Tyler Bush Parkersburg, W.Va. I am doing a project on the 1930 World Cup. Are there any articles in back issues of Soccer America? Is there any other information on the 1930 World Cup? Mike Woitalla: Tyler, to get you started, here’s what I wrote about the first World Cup in Soccer America Magazine in June 1998: Uruguay 1930 “Off the field: Despite a population of 2 million, Uruguay was named host of the first World Cup, because it won the previous two Olympic tournaments and it offered to pay travel costs for all entrants. “It used the tournament to celebrate its 100th anniversary of independence, and commemorated it by building the Centenary Stadium. Uruguay still made a profit on the event. “On the field: Complaining of the three-week ship journey or angered that they weren’t named host, key European nations refused to enter the tournament. Romania’s team went on orders of King Carol, who also picked the squad. “Uruguay and Argentina dominated and reached the final, where a controversy arose over whether a Uruguayan or Argentine ball should be used. — thus a different ball was used in each half. Uruguay won 4-2, three of its goals coming with the Uruguayan ball.” Your next step might be to a library or book store and look for Paul Gardner’s “The Simplest Game” and Brian Glanville’s “The Story of the World Cup.” (If you have a question for a Soccer America Magazine editor, click “Q&A with SA Editors” in the left column of the home page under “Interactive.”)