Marsch and Pochettino Trade Words Before USA vs Canada Game
Listen to the story
Canada and the United States will face each other in a football match on Tuesday.
Before the game, the two national coaches shared their thoughts about each other and about wider topics.
Canada's manager, Jesse Marsch, spoke about politics in the USA. He described it as "big talk," suggesting it involves a lot of words but perhaps less real action.
A manager is the person who leads and trains a sports team.
Meanwhile, Mauricio Pochettino, the coach of the USA team, chose a different approach.
He gave praise to Marsch, his opposite number in Tuesday's game.
An opposite number is someone who holds the same job on a rival team.
This kind of exchange is common before big international matches, where coaches are often asked about rivals.
Marsch and Pochettino are both well-known names in international football and have led major national teams.
The upcoming fixture between Canada and the USA is expected to attract strong interest from fans in both countries.
A fixture is a sports match that has been planned for a certain date.
Games between neighboring nations often carry extra excitement because of history and rivalry between the teams.
Rivalry means strong competition between two sides who want to beat each other.
While Marsch's comment touched on politics, Pochettino kept his remarks focused on football and respect for his fellow coach.
Fans will now wait to see how the two teams perform on the pitch, and whether the coaches' words will shape the mood of the match.
Both managers are expected to name their final squads shortly before kickoff on Tuesday.
Vocabulary10 words
- manager
- the person who leads and trains a sports team
- opposite number
- someone who holds the same job on a rival team
- fixture
- a sports match planned for a certain date
- rivalry
- strong competition between two sides
- politics
- the activities of government and leaders
- praise
- kind words said about someone's skill or character
- international
- involving more than one country
- squad
- the group of players chosen for a team
- kickoff
- the start of a football match
- remark
- a short comment someone makes
Quiz
Answer key
1. Canada manager 2. As "big talk" 3. He praised Marsch
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Canada and the United States will face each other in a football _____ on Tuesday.
Before the game, the two national coaches shared their _____ about each other.
Canada's manager, Jesse Marsch, spoke about _____ in the USA.
He described it as "big talk," suggesting it involves a lot of _____.
Mauricio Pochettino, the coach of the USA team, chose a different _____.
He gave _____ to Marsch, his opposite number.
An opposite number is someone who holds the same _____ on a rival team.
Games between neighboring nations often carry extra excitement because of _____.
While Marsch's comment touched on politics, Pochettino kept his remarks focused on _____.
Both managers are expected to name their final _____ shortly before kickoff.
Discussion questions
- Do you think coaches should comment on politics before sports events? Why or why not?
- Why do you think games between neighboring countries like Canada and the USA attract extra attention?
- What do you think makes a good relationship between rival coaches?
- How might comments made before a match affect the players or fans?
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