THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary - June 14, 2018 - Topic 2
The 2018 FIFA World Cup begins in Russia in a
flurry of excitement. That there is no single, overwhelming favourite to win
the trophy has only added to the appeal of what is cracked up as the world’s
biggest sporting event. Brazil, the most successful World Cup team of all time,
appears revived after a humiliating semifinal loss on home soil four years ago.
Tite, the manager, has made the world fall in love with the Selecao again,
shunning the dull style of his predecessor Dunga and helping produce some captivating
football.
Germany, the reigning champion and the side that inflicted a 7-1
defeat on Brazil in Belo Horizonte, has looked far from its best in its last
few friendly matches. But this is a world-class side with gifted, young players
and is supremely organised. Spain, revitalised after two poor tournaments,
sacked its manager Julen Lopetegui for signing on as manager of club powerhouse
Real Madrid. With a squad featuring several Madrid and Barcelona players, the
decision was made to retain team cohesion, which helped it sail through the
qualifiers. France comes with a roster full of frightening, jaw-dropping
talent, but that alone — as the Euro 2016 final demonstrated — is never enough.
Then there are Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, widely regarded as the
greatest players of the modern era, who could well be appearing in a World Cup
for the last time.
Messi has recently endured much heartbreak on
national duty, Argentina finishing runner-up at the 2014 World Cup and the 2015
and 2016 editions of the Copa America. In the last of those finals, Messi
missed a penalty in the shootout, after which he announced his retirement. But
the little magician from Rosario was persuaded to return. It is flawed to
contend that Messi needs a World Cup win to be considered among the best of all
time. Football, after all, is not an individual sport; but there is no denying
that such a triumph will immortalise him in the hearts of Argentine fans.
Ronaldo, fresh off Champions League glory with Real Madrid, continues to spearhead
Portugal’s challenge, displaying a phenomenal level of fitness and skill even
at 33. For host Russia, the tournament is an opportunity to showcase itself to
the world at a time when its relations with the West are severely strained. Its
sporting reputation needs repairing too after a massive doping scandal. The
decision to award the 2018 FIFA World Cup to Russia eight years ago was by no
means a popular one. There were allegations of corruption, even if a report by
FIFA’s Ethics Committee cleared the Russian bid team of wrongdoing. But all
that could well be forgotten if the country delivers a successful World Cup.
With the award of the 2022 edition to Qatar also under sustained spotlight,
much is at stake for FIFA too.
Vocabulary
Overwhelming: very
great in amount.
Example: He
was elected president by an overwhelming majority
Synonyms: very
large, enormous, immense, inordinate, massive, huge
Excitement: a
feeling of great enthusiasm and eagerness.
Example: Her
cheeks were flushed with excitement
Synonyms: exhilaration, elation, animation, enthusiasm, eagerness, anticipation
Flurry: a
small swirling mass of something, especially snow or leaves, moved by sudden
gusts of wind.
Example: A
flurry of snow
Synonyms: swirl, whirl, eddy, billow, shower, gust
Humiliate: make
someone feel ashamed and foolish by injuring their dignity and self-respect,
especially publicly.
Example: You'll
humiliate me in front of the whole school!
Synonyms: embarrass, mortify, humble, shame,
disgrace, chagrin, discomfit
Captivate: attract
and hold the interest and attention of; charm.
Example: He
was captivated by her beauty
Synonyms: enthrall, charm, enchant, bewitch, fascinate, beguile, entrance, enrapture
Retain: continue
to have something
Example: Built
in 1830, the house retains many of its original features
Synonyms: keep, keep
possession of, keep hold of, hold on to, hang on to
Cohesion: the
action or fact of forming a united whole.
Example: The
work at present lacks cohesion
Synonyms: unity, togetherness, solidarity, bond, coherence, connection, linkage
Demonstrate: clearly
show the existence or truth of (something) by giving proof or evidence.
Example: Their
shameful silence demonstrates their ineptitude
Synonyms: reveal, bespeak, indicate, signify, signal, denote, show, display, exhibit
Persuade: cause
someone to do something through reasoning or argument.
Example: It
wasn't easy, but I persuaded him to do the right thing
Synonyms: prevail
on, coax, convince, get, induce, win over, bring
around
Spearhead: the
point of a spear.
Example: Soon
it was literally raining spearheads on the assassin.
Synonyms: spear
tip, spear point
Reputation: the
beliefs or opinions that are generally held about someone or something.
Example: His
reputation was tarnished by allegations that he had taken bribes
Sustained: strengthen
or support physically or mentally.
Example: This
thought had sustained him throughout the years
Synonyms: comfort, help, assist, encourage, succor, support, give
strength to
