The World Cup is a week old and if you are struggling to keep up or simply have no idea what’s going on and you need some language for those World Cup conversations, then here’s a list of 6 talking points to help you through till next week at least. Vocabulary support can be found for the words in bold at the foot of the post.

1. Vuvuzela

If you don’t know what a vuvuzela is then you are on the wrong site. Annoying drone of angry bees or fantastically atmospheric backdrop to the tournament? There is talk of a ban but that would be hard to implement and extremely unfair to the hosts. Should it be banned? Let us know here.

2. Lack of Goals

The atmosphere is fantastic, the stadia are brilliant, Messi looks like he is up for it but where are all the goals? After the first set of matches there were a total of only 25 goals from 16 matches which makes it fewer than the Italia 90 World Cup which is long-regarded as the most boring in recent times. No one wants to lose the first game but where is the sense of adventure that teams had in Germany 2006?

3. The Ball

The Jabulani, the official World Cup football, has been called the roundest ball ever produced by Adidas. They would though. Commentators, managers and fans are suggesting that the misplaced passes, over-hit crosses, goalkeeping mistakes and the lack of decent long shots have been caused by the unpredictability of the ball. How can it be unpredictable when the ball is the roundest ball in football history? Stop complaining and get on with it, after all, it’s only a ball.

4. Spain

1 defeat in 48 matches before the tournament, the European 2008 Champions were heavily-favoured to finally win their first ever World Cup. Yet despite, 70% of ball possession and 22 shots on goal they lost 0-1 to a well-marshalled Swiss side. Now the media is full of doom and gloom and writing Spain off. Don’t panic Spain fans, even though they may have to beat Brazil in round 2, I’ll be putting some money on them to win their first World Cup.

5. Two Diegos

While his team are producing the goods on the pitch, the suited and bearded manager of Argentina, Diego Maradona is proving to be as divisive as ever. The owner of the infamous ‘Hand of God’ demanded fair play from players during the tournament and then attacked Pele and Michel Platini who he accused of being French. Brilliant. Despite the enormous presence of Maradona at this tournament there is another Diego shining here – Diego Forlán, who has been masterful in both games for his country Uruguay, scoring two goals and making another one. He strolled around the pitch last night against South Africa as if he owned the place. A real masterclass of football.

6. North Korea

Everybody loves an underdog but when did the whole world start supporting a founder-member of the axis of evil as opposed to a fun-loving nation that plays beautiful football? Is it that we love the sneaky way the team tried to add an extra striker to their squad by pretending he was a goalkeeper? Maybe it’s the story that the regime in North Korea will only show TV highlights if their team does well or that the Chinese authorities have flown in a thousand fans to pretend to be Koreans. Whatever it is they are rubbish at football!

drone: Noise that a swarm of bees makes

he is up for it: Enthusiastic, really wants to play

a well-marshalled Swiss side: Very well organised team

full of doom and gloom: Very pessimistic

writing Spain off: To feel that they do not have a good chance

‘Hand of God’ : After scoring a goal with his hand against England in 1986, Maradona claimed it was the Hand of God that did it.

masterful: Very good, much better than anyone else

strolled around: Walked around with no worries at all

an underdog: A team that is not expected to do well

a fun-loving nation that plays beautiful football: Brazil

sneaky: Underhanded, not open

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This World Cup Stars post features possibly the greatest player of all time, Diego Maradona. To help you understand a little better there is a vocabulary list containing the words in bold at the foot of this post

TRANSCRIPT

Pele may have won more World Cup titles, Ronaldo may have scored more goals, Lothar Matthäus played more games but no one has dominated the World Cup as much as Diego Maradona. He won the trophy in 1986, scored 7 goals in 21 consecutive appearances over four tournaments from 1982 to 1994 and was never far from the centre of World Cup controversy. The sad departure in 1982, the ‘Hand of God’ and subsequent wonder goal against England in 1986, the tears in the final of 1990 and the drug scandal in 1994 have all meant that Maradona is a definite part of World Cup history.

When the 1982 World Cup in Spain started, Maradona was playing his club football with Barcelona and the whole world was waiting for him to shine, unfortunately so were the defences of the other participating nations who ganged up on him and, much like Pele in 1966, kicked him out of the tournament. Maradona never really got going and his frustration was evident from the atrocious tackle on Brazilian player Dirceu in the second round that gave him a straight red card as his side was eliminated.

Four years later in Mexico and this time he was at the peak of his career. Many focus only on the so-called ‘Hand of God’ moment against England but he also scored against Italy in the group stage and then in the knock-out rounds he got the winners against England and Belgium before playing the match-winning pass in the World Cup final against Germany to help Argentina lift the trophy. He was, quite simply, the best player in the world. Though this team had great players it was clear that they were carried to the title by the skill, the pride, the courage, the technique and the determination of their leader Maradona.

He almost did it again four years later in Italia 90 with a much weaker side and despite the fact that he was hampered by injuries, Maradona took the team to the final – his assist for the goal against Brazil in the second round a particularly sweet moment – before losing to West Germany on a controversial penalty. The following World Cup in 1994 turned out to be the low point in his football life as he was banned from the competition for taking illegal drugs and he returned home in disgrace never to play for the national team again.

However, his pride at representing his country, his intense passion for the game, the style with which he played it and the fact that he made people fall in love with the sport has meant that despite the controversies that seemed to follow him, Diego Maradona is the greatest ever World Cup star.

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Vocabulary

Here are explanations of some of the words and phrases from the reading.

consecutive appearances: A run of games without a break, e.g. 21 games in a row

ganged up on him: The other teams bullied him, they targeted him

side was eliminated: To be knocked out, sent home

peak of his career: At the top of his game, he was playing better than ever

‘Hand of God’: Infamous goal against England that he scored with his hand – Maradona called it ‘Mano de Dios’

knock-out rounds: If you win you progress to the next round and if you lose, you go home.

hampered by injuries: To be held back (be slower) due to injuries

banned from the competition: To be told to leave, to be kicked out of the tournament

in disgrace: To have no honour

representing his country: To play for his country

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Transcript

Each era has its heroes and stars. Today’s football world is dominated by players like David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, who are role models to many young players, but I wonder how long their influence will last.

There is one player that has stood the test of time and is the greatest World Cup player of all time. Pelé appeared in four World Cups, 1958, 1962, 1966 and 1970, scoring 12 goals – the third most by any player – and creating many more. It was his first and last tournaments in Sweden and Mexico respectively that cemented his reputation as a world great.

In 1958, Pelé was 17 and had been playing for Santos and Brazil for one year. No one could imagine what an impact the boy from Três Corações in the south of Brazil would have on the tournament, but by the time he had scored four goals, including a hatrick against France in the semis, on the way to reaching the final everyone knew he was special. In the final, he scored one of the goals of the century – a precise chest-down, a deliciously weighted lob over a defender, polished off with a clinical volley. Pelé scored another as Brazil overcame Sweden 5-2 He became and the youngest player to score a hatrick in a World Cup, and appear and score in a final.

In 1970, in Mexico, Pelé was back to his best as part of the 1970 Brazil team which included such players as Jairzinho, Rivelino, Gérson and Tostão. It was samba football at its pinnacle and Pelé was involved in many breathtaking goals and moves during the tournament, but perhaps the famous was an attack that resulted in what is often regarded as the perfect goal. In the final against Italy, Clodoaldo dribbled past four Italians, played the ball to Rivelino who struck a long pass down the left to Jairzinho. From Jairzinho, Pelé received the ball just outside the box in the middle of the field before waiting for the perfect moment to stroke the ball right into the path of Carlos Alberto, who smashed it into the net.

Goal scorer and goal maker, Pelé’s close control and timing have not been surpassed. His obvious love for the game has seen him become a UNESCO goodwill ambassador and a recognised face beyond the football world. Perhaps this quote by Italian defender Burgnich, who marked Pelé during the 1970 World Cup final illustrates what a great player Pelé was, “I told myself before the game, he’s made of skin and bones just like everyone else — but I was wrong.”

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Vocabulary

Here are explanations of some of the words and phrases from the reading.

to dominate: to overpower others, to be the most important, to reign

role model: someone who young people want to copy / emulate

to stand the test of time: endure, remain unchanged for a long time, be permanent, last a long time

to cement (your) reputation: to make your reputation even stronger, make people think you are even better

impact: effect, impression

deliciously: delightfully, do something in a way that makes people admire it – Here, the lob was so good people were amazed

clinical: accurate, allowing for no error

pinnacle: the very top

to stroke the ball: pass the ball accurately and smoothly

to surpass: to get ahead of, to beat, to do better

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Former England manager Sir Bobby Robson died last weekend. In this post we take a look back at one of the most respected English managers in the game. Vocabulary in bold is explained at the end of the post to help you with comprehension. When you have read the article take the quiz on Bobby Robson’s life here.

Football has often been described as a cut-throat business with little room for sentiment or even respect. So the passing of Sir Bobby Robson, the former English national team coach, last week was sad for many reasons but mainly that amid the nastiness and back stabbing that makes up current day football, he proved that it was possible to be both a gentleman and a winner.

Born in the north-east of England he started his playing career at Fulham and then moved onto West Brom where he played more than 250 games. He returned to Fulham and in total made over 300 appearances for the London club. He also played 20 times for England, scoring 4 times as well as appearing in the World Cup of 1958. He went on to manage Fulham but was sacked after only a year and then took on the Ipswich Town job in 1969.

Robson turned this rather modest club into one of the most consistent and attractive sides in England in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Their league record under him was impressive. In the 10 seasons from 1973 to 1982 Ipswich only finished below 6th on one occasion and in that year, 1978, they won the FA Cup for the first and only time in their history, while three years later they went on to taste European glory by winning the UEFA Cup against AZ Alkmaar.

Robson was the people’s choice to take over as England manager in 1982 but the mood often turned sour for him as England failed to qualify for the 1984 European Championships and then lost all three games in the 1988 European Championships. They made it to the World Cup of 1986 however and after a stuttering start they started to look like a team that could win the tournament until they came up against Diego Maradona and his ‘hand of God’ in the quarter-finals. He did go one step further in the 1990 World Cup in Italy when England lost out to Germany on penalties at the semi-final stage and though England were defeated Robson emerged from the tournament with his reputation enhanced.

At a time when few English players, never mind managers, travelled overseas to ply their trade Robson left to coach in Holland, Portugal and Spain. The decision to work abroad may, according to some, have been to avoid the stress of managing in England but when you are the coach of PSV, Porto, Sporting or Barcelona, particularly Barcelona, then pressure is a major part of the job. The fact that he won trophies at all of these clubs bar Sporting is testament to the quality of Robson as a coach. Qualities that were often hidden due to his conduct that was always respectful of opponents, fans, the media and of the game itself. Tactically he was astute, while players loved to play for him thanks to his passion for football.

He returned to England in 1999 and took over the reigns of Newcastle when they were second bottom in the Premier League and in disarray. He guided them to safety that season and then kept them in the top 5 in the Premier League for the following three years, including two seasons in the Champions League. He was sacked in 2004 and Newcastle have never been the same since. One of only 10 footballers to have received a knighthood Sir Bobby was described as the ‘heart and soul of the English game’ and will be sorely missed by all who love the sport.

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a cut-throat business: A business where competition is tough, little room for nice guys

back stabbing: Unfairly attack someone, a suggestion of deceit is involved

modest club: Not a big club

to taste European glory: To win a European trophy

the mood soon turned sour: Public opinion changed, the fans were not supportive of him

a stuttering start: A poor beginning to the tournament, not consistent

his reputation enhanced: He was extremely well regarded, people thought highly of him

to ply their trade: To work

bar Sporting: All except Sporting

is testament to: Proves that, demonstrates that…

astute: Wily, clever, smart, deep thinking

took over the reigns: Became manager of; was in charge of

in disarray: To be in a mess; in chaos

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Quiz Answers: Sir Bobby Robson

1. b. 6
2. b. The north east of England
3.b. Ten
Bonus question: Matt Busby, Tom Finney, Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore, Bobby Robson, Geoff Hurst, Alf Ramsay, Alex Ferguson, Trevor Brooking
4. c. More than 250 times
5. b. 1982
6. a. The European Championships of 1984
7. b. 20
8. b. PSV
9. c. 1978
10.d. 2002

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The second tier of English football, The Championship, kicks off this week and in this post we take a look at which teams we think will be involved in the promotion race or the relegation battle. To help you understand this reading there is a vocabulary list containing the words in bold at the foot of this post

The English football season gets underway again this weekend with 24 teams from the Championship battling it out over the next nine months. With the Premier League often facing accusations of being boring thanks to the dominance of the top four, the Championship is always a much more open affair. Games come thick and fast and reputations often count for nothing. The league is always tight and one good run can see a team break into the play-off spots but conversely a bad run can drag you down to the relegation zone.

This year sees some big clubs in the division and a host of new managers, in fact seven of them will be making their debuts this week with their new clubs. But Newcastle are without doubt the biggest story in the division and not just because they will have the most support. Off the field they are a shambles waiting for someone, anyone, to buy the club. This will allow them to find finances to buy new players and more importantly, to appoint a full-time manager. Newcastle’s confidence is low and some have even suggested that, like Leeds and Charlton in recent years, they will ‘enjoy’ consecutive relegations and drop into League One. I disagree, I think they have enough good players to see them through and predict they will go up as champions.

The two other teams that went down last season, Middlesbrough and West Brom, are also looking to bounce straight back but history suggests it will be difficult for them – in the past five years only three teams have gone up to the Premiership after being relegated the previous season. West Brom have a new manager in Roberto Di Matteo – famous for scoring the fastest goal in an FA Cup final – who had some success in the lower leagues with MK Dons but I am not convinced he is the right man for the job. Neither ‘The Baggies’ nor Middlesbrough will be playing in the top flight next season.

Last season, Cardiff City and Sheffield United were unlucky not to gain promotion but this year I think they will go one better and make it to the top flight with Cardiff finishing second and ‘The Blades’ going up via the play-offs. Other teams that will come close this year include Roy Keane’s Ipswich town, as well as local rivals Derby County and Nottingham Forest. Both of these clubs have invested in lots of new players and will be hoping to have a better start than last season which saw them escaping relegation only toward the end of the campaign. Nigel Clough may have the higher profile at Derby but I am tipping Forest as my dark horses and to make the play-offs.

Who is going down? Well, many people feel that Blackpool and Scunthorpe will struggle this year while I reckon that Coventry, Bristol City, Doncaster and Swansea will also find it hard. Predicting is never an easy game and making a prediction for this year’s Championship could be described as foolhardy but here goes anyway.

Going Up
1. Newcastle United
2. Cardiff City
3. Sheffield United
Going Down
22. Coventry City
23. Blackpool
24. Scunthorpe

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thick and fast: Lots of games in a short period of time

a host of: Lots of; many

to bounce straight back : To be promoted immediately after a relegation; to come back

the right man for the job: A suitable or very good candidate for a job

‘The Baggies’: The nickname for West Bromich Albion (WBA)

will go one better: The team will be promoted

the top flight : The Premier League

‘The Blades’: Nickname of Sheffield United

via the play-offs: A set of matches at the end of the season to decide which team should get the third promotion spot.

have invested in: Have spent money on

I am tipping: I am predicting

dark horses: A team that is not among the favourites to do well but may surprise

going down: To be relegated

foolhardy: Crazy, stupid

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It seems that America is fallng out of love with David Beckham. Read the article on the former England captain’s current troubles at his club LA Galaxy. Vocabulary in bold is explained at the end of the post to help you with comprehension.

David Beckham’s return to LA after his Italian break has not proved to be as welcoming as he might have expected. First on the attack was newly-restored Galaxy captain Landon Donovan who questioned Beckham’s commitment to the team after the former England captain extended his stay at Serie A side AC Milan at the end of last season. Next up were the New York fans who made Beckham’s first MLS appearance for nearly six months an uncomfortable one in Galaxy’s 3-1 victory last week. Then, in his first game back at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles, ‘Becks’ was constantly jeered by his own supporters leading to an ugly incident with a fan at half-time. Beckham didn’t actually hit anyone – unlike one of his England colleague’s – but when you are given the task of bringing the game to the USA and a $250 million dollar contract is involved then something is seriously amiss in the Kingdom of Becks.

There is some sympathy for Beckham.  After all, the standard of football in Italy is clearly better than that of the MLS and ‘Becks’ realised that he could still play at a decent level and maybe even feature in the next World Cup. Landon Donovan’s comments stem from jealousy at his own poor efforts of making it in Europe, while the fans’ reaction has been predictable but at the same time rather laughable as they attempt to create an atmosphere where one clearly does not exist. But Beckham is also to blame.

He should not have reacted to the drunken taunts of the fans – though the constant verbal abuse that players have to endure deserves some sympathy – but instead should have walked away. Unless of course he was interested in provoking something other than a drunken member of the ‘LA Riot Squad’. The whole episode feels as if it has been stage managed by Becks’ real team – not LA Galaxy but those that work for ‘FC Brand Beckham’. What better way to defend yourself over criticism of lacking passion for the club than by taking on a fan – even if it was not a Cantona-style kung-fu attack. But we all know the real reason for this altercation – and really, that’s all it was despite the hand-wringing from fans and journalists, Becks wants a move away from Los Angeles and the MLS and what ‘Becks’ wants, ‘Becks’ usually gets. Rumours of a return to Milan are getting louder while Manchester City are also said to be interested in bringing Beckham home when the MLS season comes to an end in October. One thing is for sure however, David Beckham’s days in the MLS are numbered.

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Vocabulary

newly-restored: recently re-appointed, became captain again

extended his stay: lengthened his stay, stayed longer than originally agreed

constantly jeered: booed by the fans throughout the game

something is seriously amiss: There is a big problem

feature in the next World Cup: Wants to play in the next World Cup

stem from: Come from

drunken taunts: Verbal abuse from drunk fans

stage managed: Has been deliberately set up or organised

altercation: a fight, quarrell, angry discussion

hand-wringing: To be distressed or very upset

days in the MLS are numbered.: He won’t be staying long in the MLS

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