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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: LA Galaxy, Chelsea and Real Madrid

In this week’s review section we look back at some of the big stories from the world of football to help learners of English improve their vocabulary. This week we congratulate MLS champions LA Galaxy, lament the performances of Man City and Chelsea in the Champions League and wonder what will happen at Real Madrid. You can find explanations of key vocabulary in bold below.

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Good

Congratulations to the LA Galaxy who won their second MLS title in a row after coming from behind to beat Houston Dynamo 3-1. Goals from Gonzalez, Donovan and Keane gave the Californian side their fourth US title and allowed David Beckham to leave on a high after six years of service at the club.

Bad

A bad week for English teams in the Champions League with Man Utd losing at home and Arsenal away though both of these teams are through to the knock-out stages. Not so Manchester City who finished bottom of their group with the lowest ever points tally for an English team in the Champions League, while holders Chelsea also failed to make the knock-out stage despite winning their final game 6-1. This was the first time that the previous winners of the Champions League trophy had failed to make it through the group stage.

Ugly

It is getting ugly at Real Madrid where it has been suggested that both coach Jose Mourinho and star player Ronaldo are on their way out of the club. The holders of the Spanish title are 11 points behind rivals Barcelona and many are blaming Jose’s abrasive style of management for creating unrest at the club. It will be interesting to see where both Portuguese stars will end up at the end of the season.

Vocabulary

in a row: Consecutively

to leave on a high: In a very positive manner

points tally: points total

creating unrest: Causing trouble

on their way out of the club: Leaving Real Madrid

abrasive style: Not something smooth but rather harsh.

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