With the 2014 World Cup now in the books, newbie soccer fans will likely look towards club soccer leagues as a way to get their fix until the 2018 Russia tournament.

And with so many options for a new soccer fan to choose from, whether picking a team from La Liga (Spain), the English Premier League (EPL), or America's Major League Soccer (MLS), the options can seem overwhelming.

Luke Dempsey, author of "Club Soccer 101," attempts to help new soccer fans navigate through their search for a team to adopt under the belief that the best soccer in the world is being played at club level as opposed to international tournaments.

"It's 101 essays, and in each essay, I picked teams that had interesting stories. Some teams have been very successful and some teams haven't won a lot," said Dempsey to Latin Post. "My argument is that the real great soccer is being played at the club level. More of the top stars are gravitating towards the big leagues and they are playing together at that level every week."

"This [book] gives some background on the teams and tells some stories of the people that founded these clubs, and their history, the big games that they've won and big games that they've lost. And there is some funny stuff in there. I didn't just want some dry book filled with statistics. So I tried to leaven it with stories about the characters in the game and the ridiculous stuff that they've done," he added.

Dempsey, a British transplant who has lived in New York City since 1995, was inspired to write the book because of the vast availability of the sport on broadcast television and digital platforms.

"I came up with the idea for the book because soccer is becoming super popular in America and there is so much of it on TV," said Dempsey. "NBC has done a smashing job with the English Premier League and the Spanish league is on the Al Jazeera sports channel. There is just so much soccer on that we figured a fan might get up in the morning and see that Everton is playing Tottenham Hotspur and not entirely know who those clubs were."

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Dempsey does not just focus on the traditional powerhouse teams like Germany's Bayern Munich, Spain's Real Madrid, or England's Manchester United. And he goes deeper than looking at South American top-flight teams like Argentina's Boca Juniors, Santos FC of Brazil, or Uruguay's Club Atletico Peñarol.

"Club Soccer 101" spans the globe showcasing teams like Egypt's Al-Ahly SC, South Africa's Kaizer Chiefs FC, and Australia's Central Coast Mariners, as well as teams in the MLS such as DC United, Los Angeles Galaxy, San Jose Earthquakes, and New York Red Bulls.

Dempsey is a huge supporter of the upstart American soccer league, having watched the league grow from its bumpy first season to its current expansion movement. The "Designated Players" rule has allowed for the league to attract talent such as David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Clint Dempsey and Tim Cahill to ply their trade in the U.S., with stars like David Villa, Kaka and Frank Lampard headed to MLS.

The league is adding a second team in the New York City market (New York City FC, owned by current EPL champions Manchester City and Major League Baseball's New York Yankees), the Orlando City Soccer Lions, a team in Atlanta owned by Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, and a team in Miami owned by Beckham and Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure.

MLS also recently signed a Spanish and English broadcast rights deal with ESPN, Fox Sports and Univision worth a combined $720 million dollars, a value worth five times from their previous agreement.

Asides from aligning with the FIFA calendar and the use of artificial surfaces on the playing field, Dempsey, who is a New York Red Bulls season-ticker holder, believes that MLS is making all the right strides as the popularity of the sport continues to grow in the United States.

"Anything that has a plastic pitch, they have to get rid of it," said Dempsey. "It's bad that 45,000 people in Seattle have to watch a soccer match played on plastic. They've got to stop that. It's not the right stuff and it does affect how the game is played. They've tried all around the world and it makes soccer fans go 'Ughhh!' because that's not football. The fans don't like it, players get injured more, [and] the older players try not to play on those surfaces because it's bad for the joints. The new soccer stadiums that they are building are doing it right putting grass on the field."

"Other than that, they are getting things right. I would say 'Let's continue to bring in the right people.' Let's make it where the top Americans can play here," he added. "If you have to do what they did with Jermaine Jones and make them a 'Designated Player' and spend more money, who cares? If they can afford it, why not? I'd much rather pay for a top American player to play here and make money. So many people want MLS to fail so they have to keep doing things right. And I think they've done a good job."

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