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This week, the Canadian women’s soccer team got in trouble.
The New Zealand team saw a drone watching their practice and told someone. French officials found out someone with the Canadian team was controlling the drone.
After that, two staff from the Canadian team were sent home. The head coach, Bev Priestman, did not coach the first game against New Zealand. Later, she was sent home from the Olympics, too.
The same spying happened at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and a game against Panama in 2022. The Canada men’s team also filmed the US team’s practice in 2019 and a game against Honduras in 2021.
One person said they lost their job when they did not want to film other teams for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Kevin Blue, the CEO of Canada Soccer, said they are trying to learn more about this problem.
FIFA is also learning more about what happened.
Even with these problems, the Canadian women’s team won against New Zealand 2-1. They also won against France and Colombia. Canada will play against Germany on August 3.
Vocabulary
- Get in trouble – When you do something wrong and someone, like a teacher, parent or boss talks to you about it and/or punishes you
- Drone – an aircraft/vehicle that does not have a pilot/driver but is controlled by someone far away/remotely
- Official – a person who works for the government or a government company and has power or authority; officer; executive
- Find out – discover; learn; understand
- Control – To make something do what you want it to; to “drive” or “pilot”;
- Staff – The people who work for a company or organization; workers
- Send home – to tell someone to leave work early or to go back home; To make someone leave
- Head – leader, top person, boss
- Coach – team manager; the boss of a team; someone who supports you
- Coach – to train or teach athletes; to organize and/or manage a team; to lead a team
- Spy – To secretly watch someone to learn their secrets; to watch someone when they don’t know you are watching
- Film – To record video with a camera
- Lose your job – To no longer have a job; to be fired; to be let go by your company
- CEO (Chief Executive officer) – the top person in a large company; president; boss
- Even – also; used to show that something is surprising, unusual, unexpected, or extreme
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think the New Zealand team told someone about the drone?
- Do you think it was fair to send the Canadian staff home? Why or why not?
- What should happen to teams who get caught spying?
- Is it okay to win a game even if you cheated?
- English teachers looking for teaching ideas, check out my post on using easy news articles for lessons.
- English learners looking for study ideas, check out my post on using news stories for English practice.
Original Story
Fill-in-the-Blank Listening Practice
This _____, the Canadian women’s soccer team got in trouble.
The New Zealand team _____ a drone watching their practice and told someone. _____ officials found out someone with the Canadian team was _____ the drone.
After that, two staff from the Canadian _____ were sent home. The head coach, Bev Priestman, did not _____ the first game against New Zealand. Later, she was sent home from the Olympics, _____.
The same spying happened at the _____ Tokyo Olympics and a game against Panama in 2022. The Canada men’s team also _____ the US team’s practice in 2019 and a game against Honduras in _____.
One person said they _____ their job when they did not want to film other teams for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
_____ Blue, the CEO of Canada Soccer, said they are trying to learn more about this _____.
FIFA is also learning more _____ what happened.
Even with these problems, the Canadian women’s team _____ against New Zealand 2-1. They also won against France and Colombia. Canada will _____ against Germany on August 3.
