Soccer fans have a can’t-miss match this Sunday when powerhouses Spain and Italy clash in the Euro 2012 championship game. The battleground for this exciting match will be the Olympic Stadium of Kiev, Ukraine. Spain is the favorite team and defending champion, but Italy has exhibited great performances throughout the tournament.
The lackluster history of the Spain national soccer team has been full of disappointments. However, the current generation of Spaniard players is reshaping that history. The Spaniards have conquered the two previous major soccer tournaments, Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010, and they aspire to raise their third trophy in a row.
On the other hand, Italy has been a perennial contender in Euro and World cups. Italy slammed Germany in the semis with two outstanding goals from forward Mario Balotelli, and paved the way for the championship game against Spain. The Tifosi (die-hard Italian supporters) are hungry for revenge because Spain eliminated Italy in penalty kicks in the Euro 2008.
For American viewers, the game will be transmitted by ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 2:30 p.m. ET (free online on espn.com and espndeportes.com).
Spain is the favorite and defending champion, but Italy has exhibited great performances throughout the tournament.
ReplyDeleteThe lackluster history of the Spanish national soccer team has been full of disappointments. However, the current generation of Spanish players is reshaping that history. The Spaniards have conquered the two previous major soccer tournaments, Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010, and they aspire to capture/win/take home their third trophy in a row.
Really excellent, Alex. I was starting to wonder if you had stolen it from a sports website.:-) Your "favorite team" was fine but simply "favorite" sounds better to me. We don't say "raise a trophy" but I gave you some alternatives.
Some people write Spain national team... or USA national team... what is the difference with Spanish national team?
ReplyDeleteIs the second Spaniards correct? I shouldn't have used that word, it sounds like Roman gladiators.
Thanks for the corrections.
I think "USA" is more acceptable as an adjective because "American" can be misunderstood. I'm sure many people use "Spain" as you did, but "Spanish" sounds a lot better to me.
DeleteYes, your second usage of "Spaniards" was perfect and normal-sounding.