Tomorrow kicks off what is, without a trace of hyperbole, the world’s most popular sporting event.  Unfortunately, given soccer’s poor reputation in the United States (Remember this Simpson’s episode?) many Americans are missing out on the hype and excitement of the World Cup.

Why hasn’t soccer caught on in the USA?  Perhaps it was one too to many early Saturday morning kids’ soccer games that spoiled the beautiful game for some of you.  Whatever the excuse, I humbly offer the following links to pique your interest.

Getting Up To Speed | Here are a few sites to check if this is the first you’ve heard of the World Cup.

• FIFA is soccer’s international governing body.  The website has a handy schedule and pages for each of the 32 teams, including the United States.
• Here are two different podcasts, from both sides of the Atlantic, that will provide some of the back story and context leading up to the tournament in South Africa: ESPN Soccernet and The Guardian World Cup Daily.
• U.S. Soccer is the organization for each American team, including the current men’s team in South Africa.

It’s Bigger Than Soccer | Given the global ubiquity of the sport, soccer provides plenty of fascinating stories, ranging from human interest to global trends.

• Regular NPR listeners may have noticed the recent World Cup coverage on Worldview.
• How Soccer Explains the World is a great book I read during the 2006 World Cup.  Author Franklin Foer uses soccer as a way to explain aspects of globalization.  I’ve not read it, but Soccernomics is a recent book that looks to be similarly interesting.
• The New Republic’s soccer blog is an intriguing mash-up of tournament-related links, videos, quotes and wide-ranging commentary.

South Africa | This is the first time an African nation has hosted the World Cup.  There are an endless amount of angles to this significant fact.

• The Big Picture photo blog has some typically beautiful photos from South Africa showing a nation readying itself for it’s World Cup debut.
• As is the case for these types of massive international sporting events, there are plenty of stories about abuses suffered by the poor.  As world-class stadiums have been built, life has been drastically interrupted for many South Africans.  Readers of this blog may be particularly interested in the disastrous rise of human trafficking leading up to this summer’s tournament.
• ESPN Outside the Lines has a terrific video about the role soccer played in the days of apartheid and why this tournament has layers of meaning far beyond who wins a given match.

Tuning In | Beginning on Friday the only way to watch every match is to take a lot of time off work.  For those of us without that option, planning ahead is key.

• If you use Google Calendar you can subscribe to individual calendars for any of the teams or the calendar for each match of the tournament.
• Wikipedia has a helpful layout of the tournament: first the the group stage, then the round of sixteen, quarterfinals, semifinals, and eventually the final game on July 11.
• The games will be broadcast on ESPN and ABC, though I recommend occasionally tuning in to a Spanish-speaking station to hear how a match is meant to be announced.
• The USA plays a tough match against England this Saturday at 1:30 PM (CT), against Slovenia on June 18 at 9:00 AM, and Algeria on June 23 at 9:00 AM.  Those are the only games the USA is guaranteed to play, so try to catch at least one if you can.

I hope something here has grabbed your interest.  Any soccer enthusiasts care to share additional helpful links or World Cup tips?