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Choose the best response for each sentence.
The World Cup: Vocabulary 3
level: B2/C1Choose the best response for each sentence.
1. If a team works incredibly hard and gives maximum effort, fans might say they “left it all on the ________.”
Correct answer: pitch
2. When a player accidentally kicks the ball into their own team's goal, it's called an “________ goal.”
Correct answer: own
3. A match with no goals scored by either team is often described as “________-nil.”
Correct answer: nil
4. If a team is expected to lose but still has a real chance of winning, they are called the ________.
Correct answer: underdog
5. “It's not over until the final ________!” is a common saying about not giving up too early.
Correct answer: whistle
6. A goalkeeper who doesn't let the other team score any goals in a match is said to have kept a “________ sheet.”
Correct answer: clean
7. When commentators say a player “found the back of the ________,” they mean the player scored a goal.
Correct answer: net
8. If you regularly cheer for and follow a particular team, you are a ________ of that team.
Correct answer: supporter
9. Before kickoff, the two team captains meet for the ________ to decide which side starts with the ball.
Correct answer: coin toss
10. After an extremely exciting and close match, commentators might call it a “________.”
Correct answer: nail-biter
Did you know?
Football (soccer) has given English many expressions that are now used far beyond the sport — even by people who never watch a match. If someone says a situation is “a different ball game” or that the rules have been changed unfairly by “moving the goalposts,” they're borrowing language straight from football. Learning these idioms doesn't just help you enjoy the World Cup — it helps you understand everyday English conversations, news headlines, and informal writing too.
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