Japanese Football Star Leaves Club, Former Player Says It Is a Big Loss
Listen to the story
A former player is sad about a Japanese footballer leaving his old club.
People say the player was even better than Hidetoshi Nakata. Nakata was a famous Japanese player in the past.
The former player said the club lost an important player. He said, 'It is not easy to find a player at the same level.'
This news comes from a website about Japanese football abroad.
The website also talked about other Japanese players in England.
At Aston Villa, goalkeeper Zion Suzuki was on the bench. He did not play.
At Liverpool, Wataru Endo was also on the bench. He did not get to play.
At Brighton, Kaoru Mitoma was not even in the squad for the game.
Many Japanese players now play in top European leagues.
Fans in Japan follow these players every week.
Vocabulary10 words
- former
- in the past; not now
- lost
- does not have something anymore
- level
- how good someone is at something
- football
- a sport played with a ball and two teams
- goalkeeper
- the player who stops the ball from going in the goal
- bench
- where players sit when they are not playing
- squad
- all the players on a team
- transfer
- when a player moves to a new club
- legend
- a very famous and important person
- club
- a sports team that people play for
Quiz
Answer key
1. The club lost an important player 2. Hidetoshi Nakata 3. False
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
A _____ player is sad about a Japanese footballer leaving his old club.
People say the player was even better than Hidetoshi _____.
The former player said the club _____ an important player.
He said, 'It is not easy to find a player at the same _____.'
At Aston Villa, _____ Zion Suzuki was on the bench.
At Liverpool, Wataru Endo was also on the _____.
At Brighton, Kaoru Mitoma was not even in the _____ for the game.
Many Japanese players now play in top European _____.