The world cup of soccer is set to take place in June, 2014 – without Canada.
The World Cup of Soccer happens every four years. It’s one of the most watched sporting events in the world. The next World Cup will be in Brazil, in South America.
The World Cup offers 32 teams the chance to compete in the World Cup Finals for the glory of being the best soccer nation.
To get there, though, teams have to compete through a qualification phase. This phase takes place over the three years leading up to the tournament.
Canada was recently knocked out of the qualification phase. This means they will not be taking part in the 2014 World Cup.
Canada had been in a favorable position to move on. They were placed in a qualifying group that included Panama, Cuba and Honduras.
This qualifying round went fairly smoothly for Canada.
First, they beat Cuba.
Next, they defeated Panama 2-0.
Then they tied Honduras 0-0 at home but they underperformed in a 2-0 loss in Panama City.
Finally, with their last game versus Honduras, all they needed was a tie or a win to move on to the last round of qualifying.
Hopes were high as Canada held their fate in their own hands. They were playing for a chance take part in their first World Cup since 1986.
The Hondurans, looking to please their fans on an extended national holiday, needed a win to move on. Canada knew it would be in a tough battle.
In the end, the dreams of World Cup play for Canada were smashed. Honduras beat Canada 8-1.
Canada will now have to wait for the qualifying round for the 2018 World Cup.
In the wake of the disappointing defeat to Honduras, Canada’s head coach Stephen Hart resigned.
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
By Jonathan Tilly
Writing/Discussion Prompt
At school, many children play soccer at every recess. It is a very popular sport. However, sports programs on TV and radio rarely feature stories about soccer. Why do you think that is?
Reading Prompt: Comprehension Strategy
Today’s article contained lots of information about how teams qualify for the World Cup. Did you find it confusing? What things did the author do to help the reader understand?
Primary, Junior, & Intermediate
Identify a variety of reading comprehension strategies and use them appropriately before, during, and after reading to understand texts (OME, Reading: 1.3)
Grammar Feature: Verbs
Verbs are action words and every sentence needs one. What verbs might you read in an article about soccer? Make a list of ten “soccer verbs.” Reread today’s article and compare your list to the article. Were all of your list words used?
