NIC BOTHMA/epa/Corbis
Soccer is undeniably cool. For the next month I am going to be hearing a lot about it and I don’t want to be that girl, so I’ve put together a cheat sheet for everything I (and maybe you?) need to know about the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
How to talk about the World Cup like you actually know a thing or two?
Start making some flash cards. Here is the A-Z glossary of soccer terms.
Who is favored to win?
First, you have to know who is playing. Last World Cup everyone I know jumped on the Brazil bandwagon. This time around, it looks like Brazil is again a safe bet, according to the FIFA rankings. So, if you’re like me and prefer to root for winners — because, after all, victory parties are infinitely more fun — it’s time to don some green and yellow. That said, I’m all for underdogs — when they pull off a big win they have even better victory parties — so I’ll be keeping my eyes and ears peeled for those teams.
Who are the best players?
I’ll admit I’m slightly more interested in the mug shots than the stats, either way, here is ESPN’s list of the top 50 players. And, in case 50 requires a bit too much memorization, TIME has a list of 11 really important players to watch.
What’s this soccer thing about, anyway?
I get the basics and will be watching for my two favorite soccer game moments: goals and head butts, but what about the rest? Here’s the history of the game and a photo history of the World Cup. And, if you want to get really technical, here are the official rules.