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Vasco's Penalty Record Gives Hope Before Copa do Brasil Clash

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Vasco da Gama is a football club from Brazil.

Vasco will play against Vitória in the Copa do Brasil.

The Copa do Brasil is a big football competition in Brazil.

If the game is a draw, the two teams may go to penalties.

Vasco has good news about penalties.

The team has not lost a penalty shootout for more than 1,200 days.

This is a very long time.

Goalkeeper Léo Jardim is important for this good record.

People say he is Vasco's trump card.

A trump card means a strong advantage.

Vasco also picked its starting lineup for the game.

Player Spinelli will start the match.

Some people used artificial intelligence to guess the result.

The AI made a prediction for the match.

Fans are excited before the big game.

Vocabulary15 words

competition
a contest between teams to win
penalties
special kicks used to decide a winner
penalty shootout
a series of penalty kicks to find a winner
trump card
something that gives you a big advantage
starting lineup
the players who begin the game
artificial intelligence
computer programs that can think like humans
prediction
a guess about what will happen
goalkeeper
the player who stops the ball from entering the goal
record
a fact about past results
draw
when both teams have the same score
club
a sports team organization
match
a single game
advantage
something that helps you win
excited
feeling very happy and interested
important
very needed or valuable

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Quiz

1. What is Vasco's special record?
2. Who is called Vasco's 'trump card'?
3. True or false: Artificial intelligence made a prediction for the match.

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Fill-in-the-blank listening

Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.

Vasco da Gama is a football club from _____.

Vasco will play against _____ in the Copa do Brasil.

If the game is a draw, the two teams may go to _____.

The team has not lost a penalty _____ for more than 1,200 days.

Goalkeeper _____ is important for this good record.

People say he is Vasco's _____ card.

Vasco also picked its starting _____ for the game.

Player _____ will start the match.

Some people used artificial _____ to guess the result.

The AI made a _____ for the match.

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