender in society, or enjoy a finely-crafted story. So basically, it's a great book for pretty much everyone.
Profile Image for Jen.
983 reviews2 followers
July 20, 2018
Loved this book. The GR teaser is a little bit deceiving. I was thinking that I was going to be reading about women's soccer writ large around the world, but what I actually got was much better, which was individual stories about women playing soccer in different situations around the world. The stories are interesting, and heartfelt and these women come from all different circumstances and I loved their stories. I also really appreciate that Oxenham's stories are women that I didn't know of. There are some 'big' names in women's soccer (Allie Long, Nadia Nadim), but also some ladies that I'd never heard of. The stories are well written, and for anyone who loves the stories behind the sports, and of course anyone who enjoys women's soccer - this book is for you!
Profile Image for Liz Mc2.
348 reviews27 followers
November 14, 2018
You don’t have to be a soccer super-fan to enjoy this book. If you tune in just for Olympic or World Cup matches, or if you just have a soft spot for “scrappy underdog makes good” stories, you’ll find something to love here.

Oxenham’s book is more a collection of profiles or themed chapters (there’s one on “comeback moms” and another on the work women choose after soccer) than a coherent narrative or systematic exploration of women’s soccer. She has a a nose (eye?) for a good story, and there are lots of telling details. I teared up more than once. Inevitably some chapters are stronger and more interesting than others.

International players sign for Russian teams, only to find a league awash with laundered money, which often doesn’t trickle down to the players even in the small amounts specified in their contracts. Meanwhile, they’re being shot up with unnamed “vitamins.” Some go home early. Some stick it out because they just want to play. A team for homeless women in Liverpool turns a girl’s life around; it’s coached by an England star who lived in shelters while she played for the national team. Players who are both lesbian and Christian struggle with their identities as they play for a Christian team that tells them their feelings for women are sinful. Those were some of my favourite chapters.

Oxenham ends with a chapter on the Portland Thorns, the holy grail for professional women players, a team with a big, dedicated fan base, where you’ll play in front of more than a handful of people. There are plenty of stories here of women who work and work and finally get their call up to the national team, of women who succeed against the odds. But Oxenham is aware, from the start, that plenty of talented players don’t get that chance, or choose to retire because they can’t make a living in the women’s game. She herself played at Duke and then took a year off from grad school to play in Brazil—hitch-hiking to practice and getting paid almost nothing. In the end, I think there is a coherent overall point to this collection of stories: female athletes deserve better. They are talented, they work hard, they love the game, and too often it does not love them back.
Profile Image for Bex.
182 reviews
March 3, 2024
There’s something romantic about struggle right? This book shows how sports is often so much more than just the game. I worry that now that people with the power have their eye on women’s soccer it will lose some of its magic — the hardscrabble, the grit and determination it takes to keep working at something when clearly no one else cares. To play under mob bosses in Russia, hitchhike to practice, ride multiple trains, pick up deflated discarded balls, to leave your family behind at 16. Women’s soccer deserves the access and resources and screen time but it shouldn’t aspire to be like the men’s leagues or the nfl or the mlb… organizations that are benefiting from exploitation.

But wow — just grateful to all these women who have given us so much. My dad took me to watch the girls high school state championships growing up and the lady riverhawks games and he gave me books on Michelle Akers, my favorite player. He coached me and my older sister drove an hour from college to coach me too. My dad would often drive across town to pick up some of my teammates who had single moms or parents who worked evenings for practice. I spent hours in the car driving to my older sister’s tournaments. He understood visibility and access. I’ll never forget what it felt like to play with some of my good friends — how we communicated on the field with only the movement of our bodies. My mom told me the only option she had for sports growing up was cheerleading. I got to take my dad to a women’s national match recently despite his reticence to go downtown or be around crowds. Each time I go to a women’s game the stands are filled with young girls. I’m so happy they get to see people like them doing something they love and that boys get to see it too — as is beautifully laid out in the last chapter, women’s soccer is about all of us.

I’d love to see a follow up from this author.
Profile Image for Lindsey.
95 reviews14 followers
August 20, 2024
didn't expect this to make me cry or to be the first book in quite a while that's kept me up to the wee hours to finish
Profile Image for Rebecca Thatcher-Murcia.
Author 1 book7 followers
April 7, 2020
Gwendolyn Oxenham's journey through the beautiful and the seamy sides of women's soccer is a wonderful read. If you liked How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization or The Miracle of Castel di Sangro: A Tale of Passion and Folly in the Heart of Italy or any of the other wonderful, wacky soccer books out there, you will enjoy this, even if the injustice in the treatment of women soccer players is frustrating.
Profile Image for KendraLee.
70 reviews2 followers
February 3, 2018
This is an important read for any soccer fan, male or female. It shows first hand the incredible obstacles female players face as they pursue their dream to play pro. The author speaks with players from around the world who play in leagues around the world and illuminates a wide range of issues in the women's game: money, sexism, motherhood, even religion. The book talks about the struggles of domestic teams, leagues, and national sides. We see the successes and heartbreaks of a diverse group of players. Ultimately it ends with hope for the women's game as we end up in Portland with the Thorns and their fans, a place where pro soccer (men's and women's) has rooted and taken hold in the city.
Profile Image for Jaz.
78 reviews
January 22, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. The stories told by the players in each of the different chapters relate the strange, unlikely and sometimes downright dangerous journeys taken in the pursuit of playing the game they love - football. Some of the women I'd never heard of, others - like Nadia Nadim, who recently had a brief and decidedly underwhelming soujourn at my team, Manchester City - were more familiar.

The final chapter on the Portland Thorns and their die-hard supporters, the Rose City Riveters, has made me want to adopt them as my American team! An essential read for all followers of women's football.
Profile Image for Iris.
690 reviews25 followers
December 19, 2024
Me gustó mucho, más de lo que esperaba.

Cuando se habla sobre fútbol femenil es fácil caer en el discurso...victimista, recalcando solamente las desigualdades a comparación del varonil (y aquí lo muestra claro, como en el capítulo de Brasil) pero también otros retos como la conciliación familiar cuando las jugadoras se embarazan o tienen hijos a su cargo, el retiro, los clubes cristianos y la discriminación a las jugadoras lesbianas (y cómo tratan de conciliar su fé con esas ideas) y cómo el fútbol, para muchas de ellas, es gozo pero también un escape de la pobreza. Me encanta que abordó el semi profesional y hasta el fútbol para personas en situación de calle.
467 reviews12 followers
March 1, 2022
Great book. Loved learning more about womens soccer. Wish there were more books like this out there. Only critique: it needed another round of review. A couple of errors that would have been caught by additional readers pre print. That being said, still a great great read. Will recommend to friends and likely read again!
Profile Image for Julie Schreiber.
91 reviews
April 17, 2024
I really loved this! Only reason it took me a month to finish was because I misplaced it for 3 weeks. Easy to read, full of stories I somehow never knew (I thought I knew everything about women’s soccer, genuinely) and it was not at all filled with platitudes and cringe like I feared it could be. Recommend for anyone who’s caught up in the women’s sports explosion right now.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
37 reviews3 followers
August 9, 2019
This book was on a list of books to read after the Women's World Cup. I loved it. I wished I had read it before the WWC so I could have followed the players I read about. Wonderful writing made me feel like I know these players. It also makes me want to be a Portland Thorns fan!
Profile Image for Abner.
629 reviews
March 24, 2019
Sure, some of these vignettes are more engaging than others. The final section, on women's soccer in Portland, OR, is worth the price of admission.
Profile Image for C.I. DeMann.
Author 4 books13 followers
April 21, 2018
This is a wonderful book. I'm not much of a non-fiction guy, but Oxenham is such a good storyteller, I got caught up in each chapter's topic. Highly recommended for sports fans. Or for fans of women trying to succeed in a difficult field.
8 reviews
November 19, 2018
Literally amazing. I didn't think anything could make me like Allie Long but Oxenham did! Now I have incredible respect for her and am so happy she made the switch to Seattle where she can continue to shine! This book is all about representation. Showing what it is like to be a female athlete at the highest level. The struggle and the tireless work these women put in are mindblowing. Must read!
Profile Image for Jennifer.
87 reviews
August 25, 2019
This book never got enough attention. Perfectly done non-fiction.
Profile Image for Michelle K.
3 reviews
August 14, 2022
This is a wonderful read for both sports fans, woso (women's soccer) fans, and "soon to be" fans alike. I found myself deeply emotional and pausing to consider what I'd just read many times in certain chapters, so on the brink of tearing up. The chapter about the homophobic Christian evangelist team juxtaposed against the stories of queer players was incredibly powerful and it made me so angry to hear how they were condemned, despised, and ultimately ostracized by those claiming to serve God. The final chapter about the Thorns supporters club behind the greatest soccer city in the world for woso (at the time, wink, says this San Diego Wave fan) was a perfect story of hope to end on. We owe so much to the players, fans, and staff who believed in woso and sacrificed so much to plant a dream that many never got to see blossom in their careers.

Gwendolyn Oxenham has a real gift at connecting with the people she interviews to tell their stories in a way that is humble, understanding, and sincere. This year, a podcast called "The Hustle: The Untold Stories of Women's Soccer" was launched as inspired by the book (and it's hosted by Hannah Waddingham from 'Ted Lasso'!). I highly recommend it if you want more stories similar to the chapters in the book, but with the added flair of hearing directly from the players themselves in shared interviews.
Profile Image for Ramiro Guerra.
91 reviews
January 20, 2022
I am a fan of good sports writing. I will read anything that involves my favorite sports, especially if it digs into the human experience. This book was perfect in my eyes. Gwendolyn did an excellent job of finding great human interest stories through her connections in the sport of soccer.

There are so many memorable characters to latch onto. Homelessness in Europe, African women escaping poverty to chase their dreams of being professional athletes and providing for their families. The clashes of religion and sexuality in the American South. These are just some of the backdrops where sport almost becomes a backdrop. It's a wonderful and sometimes heartbreaking journey. But ultimately, all the characters the authors focus on reflect fondly on their experiences and serve as inspiration for fans and future athletes alike.

Highly recommended for anyone who's a fan of the beautiful game.
Profile Image for Ellie.
323 reviews19 followers
December 14, 2020
I LOVE SPORTS SO MUCH!!!

That's basically what I kept thinking to myself as I read Under the Lights and in the Dark. This book takes you all over the world and introduces you to female soccer players, a few you've maybe heard of and most you probably haven't. Reading these stories gave me goosebumps and made me really emotional about the sport I love so much. The players featured have given up so much and made so many sacrifices to make their dreams come true, or even just to have a shot at trying to make them come true. That sounds so cheesy but it really struck me just how hard they work while I read this book for a soccer-themed book club. I highly recommend it whether you're into soccer or not - it's just such good storytelling.
Profile Image for Ellison.
8 reviews
March 2, 2022
This book makes me honored to play soccer and specifically women's soccer. These women are powerful and they worked so hard for a game that was not changing for them. So they became the change. I would not have the love of soccer I do without the women in this book breaking barriers for the generations to come. The journeys were not easy but they somehow still made sure that it would be for others. Words cannot describe how much I love this book! Go read it!!!
Profile Image for Sara Komo.
435 reviews20 followers
July 31, 2021
2021: This book wasn't very good, but I did really enjoy reading it.

I have to gripe with the women who were chosen to be profiled for this book. I wouldn't consider either Allie Long's journey to the Olympics or Marta's inability to get her country to care about her an "untold story of women's soccer" (as the subtitle of the book suggests). Even Gaëlle Enganamouit's signature lion's mane hairdo was immediately recognizable to me when I looked up a picture of it. And as the author readily admits in the introduction, her connections for the stories included here all come back to Portland, which is the literal MECCA of women's soccer.

The rest of the stories were not so unknown either. Yes, it is very difficult for professional female soccer players to make it back after giving birth. Yes, there is not enough money being put into the sport. Yes, there is a huge discrepancy between the resources and the media attention given to the men's and women's teams. We know all of this! The issue is that Oxenham writes much more like a journalist than an author. No analysis was drawn here; observations were simply made.

That all being said, I'm having a bit of a summer of soccer right now. The USWNT just beat the Netherlands in penalty kicks to advance to the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics, and Ted Lasso Season Two just came out, let's go!!
Profile Image for Sage.
658 reviews38 followers
July 5, 2022
4.5 stars. What a banger of a book. I flew through this, and loved every minute of it. I obviously knew about Allie Long, and Nadia Nadim, and MARTA, but I love that this book featured women from all over the world, most of whom I hadn’t heard of. I really really loved how the book was truly global, and not just Americas/Europe-centric. The stories in this are absolutely incredible.

Allie Long and her NYC futsal games, Nadia Nadim escaping Afghanistan to settle in Denmark, Dani Foxhoven and her adventures in Russia (THE CASUAL INJECTIONS AND “vitamins” oh my god?!!!!!), the anti-LGBTQ/evangelical missionary team in NC????!! (boo hiss to them). I loved reading about every woman in this book (Indomitable Lionesses!! Fara Williams!). My only complaint (I guess) is that I wish there was an updated version. I feel like since this was published in 2017, SO much has happened in women’s football leagues around the world, and the NWSL specifically (heyaaaa equal pay, and California expansion teams!!!) I also loved the last chapter about the Portland Thorns and their fans of “Riveters!” So freaking cool, and it was great to pore over the photo insert as well. I also loved that Gwendolyn peppered in her own experience playing for the women’s side of Santos FC in Brazil, and her connections to the world of women’s football! Very cool.
Profile Image for Tammy.
360 reviews3 followers
January 15, 2020
I watched Gwendolyn Oxenham play with her college team, the enemy, when they played my team in the early 2000s. I naturally had no idea that lurking behind that talent with the ball was a talent with words that she would later use to express the things I feel about the beautiful game and its importance to the world. Oxenham highlights just a small few of the stories we never hear about women footballers. These stories are the ones that need to be told over and over. Soccer, to the entire world, is way more than just a sport. It’s magic: it’s an avenue to equality, a mechanism of union, a place to stand up for the things that are right and necessary in this world. Although published in 2017 and covering the decade-and-a-half prior, this collection of stories is more relevant than ever. People: read this book; buy tickets to your local women’s team. Start loving a sport that will love you back.
823 reviews8 followers
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June 30, 2021
Oxenham a former player takes on the job of telling the stories of women's football. Her pieces range far and wide. In the Middle East and Africa a paying football job can support a family while in the west it often means finding another job in order to pay the rent. Oxenham is relentlessly upbeat but this doesn't stop her from looking at the negative namely exploitation of players in Russia and a persistently anti-gay attitude in certain leagues in the US. And perhaps the number one problem- getting people to pay to watch women's football outside of the Olympics and World Cup is in her sights as well. She finishes the book with a chapter on the Portland Thorns who regularly attract 17,000 fans a game through a combination of stadium hijinx and community outreach.
1 review
August 2, 2022
This is an important read for any soccer fan, male or female. It shows first hand the incredible obstacles female players face as they pursue their dream to play pro. The author speaks with players from around the world who play in leagues around the world and illuminates a wide range of issues in the women's game: money, sexism, motherhood, even religion. The book talks about the struggles of domestic teams, leagues, and national sides. We see the successes and heartbreaks of a diverse group of players. Ultimately it ends with hope for the women's game as we end up in Portland with the Thorns and their fans, a place where pro soccer (men's and women's) has rooted and taken hold in the city.
421 reviews2 followers
January 23, 2018
Mid-way through their surprising championship run in 2016 I wrote an editorial to the local paper that Rochestarians needed to appreciate what they had in the WNY Flash or they’d lose it. Sure enough the team was sold after they won the title and moved to North Carolina. But those seasons in the stands will always be special to my daughter and son. This book provides a compelling reminder that Rochester wasn’t unique in its failure to appreciate what it has in its professional women’s soccer team. The stories of these young women pursuing their passions are told in a compelling manner, demanding respect rather than asking for sympathy, or worse, pity.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews

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