VOICE ONE:
The United States soccer team did very well in the World CupChampionship in South Korea and Japan last month. This surprisedmany Americans. I’m Sarah Long.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Steve Ember. Soccer in the United States is our reporttoday on the VOA Special English program THIS IS AMERICA.
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VOICE ONE:
Nobody was more surprised than the American public at the successof its soccer team in the World Cup championship. Often successtakes a great deal of time to develop in international soccer-orfootball as it is known to all non-Americans. Also, there are manyways to measure success in a competition that is also the world’smost watched event.
Many Americans do not realize that, early in the competition,many of the best teams in the world do not win all their games. Inreality, most teams hope to score the same number of goals as theiropponent, which is called playing to a tie.
The two-thousand-two World Cup started with few people expectingthe United States to do well. However, these low expectationsalready represent a success. The World Cup competition is actuallythe World Cup final. Teams that make the final have played in areacompetitions for three years to earn the right to play in the final.
VOICE TWO:
This year, the United States finished third in the Confederationof North, Central American and Caribbean Football Associationcompetition. Their performance was just good enough to include themamong teams in the World Cup final.
The head of the American team, Bruce Arena (ah-REE-nah) chose amixture of older and younger players to be on the final team. Thecoach also included several members who play professionally inEurope. He mixed experienced players with younger players.
VOICE ONE:
In their first game, the Americans surprised one of Europe’sleading teams, Portugal, three-to-two. American John O’Brien madethe first goal in only the fourth minute of the game.
Another young player, LandonDonovan, scored in the thirtieth minute.
Brian McBride made the finalAmerican goal in only the thirty-sixth minute of the first half.
The Portuguese team was shocked. They made a great offensiveeffort. Yet, Portugal made only one goal offensively. An Americanplayer accidentally scored the second Portuguese goal.
VOICE TWO:
In the next game, South Korea was the opponent for the UnitedStates. Both sides made goals in the first half. The rest of thegame, including extra time, was a defensive effort. The one-to-onetie left both teams with a good chance to continue in thecompetition.
Yet, in their next game, the Americans appeared to lose allchance of going on to the next level of the competition. The firstpart of the World Cup final matches teams playing in eight groups offour teams. The top two teams from each group continue in thecompetition. Each team that loses is out. Each team that wins moveson to play one of the winners. This is the second level or the”knock-out stage” of the competition.
VOICE ONE:
Poland was America’s last opponent in group D. Poland had lostboth its games and could not move on. Yet, the United States playedvery poorly and lost three-to-one. It appeared that it would notreach the “knock-out stage” of the competition.
Then came another shocking result. Portugal lost to South Koreaone-to-zero. Most experts had chosen Portugal to win group D.Portugal had one of the world’s best players in Luis Figo (lou-EESFEE-go). Yet, Portugal’s two losses meant that America wouldcontinue to the “knock-out stage.”
Soccer is often called a game of luck. The Americans enjoyed somegood luck by continuing to the next level of the competition.However, they made the best of what luck gave them.
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VOICE TWO:
The American team’s next opponent was Mexico. The two NorthAmerican nations had played each other several times. Mexico hadalso surprised the world by taking first place in group G, whichincluded powerful Italy.
Mexico pressured the United States in the first minutes of thegame. However, luck changed quickly and American team captainClaudio Reyna (CLOU-dee-oh RAY-nah) made a long run toward theMexican goal. He passed the ball to Brian McBride who made a goal inonly the eighth minute.
Mexico kept the ball for most ofthe game, pushing the ball forward offensively and trying to get thetying goal. But, a second American goal came just as suddenly as thefirst. Landon Donovan made the final goal of the game in thesixty-fifth minute.
The Americans held the ball only one-third of the time, but wonthe game two-to-zero. They had defeated a strong team from Mexico.
VOICE ONE:
The victory over Mexico put the United States among the lasteight teams remaining in the competition. This would be the team’sbest finish in the World Cup since nineteen-thirty. In that year,the United States was among the final four teams, losing only toArgentina.
However, the next opponent was Germany. The German team has afine tradition in international soccer and has won the World Cupthree times.
The United States played its best game of the World Cup againstGermany. The team pressed the German defenders and tried to scorequickly. Landon Donovan and team captain Claudio Reyna had goodchances to make a goal in the first thirty minutes.
However, German player Michael Ballack (BAL-ahk) scored the onlygoal of the game in the thirty-ninth minute. The United States camevery close to tying the score. But, German goal-keeper Oliver Kahnwas too strong. Kahn would win the award for best goal-keeper ofthis year’s World Cup. Experts agreed that the game between Germanyand the United States was one of the best of the World Cup.
VOICE TWO:
The two-thousand-two World Cup was a huge success for the UnitedStates. Yet, the last two World Cups have been successes as well.The United States has made the final field of teams for every WorldCup since Nineteen-Ninety. Traditional soccer powers France andEngland have not done that. Only one team, Brazil, has played in allthe World Cup Final competitions.
For Americans, this World Cup will be remembered as a greatsuccess. And for the first time, sports experts in America mayfinally understand the key to success in World Cup competition. Itis being able to succeed beyond everyone’s expectations.
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VOICE ONE:
Many sports experts say that the American public has never shownmuch interest in soccer. However, experts say this is only true ofolder Americans. They never played soccer when they were children.They did not grow up with the sport as people in other countrieshave. Sports like American football, baseball and basketball havealways been more popular in the United States than soccer.
The International Federation of Football Association, or FIFA(FEE-fuh), keeps records of soccer activities around the world. FIFAsays the United States has more official soccer players than anyother nation in the world – almost eighteen-million.
The United States Soccer Federation also says abouteighteen-million people today play soccer in the United States. Butthose who play are very young. Seventy-eight percent are under theage of eighteen.
VOICE TWO:
Sports experts say these children are making the sport morepopular in the United States. The experts say soccer has becomepopular with children because almost anyone can play. There areteams for girls, boys, older children and young adults. ManyAmericans are becoming interested in soccer because their childrenplay. This has produced a new American expression, “soccer mom.”This is a mother who spends a lot of time driving her children tosoccer games and watching them compete.
The United States Soccer Federation says it is helping childrenimprove their playing skills. It provides special training for youngplayers at soccer camps during the summer.
Federation officials say the United States may one day have aWorld Cup champion team, but it will be sometime in the future.Soccer fans in the United States will have to wait until youngsoccer players grow up playing the world’s most popular sport.
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VOICE ONE:
This program was written by Mario Ritter. It was produced byGeorge Grow. I’m Sarah Long.
VOICE TWO
And I’m Steve Ember. Join us again next week for another reportabout life in the United States on the VOA Special English programTHIS IS AMERICA.