With the World Cup robbing all the boys of their sleep, it’s easy for girls to get left out of all the excitement. Here we give you a crash course on all things footie-related, to help wipe that blank look off your face, and maybe even impress a couple of cute guys in the process.

By Denise V. Suarez

Cup Terminology
First of all, it’s football, not soccer. Only Americans call football soccer. Real players and fans know it as football.

There are four major positions in football: forwards, midfielders, fullbacks, and goalkeeper. Forwards, also known as strikers or wingers, are the ones who score. Midfielders pass the ball between the forwards and the fullbacks. Fullbacks, also known as defenders or defensemen, keep the other team from scoring. The goalkeeper or goalie guards the goal and is the only one allowed to touch the ball with his hands.

A yellow card is given for unsportsmanlike behavior. Two yellow cards equal a red card. If a player gets a red card, he is immediately removed from the game and his team has to play one player short for the remaining time.

When you hear boys groan, “offside,” it’s because the player who just scored actually committed a foul. A player is offside when he’s closer to the opponent’s goal line than the ball and the second-to-last player in the opposing team when the ball is passed to him.

Shouting “Nice cross!” whenever a player from your team is near the sideline and swiftly passes the ball to a player in the middle of the field or even the other side is a good way to up your cool girl factor.

And yelling “Nice save!” when your goalie dives for, and catches, the ball should do the same.

Most Droolworthy Players

Lionel Messi, who turns 23 this coming June 24, is considered to be the best player of his generation. Messi plays for Argentina and is known for being unpredictable and having uncanny ball control.

At 26, Cristiano Ronaldo is the captain of the Portuguese national team. He has a knack for shooting from anywhere, and specializes in long-range goals. Barely anyone can keep up with his speed and Portugal is depending on him to bring home the trophy.

While Fernando Torres may have the nickname, “El Niño” or “The Kid,” he is still a force to reckon with. He scored the winning goal for the EURO Cup in 2008 and Spain is hoping he’ll do the same for this World Cup.

The Top Three
Brazil is the only country to win the World Cup five times. They’re known for their dazzling ball skills that even a non-football fan can enjoy.

As champions of the 2008 EURO Cup, Spain is confident and ready to win again. Though they lost their first game, their line-up of cuties still makes them worth the watch.

While Argentina has always had a talented team, this will be their first year to have football legend Maradona as their coach and rising star Messi in the starting line-up.

World Cup Moments
In the 1950 World Cup, the host Brazil expected to defeat Uruguay in the final. When they lost 2-1, some fans committed suicide by jumping from the stands.

The 1986 Argentina v England World Cup quarter-final has two incredible moments just four minutes away from each other:

The first is known as the, “Hand of God” goal. Diego Maradona, Argentina’s forward, was battling for the ball against England’s goalie, Peter Shilton. While everyone thought that the 6’1” Peter Shilton would be able to punch the ball out, Maradona at 5’’5’ beat him to it. Maradona hit the ball with the outside of his left fist. The referee didn’t see the obvious handball and called it a goal. Later on, Maradona described the goal as scored “a little with the hand of Maradona and a little with the hand of God.” It was only in 2005 that Maradona publicly admitted the handball.

Four minutes after the “Hand of God” goal, Maradona scored again. After receiving the ball, Maradona passed five English players, dribbled around the goalie and scored. In 2002, it was voted “Goal of the Century,” the greatest individual goal of all time.

The most memorable 2006 World Cup moment is when, during the final game, French player Zinedine Zidane headbutted Italian defender, Marco Materazzi. This resulted in a red card for Zidane and the World Cup trophy for Italy.

Click here for the Top 10 places to watch the World Cup.