Today marks several firsts. It’s the first day of competition in the 2011 Women’s World Cup. And ESPN will be covering every match live from Germany with familiar commentators and presenters including Ian Darke, Rebecca Lowe, Adrian Healey and many others.

You can read more about ESPN’s coverage of the tournament at sister site World Cup Buzz, where writer Haley Thaxton will be covering the tournament (where both the United States and England are competing, among others). Read her debut article about what to expect from ESPN’s coverage of the competition. And, if you’re a non-believer, give the Women’s World Cup (which I thoroughly enjoy, and support) a chance. For viewers in the United States, today’s first games are 8:45am ET (Nigeria against France; ESPN2) and 11:30am ET (Germany versus Canada; ESPN). And if you live outside the States, check your local listings.

Editor’s note: Here’s the TV schedule for the 2011 Women’s World Cup.