Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:02 — 1.4MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Pandora | iHeartRadio | Blubrry | Podchaser | Podcast Index | TuneIn | Deezer | Youtube Music | RSS | More
Here is the second in our series of short listening reports that look back at the Brazil 2014 World Cup. After looking at the fans in the previous report this time we ask what was the good, the bad and the ugly of the tournament? You can listen to the report by clicking on the link above and can read the transcript of the report (below) where you will also find explanations of key vocabulary (in bold), as well as an online quiz.
World Cup 2014 Review: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Good
Well, so many good things emerged from the Brazil tournament: the wonderful goals, the amazing colour and noise of the fans, the fantastic stadiums, some great goalkeeping performances and, of course, the worthy winners Germany. It was also a good competition for CONCACAF as three of their four representatives made it through to the knock-out stages with Costa Rica even managing to go all the way to the quarter-finals before falling to the Dutch on penalties; while James RodrÃguez ended the tournament as a star complete with the Golden Boot award and a multi-million pound transfer to Real Madrid.
The Bad
It was not a good World Cup for holders, and many people’s favourites, Spain, as they crashed out of the competition at the group stage. Thrashed 5-1 by Holland in their first game they never recovered and were dumped out of the tournament by Chile after a 0-2 defeat in their second game and like Italy four years previously they suffered the curse of the champions. There were poor performances from other so-called powerhouses of European football- namely Italy, England and Portugal who all failed to progress to the second round. But perhaps the worst of them all was Brazil’s 1-7 demolition by Germany in the semi-final that was then followed by a 0-3 defeat at the hands of the Dutch in the third-place play-off. An embarrassing end for the hosts to what was supposed to have been a glorious sixth world title.
The Ugly
There really was only one ugly story from the World Cup and that was Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez’ bite on Italian defender Giorgio Chielinni in their Group D game.A Suárez initially protested his innocence but was eventually banned from all football activity for four months.
Vocabulary
- CONCACAF: The North and Central American region’s football organisation
- made it through to the knock-out stages: Qualified for the second round
- falling to: Losing to
- demolition: Heavy defeat
- at the hands of: Against
Related Links
- Predictions competition
- 2022 World Cup: Wales and Ecuador Fans’ Predictions
- 2022 World Cup: Mexico Fan Prediction
- The language of injuries
- World Cup Brazil v Italy 1982
- World Cup resources page (lots of posts, links, podcasts and football language about the World Cup
- 2010 World Cup Quarter-final Netherlands vs Brazil
- 2014 World Cup Group Stage: Spain vs Netherlands
- 1986 World Cup Quiz
- 1930 World Cup Quiz
- 1982 World Cup Quiz
- FIFA World Cup 1982
Well summarised review!
Thank you for the kind words.