Football Legend Kazu, 59, Meets Young Player, 16, at Emperor's Cup
Listen to the story
Kazuyoshi Miura is a famous football player in Japan. People call him Kazu. He is 59 years old. He still plays football.
Kazu played in a big match called the Emperor's Cup. This is a top football tournament in Japan.
A young player named Shingu Mitsui was also at the match. He is only 16 years old. There is a 43-year age gap between them.
The two players did not play against each other on the field. But after the match, they met and gave each other a hug.
Kazu and Shingu also did a shirt exchange. This means they gave each other their football shirts. It is a sign of respect.
About 7,500 people watched the match. Japan's TV station NHK also showed the game live on TV. This shows how popular Kazu still is.
Kazu said he was happy to greet the young player well. He said he hopes they can play on the same field one day.
Vocabulary6 words
- Kazu
- a nickname for a person named Kazuyoshi
- Emperor's Cup
- a big yearly football competition in Japan
- tournament
- a competition with many games
- age gap
- the difference in years between two people
- shirt exchange
- when two players swap their sports shirts after a game
- NHK
- a big TV company in Japan
Quiz
Answer key
1. 59 2. They exchanged shirts and hugged 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Kazuyoshi Miura is a famous football player in Japan. People call him _____. He is _____ years old. He still plays football.
Kazu played in a big match called the _____. This is a top football tournament in Japan.
A young player named Shingu Mitsui was also at the match. He is only _____ years old. There is a _____ age gap between them.
The two players did not play against each other on the field. But after the match, they met and gave each other a _____.
Kazu and Shingu also did a _____. This means they gave each other their football shirts.
About _____ people watched the match. Japan's TV station _____ also showed the game live on TV.
Kazu said he was happy to greet the young player well. He said he hopes they can play on the same _____ one day.