Another Corner
612 S 6th St.
Philadelphia
June 12, 2026
In case for some reason you weren’t aware, it’s soccer season. For the first time since 1994, the United States is hosting games in the FIFA World Cup. This summer, Philadelphia will play host to six World Cup games at Lincoln Financial Field over the next few weeks. Futbol enthusiasts from around the world have gathered in Philadelphia and ten other host cities across the U.S. to take in the action. My personal knowledge of soccer is extremely limited, so with all these festivities happening surrounding the World Cup, I was looking for an easy entry point to get caught up so that I'd have something more to say about soccer this summer other than “GOOOOALLL!!!” and Bend It Like Beckham references. Luckily, local bookstore Another Corner had just what I was looking for.
Each month, Another Corner highlights a specific subject of local interest in their shop. In the past, they’ve arranged displays of literature surrounding topics like cycling, baking, tennis; this June, the featured focus is, of course, soccer. This month you’ll find writings, photos, magazines, and trinkets in the store all inspired and informed by the world’s most popular sport.
Coinciding with this month’s subject is the release of a new issue of Another Corner’s zine, "Many Corners." In this soccer-themed issue, contributors go over a brief history of the sport – from its roots in China in its adolescent form called Cuju, to the formation of many of the leagues some of you may be familiar with today. The path from kicking a pig’s bladder across a village to Maradona’s "Goal of the Century" spans generations. The first interview in the zine features art director/brand designer Dwayne Mansfield, whose brand Tuesday Pickup repurposes soccer materials into various works of art. The second, and more in-depth interview is with soccer commentator and former player, Lori Lindsey. Lindsey details her experiences as a young soccer player shining her cleats at the behest of her father, briefly pursuing acting, and eventually being an alternate for the 2012 Olympics.
My favorite inclusion in the zine is the Penalty Kicks playlist, a short collection of songs to serve as the soundtrack as you go one-on-one with the goalie to put a point on the board for your team. Although Quincy Jones’ “Summer in the City” is probably the most recognizable of the selection, I think my pick from the playlist would be “Ponte Bajo el Sol” from Colombian artists Elia y Elizabeth. I love a situational playlist — it was the easiest way that the zine offered for me to connect to the game of soccer. Also included in the zine is a brief glossary of soccer slang that taught me fun terms like “Park The Bus” and “Top Bins."
As I was leaving the zine release, local photographer Anthony Ali offered to take my photo posing with a soccer ball, which I’m hoping will be somewhere on the Another Corner Instagram by the time this gets posted. It was the first time I had held a soccer ball since gym class as a child, and I’m guessing my uncertainty about the whole situation was conveyed through the photo. But after reading issue one of Many Corners, I feel not only confident, but gleeful about my potential to show up with strength to any and all conversations about the World Cup over the next few weeks.
Learn more about Another Corner and the Many Corners zine here.