THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary - June 30, 2018 - Topic 2

Then there were 16: On FIFA 2018

When the 2018 FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 14 in Moscow, there was no single favourite. A clutch of high-quality and well-matched sides such as France, Germany, Spain and Brazil added to the allure. So much so that even educated guesses on who would get past the league stage were off the mark. Two weeks later, the fans are no closer to an answer on who may lift the trophy, but this hasn’t come at the cost of some riveting action. The fact that it took 37 games for the first 0-0 draw is a testament to the excellence at this World Cup. 

Much of the credit should go to the so-called minnows, the likes of Iran, Morocco, Peru and South Korea, who punched well above their weight by stifling their opponents and on occasion putting them to the sword. Germany, the defending champion, bore the full brunt, crashing out in the group stage for the first time since 1938. It was also the first time in eight major events — five World Cups and three European Championships — that it had not made the semifinal. Brazil, until it scored two late goals against Costa Rica in its second match, was just two steps from exit. France, in spite of a prodigiously talented squad, still wears a disjointed look, while Spain is yet to showcase the best of its pass-and-move football.

Quietly, almost under the radar, England, Belgium, Croatia and Uruguay have all staked claim with impressive performances, the highlight being Croatia’s demolition of Lionel Messi-led Argentina. England and Belgium in particular are perennial under-achievers and the time may be ripe for them to do justice to each of their golden generations. It has also been a tournament to remember for Asia. Only Japan has progressed into the round of 16, but for the first time four of the five Asian squads have won a game. For Africa though, it has been a dampener, with no team reaching the knock-out stage for the first time since 1982. Before the competition started, the two best players on the planet, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, were only given an outside chance. In the past fortnight, their respective teams have not done much to dispel that notion. Argentina escaped the humiliation of a first-round exit by the skin of its teeth, and a meeting against France next will not bring much cheer. Portugal’s dependence on Ronaldo has continued unabated and it remains to be seen how far the talisman can carry his nation, more so in a loaded top-half alongside France, Brazil, Belgium and Argentina. Host Russia is not expected to go past Spain, but it would have no complaints, for it has already hit the right notes both on and off the field.

Vocabulary

Occasion: a particular time or instance of an event.

Example: On one occasion I stayed up until two in the morning

Synonyms: time, instance, moment, juncture, point, event, occurrence, affair

Brunt: the worst part or chief impact of a specified thing.

Example: Education will bear the brunt of the cuts

Synonyms: impact, shock, burden, pressure, weight, effect, repercussions

Showcase: a glass case used for displaying articles in a store or museum.

Example: The first one I saw displayed in a gun shop showcase drew customers like bears to honey

Performance: an act of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment.

Example: Don Giovanni had its first performance in 1787

Synonyms: show, production, showing, presentation, staging, concert, recital, gig

Rivet: completely engrossing

Example: The book is a riveting account of the legendary freedom fighter

Minnows: a small freshwater Eurasian cyprinoid fish that typically forms large shoals.

Example: There are also rudd, bream, eels, gudgeon, crucian carp, tench, minnows , perch, sticklebacks, the odd trout, pike and barbel present.

Prodigious: unnatural or abnormal.

Example: Rumors of prodigious happenings, such as monstrous births

Synonyms: enormous, huge, colossal, immense, vast, great, massive, gigantic

Impressive: evoking admiration through size, quality, or skill: grand, imposing, or awesome.

Example: An impressive view of the mountains

Synonyms: magnificent, majestic, imposing, splendid, spectacular, grand, awe-inspiring

Perennial: lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time; enduring or continually recurring.

Example: His perennial distrust of the media

Synonyms: abiding, enduring, lasting, everlasting, perpetual, eternal, continuing

Dampener: a thing that has a restraining or subduing effect.

Example: Television and booze, those twin dampeners of the revolutionary spirit

Unabated: without any reduction in intensity or strength.

Example: The storm was raging unabated

Talisman: an object, typically an inscribed ring or stone, that is thought to have magic powers and to bring good luck.

Example: I wouldn't say that I performed any rituals, per se, but I was on the lookout for talismans , good luck charms - I was big on minerals, and took to wearing jewelry.

Synonyms: lucky charm, charm, fetish, amulet, mascot, totem, juju