England Beat Croatia to Secure Nations League Qualification
Listen to the story
England have beaten Croatia again in the Nations League, stopping Croatia from getting revenge.
The two teams had met before, when England won by a big score of 7-0.
Croatia hoped to win this time and get revenge for that heavy loss.
However, England won the match again and denied Croatia the chance to come back.
This result means England have now secured qualification for the next stage of the competition.
England's captain, Harry Kane, played an important part in this story.
This match was Kane's 126th international appearance for England.
By playing this game, Kane broke a record that had stood for 37 years.
He is now the player with the most appearances in England's history.
Kane has long been known as one of England's best strikers, and he recently received the Golden Ball award.
His record-breaking appearance came at a good moment, right after this personal honor.
England's performance shows they remain one of the strongest teams in the Nations League.
Fans and pundits praised both the team's win and Kane's new record.
The result will boost England's confidence as they prepare for the next round of matches.
Vocabulary11 words
- revenge
- trying to win back after losing before
- denied
- stopped someone from getting something
- secured qualification
- made sure of a place in the next stage
- international
- between national teams from different countries
- strikers
- players whose job is to score goals
- award
- a prize given for doing something well
- record
- the best known result in something
- captain
- the team leader on the field
- performance
- how well a team or player played
- pundits
- experts who talk about sports on TV or in news
- Nations League
- a football tournament for national teams
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Quiz
Answer key
1. 7-0 to England 2. 126 3. True
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
England have beaten Croatia again in the Nations League, stopping Croatia from getting _____.
The two teams had met before, when England won by a big score of _____.
Croatia hoped to win this time and get revenge for that heavy _____.
England won the match again and _____ Croatia the chance to come back.
This result means England have now secured _____ for the next stage.
This match was Kane's 126th _____ appearance for England.
By playing this game, Kane broke a record that had stood for _____ years.
He is now the player with the most _____ in England's history.
Kane has long been known as one of England's best _____.
The result will boost England's confidence as they prepare for the next round of _____.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think revenge matches are exciting for fans?
- What makes a player like Harry Kane important to a national team?
- Do you think breaking records matters more to players or fans? Why?
- How can one win affect a team's confidence for future matches?
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