A football commentary

Glossary

The following words will be used in the test below.

bar

Metal structure of the goal

blast

Hit with strong force

book

write down their name in an official record because they have done something wrong

bounce

move up or away after hitting a surface

chip

hit the ball in a high arc

clear

remove from place

close

near

controversy

disagreement on a contentious topic,

cross

to move something from one side to the other

disallow

to refuse to accept something because it is not valid,

disjointed

Without unity

drop

Let fall

equalise

achieve same score

fashion

to give shape or form to something

foul

to act illegally against an opposing player, or violate a rule of a sport

header

shot with head

intercept

to prevent people or objects from reaching their destination or target by stopping, diverting, or seizing them

latch

Close tightly

lead

guide

mount

begin course of action

net

goal

pass

give ball to player

penalise

impose a penalty on somebody or something for breaking a law or rule

pinpoint

to identify or locate something accurately

prod

incite somebody to action

punch

hit somebody or something with the fist

rejoin

return to somebody after being apart: 

replacement

substitute

save

rescue somebody or something

scrappy

poorly held together

shooting

kick ball to get point

short of

having less than needed

strike

hit

treatment

medical care

twist

rotate

whip

strike very hard

win

achieve victory

zest

enthusiasm

Complete the following football commentary with the most suitable word.

Press the button EVALUATE to check if the answers are correct.

Press the button RESET to cancel the wrong answers.

  1. 1000 BST: English referee Graham Poll __________ the game underway on a very pleasant Japanese evening.
    moves     gets    whips    rejoins   

  2. 1 min: Alen Boksic __________ a corner for Croatia, but the Italian defence deals with the danger fairly comfortably.
    gets    strikes    equalises    wins   

  3. 2 mins: Francesco Totti is __________ by Stjepan Tomas on the edge of the box.
    led    fouled    shot     won   

  4. Totti picks himself up and __________ the kick straight into the well-organised Croatian wall.
    twists    shorts   equalises    blasts   

  5. 4 mins: Gianluca Zambrotta __________ his body to fire in a shot which forces a save from Stipe Pletikosa.
    bounces    twists    finds    sits    

  6. 9 mins: Christian Panucci hits in a __________ from the right hand side which just eludes the head of Christian Vieri.
    latch    whip    cross    foul  

  7. 11 mins: Paolo Maldini is __________ for a foul on Davor Vugrinec on the right-hand side.
    striken   chipped    penalised    controversy   

  8. Croatia win a corner from the resulting free-kick, and the Italian defence __________, although not entirely convincingly.
    fashions     rejoins     plays     clears   

  9. 12 mins: Robert Jarni fires high over the __________ from 30 yards.
    bar    ground     penalty     corner    

  10. 14 mins: Croatian goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa has to save with his legs from Cristiano Doni who __________ the first genuine opportunity of the game.
    disallows    pinpoints    fashions    prods  

  11. Doni bursts through some pretty tame Croatian tackling before __________ the ball goalwards, but Pletikosa stops the shot.
    prodding    twisting    intercepting     saving   

  12. Fabio Cannavaro produces a fine __________ to clear the danger.
    rejoining    interception    twist    mount    

  13. 20 mins: It has been a __________ game, but Croatia can take credit for putting the Italians under pressure in the midfield.
    fouled    scrappy    striking    controversial    

  14. 21 mins: Davor Vugrinec __________ a powerful shot from 25 yards, but Gianluigi Buffon in the Italian goal has a good view of the ball and saves comfortably.
    moves     strikes    passes     mounts   

  15. 23 mins: Marco Materazzi comes on as a __________ for Alessandro Nesta, who appears to have picked up a leg injury.
    bar     replacement    booked    player    

  16. 26 mins: Croatia come desperately __________ to scoring as Milan Rapaic feeds in Davor Vugrinec whose shots beats Gianluigi Buffon, but is hoofed clear by Marco Materazzi, with Alen Boksic lurking.
    close    well     there     in    

  17. The three combine again on 28 minutes, a move which ends with Vugrinec __________ at Gianluigi Buffon.
    punching     shooting    rejoining    equalising    

  18. 31 mins: Italy __________ their first attack for several minutes, with Cristiano Doni passing towards Christian Vieri, but the pass is overhit.
    punch    mount    intercept    equalise 

  19. 33 mins: Robert Kovac hits a long __________ to Alen Boksic who displays some good skill in the left hand channel before hitting in a dangerous cross.
    stoppage    scrappy    pass    controversy   

  20. 36 mins: Cristiano Zanetti's shot is blocked and Italy win a corner, which is __________ by the Croatian defence.
    twisted    passed    cleared    headed   

  21. 37 mins: Francesco Totti swivels well and __________ in a delicate pass which is just too strong for Christian Vieri, and Stipe Pletikosa gathers the ball.
    treats     stops    chips    gets   

  22. 42 mins: The game is stopped as Cristiano Doni receives __________, although the injury is not serious.
    pass    stopping    treatment    saving   

  23. But the Italians will be thankful for time to regroup after a __________ passage of play.
    short     disjointed    close    disallowed    

  24. 45 mins: Francesco Totti __________ in a corner which causes some worry for the Croatian defence, although they eventually get the ball clear.
    whips    fouls    prods    treats    

  25. 45 (+1) mins: Christian Panucci's dangerous cross finds Christian Vieri, but he is unable to get a clear __________ on goal.
    header    mount    shooting    treatment   

  26. The teams __________ the field, and Graham Poll's whistle gets the second half underway.
    meet     chip    rejoin    book    

  27. 47 mins: Cristiano Doni attempts an ambitious volley as the ball __________ over his shoulder, but he makes minimal contact and the ball runs through to Stipe Pletikosa.
    saves     blasts     drops    fashions    

  28. 49 mins: There is __________ as Italy's Christian Vieri heads the ball into the net - but the assistant referee flags him offside.
    mount    controversy    twist    equalise   

  29. Vieri is __________ for his protests, but television replays show that Vieri was onside.
    booked    latched    dropped    blasted    

  30. 52 mins: Milan Rapaic forces a decent __________ low to Buffon's right with a low drive from distance.
    fashion    save    blast    twist   

  31. Francesco Totti's cross from the left is too deep, but Cristiano Doni picks up the ball and delivers a __________ cross for Vieri whose looping header is perfectly placed.
    move     stoppage     pinpoint    whip   

  32. 62 mins: The Italians seem to have rediscovered their __________ for attacking.
    zest    whip    net    blast   

  33. Francesco Totti feeds Christian Vieri with a smart __________, and Vieri's cross is claimed by Stipe Pletikosa.
    pass    save    clear    close   

  34. 71 mins: Christian Vieri breaks clear to __________ on to a long pass but fires high and wide.
    latch    goal     stoppage    area    

  35. 73 mins: Ivica Olic __________ for Croatia, latching on to Robert Jarni's pinpoint cross which, for once, has the Italian defence in disarray.
    latches    equalises    mounts    chips   

  36. 76 mins: Astoundingly, Croatia score again, their second goal in three minutes, to take the __________.
    replacement    fashion    lead    twist   

  37. His initial shot is blocked, but the ball comes back to him and, off balance, he hits a looping volley over a bemused Gianluigi Buffon and into the __________.
    clear    net    stoppage    twist   

  38. 82 mins: The Italians look shell-shocked by Croatia's comeback, and seem to be a little __________ of attacking ideas.
    scrappy    short    bounced    latched   

  39. The ball __________ along the line, brushes the left-hand post, and goes out for a goal kick.
    bounces    savee    punches     blasts   

  40. 88 mins: Gianluca Zambrotta takes advantage of some hesitant Croatian defending and rifles in a shot which a diving Stipe Pletikosa __________ away.
    punches    replaces    equalises    strikes   

  41. 90 mins: Christian Panucci heads high over the bar from a corner as the assistant referee signals four minutes of __________ time.
    stoppage    treatment    interception    replacement   

  42. 90 (+2) mins: The Italians are incensed as, for the second time in the game, they get the ball into the net only to have the goal __________ ruled.
    fashionably    replaced     controversially    close    

  43. The goal is __________, apparently, for shirt-pulling from Inzaghi.
    stoppage    short     disallowed    replaced   

  44. The stunned Italians are involved in heated debate with the officials over the __________ goals - but that matters little to the joyous Croatians who join with their fans in celebration.
    passed    blasted    controversy    disallowed   


The text has been adapted from a BBC real-time commentary during the match Italy v Croatia, on Saturday, 8 June, 2002, during the World Cup 2002.