CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: It's the one sport Americans don't quite get just yet. Sure we play what Americans call soccer. But the rest of the world simply loves the game. The 2002 World Cup tournament just opened today in South Korea and Japan. CNN's Larry Smith has this refresher course on Football 101.</s>LARRY SMITH (voice-over): Are you ready for some football? In the middle of summer? Too good to be true? Well, believe it, only it's that other kind of football. The 2002 World Cup is here. In France the popularity of soccer falls somewhere just below wine and a little bit above work stoppages. And there's good reason for the game's lofty status in the land of Chirac and Channel. The defending European champions are also the defending World Cup champs, led by Zinedine Zidane. Les Bleus travels to Asia as tournament favorites along with Argentina. This soccer-crazed nation always gets hyped for the World Cup, but this year it's a distraction that's even more welcome considering the country's poor economic status. Back across the Atlantic, Italy, a quarterfinalist in '98, will again rely on their mighty defense and world class striker Christian Vieri. A talented Spanish club armed with sensational striker Raul will seek to overcome a knack of underachieving on the world stage. And then there's England, one of the youngest, but also one of the most talented teams. European footballer of the year Michael Owen and Mr. Posh Spice himself, David Beckham, give the Brits a shot at winning the cup for first time since 1966. As for the stars and stripes? Well, a shot of youth carried the U.S. through an impressive qualifying run. But alas, a tough group that features co-host South Korea and the artistic Portuguese will prove challenging. The South Korea/Japan hosted World Cup begins May 31. Sixty-four games in 31 days, so are you ready for some football? I'm Larry Smith.
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