If you can’t wait for the next World Cup, join the club. As an avid football fan (not the NFL kind), sometimes Champions League and Copa del Rey just aren’t enough to keep me tided over. But what we do have is the Euro Cup! It kicked off this Friday, June 8 with a flurry of great match-ups coming up. Here’s your DC Socialite crash course to the Euro Cup 2012!

What is it?
The Euro Cup or UEFA European Football Championship, is held every 4 years like the World Cup but is played in the even years between World Cup tourneys (ie: next Euro Cup: 2012, next World Cup: 2014). Host countries automatically qualify for the competition whereas other nations must compete in qualifying matches. The qualifying matches are played in group stages in league format. Depending on whether you win, lose or draw, points are tacked onto your nation’s team.

Where to watch the Euro Cup:
Summers: There are over 50 TVs in this Arlington bar, all dedicated to the fine sport of soccer. They often times have games that are a bit harder to find so when other bars fail to show soccer period, Summers is your best bet. 1520 N. Courthouse Road, Arlington.

The Queen Vic: A British pub on H Street in NE, paying homage to the “Eastenders” pub of the same name, The Queen Vic supports footy, no matter if you’re an England supporter or not. With a hefty menu of Anglophile delights (bangers and mash, fish and chips and Welsh rarebit to name a few) the folks at The Vic will make sure you don’t go hungry during those 90 minutes. Here’s a list of the Euro Cup matches available for viewing at The Vic. 1206 H St NE, WDC.

Babylon Football Cafe: Off the beaten path in Skyline, just outside Alexandria is Babylon Football Cafe, coincidentally nicknamed Babylon FC. They tout that they’re a sports bar for the rest of the world which is fairly accurate. On any given day, you’ll catch a myriad of sports that haven’t quite catched on yet, like Aussie rules football, rugby or cricket, to name a few. But what they do right is soccer: the perimeter of the bar is lined with grouped couches with their own personal high-def TV, with access to most soccer matches. Top that with a 22-ft HD projector screen and you have the perfect football bar. 3501 S. Jefferson St., Falls Church.