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Santos to Field Neymar as Starter in Sul-Americana Match

a person's legs and feet on a football ball in a field
Photo by Ab Naveed on Unsplash
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Santos will not rest star forward Neymar for their upcoming match against Macará in the Copa Sul-Americana.

The Sul-Americana is a major South American football tournament. Teams from several countries compete for the title.

Neymar has been training with the club, and he is expected to be part of the starting lineup for the game.

Santos's coaching staff decided to keep Neymar on the field instead of giving him a rest.

This decision shows that the club considers the match against Macará very important for their campaign in the tournament.

Details about the match include the kickoff time, where fans can watch it live, and predictions for the result.

Journalists have also shared the probable lineups for both teams ahead of the game.

Neymar's presence on the field is seen as a boost for Santos, since he is one of the most famous players in Brazilian football.

Fans are excited to see him play a full role in this fixture, rather than being left on the bench.

The match is part of Santos's continuing effort to advance in the Sul-Americana competition.

Vocabulary10 words

Neymar
a very famous football player from Brazil
Sul-Americana
a big South American football competition
starting lineup
the players who begin the game
coaching staff
the group of people who lead the team
kickoff time
when the game starts
predictions
guesses about what will happen
probable lineups
the likely list of players for each team
fixture
a planned sports match
competition
a contest between teams
campaign
a team's effort during a season or tournament

Quiz

1. What decision did Santos make about Neymar?
2. What is the Sul-Americana?
3. True or False: Neymar has been training with the team before the match.

Fill-in-the-blank listening

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

Santos will not rest star forward _____ for their upcoming match against Macará.

This is a game in the Copa _____.

The Sul-Americana is a major South American football _____.

Neymar has been training with the club, and he is expected to be part of the _____.

Santos's _____ decided to keep Neymar on the field instead of resting him.

Details about the match include the _____, where to watch it, and predictions.

Journalists have also shared the _____ for both teams.

Neymar's presence on the field is seen as a boost for Santos.

Fans are excited to see him play a full role in this _____.

The match is part of Santos's continuing effort in the Sul-Americana _____.

Discussion questions

  1. Why might a coach decide not to rest a star player before an important match?
  2. What do you think makes Neymar such a popular player in Brazil?
  3. How important do you think the Sul-Americana tournament is for Brazilian clubs?
  4. Do you follow football predictions before matches? Why or why not?

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Santos to Field Neymar as Starter in Sul-Americana Match - Practice English with News