Hungary has never won a match against Portugal, which was not a good omen. However, according to head coach Marco Rossi’s expectations, the national team entered the pitch with courage and determination. The squad was well-organized, especially the defense: Willy Orbán is now a household name in Europe. But the other central defenders, Botka and Attila Szalai, and the wing–backs, Gergő Lovrencsics and Attila Fiola, proved their worth as well.

On the other side, Cristiano Ronaldo was not only playing for the three points for Portugal, but also for personal records. By having been named in the starting line-up, he had already become one of the few players to have played in five different European Championships. But having been the joint top scorer of the EUROs with French legend Michel Platini, he was only one goal away from being the sole No. 1. Also, by winning the match, as joint leader he could become the player with the most EURO wins (12).

Portugal had more overall possession, but their attempts caused little to no problem for Hungary’s world-class goalkeeper, Péter Gulácsi, although the pressure was high for 20 minutes. In the first half, Hungary had only one shot at goal: a header by Ádám Szalai to be precise, but our team was not inferior to the reigning European champions. Hungary was missing two key players, injured Dominik Szoboszlai and Zsolt Kalmár, especially for their creativity in the midfield. The defense was solid, and every time Hungary started to attack, a Portuguese foul stopped our advance.

In the second half, Hungary had more room to attack, although Portugal still stopped most of these early through tactical fouls. Ádám Szalai, Hungary’s center forward with a fighting spirit, conceded more fouls than anyone else on the pitch, including the legendary CR7. Apropos, Cristiano Ronaldo. He was almost invisible in the second half, and as more and more minutes had passed, he became more and more frustrated with the lack of opportunities.

In the 80th minute the whole stadium (well, 97 percent of the stadium: the Hungarian fans) jumped up to celebrate: after a counter-attack, the fast Szabolcs Schön, who had only entered the pitch a few minutes prior, scored for Hungary. However, the referee ruled it as offside, rightfully so.

Unfortunately, not long after came an even bigger disappointment: Guerreiro’s shot deflected on Willy Orbán and went right into the corner, Gulácsi could not save it. 0-1. The Hungarian squad was determined to equalize, but after a Portuguese counter, Willy Orbán attempted a hard tackle against Rafa Silva, which the referee saw was a foul and gave Portugal a penalty. Cristiano Ronaldo did not miss the shot, 0-2, breaking another record and becoming the top goal scorer of the European Championships with 10 goals.

And it still was not over…in the stoppage time, the now highly-motivated Cristiano Ronaldo made it to a brace, 0-3.

However, despite the result, the fans were still grateful for the performance, and the players’ courage and determination. After the final whistle, the players and the tens of thousands of fans sang the Himnusz, Hungary’s anthem, together.

Hungary – Portugal 0–3 (0–0)

Budapest, Puskás Aréna.

Hungary: Gulácsi – Botka, Orbán, A. Szalai – Lovrencsics, Á. Nagy (R. Varga, 88.), Kleinheisler (Sigér, 78.), Schäfer (Nego, 65.), Fiola (K. Varga, 88.) – Á. Szalai, Sallai (Schön, 77.)

Portugal: Rui Patrício – Nélson Semedo, Pepe, Rúben Dias, Guerreiro – Danilo Pereira, William Carvalho (Renato Sanches, 81.), Bruno Fernandes (Moutinho, 89.) – Bernardo Silva (Rafa Silva, 71.), C. Ronaldo, Diogo Jota (André Silva, 81.)

Goals: Guerreiro (84.), C. Ronaldo (87. (P), 90+2.)

sources (article; pictures): Hungary Today; Tamás Kovács/MTI and MTI/AP pool/Tibor Illyés

The mystery of a boy pictured wearing a homemade Lionel Messi football shirt – improvised from a blue-and-white striped plastic bag – has finally been solved. The young fan in a photograph that spread on social media has been identified as Murtaza Ahmadi, a five-year-old boy who lives in a Taliban-controlled area of Afghanistan.

Murtaza had no idea he had become an Internet sensation after his elder brother, Homayoun, 15, posted the photographs on Facebook two weeks ago. Thousands of amateur sleuths trawled through picture archives trying to find the boy, as offers flooded in of real football shirts.

Murtaza, whose father admitted he could not afford to buy him a replica jersey, said he had only a punctured ball to play with in his village in Afghanistan’s Ghazni province. “I love Messi, he plays well, the shirt was made by my brother and I liked it very much,” he said after being tracked down by the AFP news agency. “We do not have a football playground near our house, and the only ball I have is punctured. I want to be like Messi, when I grow up.”

The shirt was made by his brother, from a plastic bag with Messi’s name and number written on with marker pen. Internet detectives initially believed the boy in the pictures was an Iraqi Kurd before Murtaza’s uncle Azim Ahamdi, who lives in Australia, posted pictures of his nephew and said he was the unwitting star of the story.

The family, who live in a remote rural area, only learnt about Murtaza’s newfound fame from relatives when Murtaza’s father’s visited the Afghan capital Kabul. He told AFP he had high hopes for his son.

“He asked me to buy him a Messi jersey but I am a farmer and could not afford it,” Mohammad Arif Ahamdi, a father of six, said. “Murtaza wants to meet Lionel Messi in person one day. I want my son to become a good football player in the future and become the Messi of Afghanistan.”

Football is hugely popular in Afghanistan although the national stadium in Kabul was used as a venue for executions during the years of Taliban rule until 2001.

source: telegraph.co.uk

Lionel Messi can now add another title to his long list of accolades, having surpassed Spanish footballer, Raul’s record of 71 Champions League goals. The 27-year-old has accumulated his haul in 91 games for Barcelona in the Champions League, while Ronaldo has scored his 70 in 106 matches. Raul needed 142 appearances to reach 71 strikes.

The Barcelona player had been in a race with Cristiano Ronaldo to overtake the Spanish striker in Europe’s top club competition and his hat-trick against APOEL Nicosia on Nov 25 took him to 74. Ronaldo, with 70 in 106 games, will now try and catch up with his great rival later this season.

Legends such as Pele or Diego Armando Maradona were outstanding when representing their home nation in World Cups, but didn’t collect as much silverware for the clubs they played for. While this is clearly a never-ending debate which will go on for many years to come, the fact that Messi has become the best ever goal-scorer in the most demanding competition in club football is a very strong argument in his favour.

“Messi is a leader and is offering lessons in beautiful football. He has something different to any other player in the world. I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football, and his name is Messi” — Maradona.

www.telegraph.co.uk and www.espnfc.com

Match the words with the synonyms.

answers: 1-d 2-a 3-b 4-e 5-c

On 25 November 1953 Hungary played England at Wembley and, although they were Olympic champions and undefeated in three years, no one gave them a chance. This was, after all, an England side that had never lost on home soil to an overseas team. Walter Winterbottom’s side were made up of players with world-wide reputations, like Stanley Matthews, Billy Wright and Stan Mortensen. The Hungarians, on the other hand, were unknown in England. As Wright pointed out to Mortensen as they took to the field that day, the Hungarians did not even have the proper kit. But the pre-match ball juggling of captain Ferenc Puskas – a sight fans and players had never seen before in this country – was an indication of what was to come. England were not merely beaten, but absolutely outclassed.

The visitors brought a new vision of the game to Wembley. Their 4-2-4 system was based on first-time passing by players who ran hardest when they were nowhere near the ball. Hungary waltzed to a 6-3 victory, with Puskas scoring two goals. The defeat caused a complete re-think of the English game and had a lasting effect on all those who witnessed it.

One face in the crowd on that grey November afternoon was a young Sir Bobby Robson. "We saw a style of play, a system of play that we had never seen before," Robson told BBC One’s Football Focus. "None of these players meant anything to us. We didn’t know about Puskas. All these fantastic players, they were men from Mars as far as we were concerned. They were coming to England, England had never been beaten at Wembley – this would be a 3-0, 4-0 maybe even 5-0 demolition of a small country who were just coming into European football. They called Puskas the ‘Galloping Major‘ because he was in the army – how could this guy serving for the Hungarian army come to Wembley and rifle us to defeat? But the way they played, their technical brilliance and expertise – our WM formation was kyboshed in 90 minutes of football. The game had a profound effect, not just on myself but on all of us."

The defeat started a revolution in English football. After 90 years of supremacy, England had been forced to concede that another country could play the game better than they could. Over the next few years Winterbottom, who was also director of coaching for the Football Association, slowly introduced what he had learned from the Hungarians into English football. The face of the game in this country developed into the 4-4-2 formation used by teams all over the world today. "That one game alone changed our thinking," says Robson. "We thought we would demolish this team – England at Wembley, we are the masters, they are the pupils. It was absolutely the other way."

source: www.bbc.co.uk

undefeated – veretlen
although – habár
on home soil – hazai pályán
on the other hand – viszont
kit – felszerelés
ball juggling – labda-zsonglőrködés
indication – jelzés
merely – csupán
to be outclassed – klassziskülönbséggel veszíteni
to waltz – könnyedén elérni valamit
defeat – vereség
to re-think – újragondolni
lasting – tartós
demolition – pusztítás
Galloping Major – Száguldó Őrnagy
expertise – szakértelem
to kybosh – megállítani
profound – mély
supremacy – egyeduralom
to concede – elismerni

Fill the gaps with the following words.

1. I have to ……………….. your English has improved a lot since we met.

2. Don’t forget to take your swimming ………………..!

3. Our new colleagues have successfully demonstrated their programming ……………….. .

4. I hope George’s operation will have a ……………….. effect on his mobility.

5. The government decided to ……………….. their reforms.

6. The German army suffered ……………….. in World War II.

answers: 1-d 2-e 3-a 4-f 5-b 6-c

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Alex Ferguson retires: Manchester United boss to step down

Alex Ferguson will leave his role as Manchester United boss at the end of the season. Manchester United have confirmed Alex Ferguson will retire at the end of the season. Fergie, 71, walks away from Old Trafford having secured United’s 13th Premier League title. 

The Scot said: “The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly. It is the right time. It was important to me to leave an organization in the strongest possible shape and I believe I have done so.”

The quality of this league-winning squad, and the balance of ages within it, bodes well for continued success at the highest level whilst the structure of the youth set-up will ensure that the long-term future of the club remains a bright one. “Our training facilities are amongst the finest in global sport and our home Old Trafford is rightfully regarded as one of the leading venues in the world.

“Going forward, I am delighted to take on the roles of both director and ambassador for the club. With these activities, along with my many other interests, I am looking forward to the future."

source: thesun.co.uk

to retire – nyugdíjba vonulni
to step down – visszalépni
role – szerep(kör)
to confirm – alátámasztani, igazolni
to secure – biztosítani
to take lightly – könnyelműen venni
squad – brigád, osztag, szakasz
balance – egyensúly
to bode well  – jót jelenteni
continued success – folytatólagos siker
whilst – míg
youth – ifjúság(i)
set-up – felállás
to ensure – biztosítani
long-term – hosszútávú
to remain – maradni
bright – fényes
rightfully – jogosan
to regard as  – tekinteni valaminek
leading venue – vezető helyszín

Két éve, 2008 nyarán olimpiai döntőt vezetett Pekingben, majd a világ 12. legjobb labdarúgó játékvezetőjének választották meg. Idén két asszisztensével ott lesz a június 11-én kezdődő dél-afrikai világbajnokságon. Ez óriási szakmai siker, hiszen első alkalommal fordul elő, hogy magyar játékvezetői trió vehet részt vb-n. Kassai Viktor FIFA-bíróval beszélgetünk, s az angolnyelv mellett sem mentünk el szó nélkül.
– A játékvezetőnél a szabályok ismeret mellett a tárgyalóképes nyelvtudás nagyon fontos. A Nemzetközi Labdarúgó Szövetségben az angol a hivatalos nyelv, így nemzetközi szinten elengedhetetlen, hogy ezen nyelvet beszéljenek a sípmesterek. Hogyan állsz a nyelvekkel?
– Angolul és németül is középfokon beszélek, míg franciául sokáig tanultam, de sajnos abból nagyon sokat felejtettem.
– A pályán is jól jön, ha tudsz angolul?
– A nyelvtudás a pályán számit a legkevésbé, mert ott leginkább testbeszéddel kommunikálunk és általában azokat a szavakat használjuk, amiket a világon mindenki ért. A játéktéren kívüli kommunikációban nagyobb jelentősége van a nyelvtudásnak, hiszen a mérkőzés ellenőrével és a csapatvezetőkkel folyamatosan kommunikálnunk kell illetve a mérkőzést megelőző technikai értekezleten is angolul mondjuk el a játékvezetéssel kapcsolatos instrukciókat.
– Mi van, ha egy játékos nem érti, mit mondasz?
– Abban az esetben, ha egy játékos láthatóan nem érti az angol kifejezéseket, megpróbálom a saját nyelvén előre betanult egy-két kulcsszót használni. Végső esetben pedig ott a testbeszéd és a kézzel-lábbal mutogatás. A kommunikációban mindig meg lehet a megfelelő eszközt, emiatt nagy problémám még nem adódott.
– Hogyan fejleszted a nyelvtudásodat?
– Németül a középiskolában tanultam meg, s emellett több németnyelvű sportújságot is olvastam, így a labdarúgás szakkifejezéseivel már fiatalon képben voltam. Az angollal is középiskolában ismerkedtem meg, majd később a külföldi mérkőzések során sok tudást csípegetem össze. Nemzetközi játékvezetőként jelenleg is rendszeresen használom a nyelvet, hiszen a mérkőzésekről készülő ellenőri jelentéseket angol nyelven kapjuk, de a legtöbb szakmai kiadvány is ezen a nyelven készül és a különböző teszteket is angolul töltjük ki.
– Mit tanácsolsz azoknak, aki hadilábon állnak a nyelvtanulással.
– Nagyon fontos a motiváció. Fiatalon tanultam franciául is, de akkoriban kicsit nyűgnek éreztem, ezért nem voltam motivált a tanulásban. Ma már bánom, hogy nem voltam szorgalmas, hiszen most nagy hasznát venném, jól jönne az ismeret. Saját példámon láttam be, hogy később nagyon nehéz bepótolni azt, amit fiatalon elszalasztunk, hiszen mindenki magának és a saját jövőjének tanulja az idegen nyelveket. Ezért é mindenkinek azt tanácsolom, hogy különösen fiatal korában mindenki használja ki a nyelvtanulási lehetőségeket.
– Játékvezetőként mi motivált?
– Gyermekként szinte mindig futballoztam, s meg sem fordult a fejemben, hogy egyszer játékvezetőként fogok egy világbajnokságra kiutazni. Játékosként nem éreztem magamban annyi tehetséget, hogy komoly szinten játszhassak. Édesapám ötlete volt, hogy próbáljam ki magam játékvezetőként, mivel szerettem volna továbbra is aktívan tevékenykedni a futballban. Utólag visszagondolva ez jó döntésnek bizonyult, s 20 évvel a játékvezetői vizsga után a labdarúgás legnagyobb tornájára készülök.
– Ilyen kaliberű eseményen még nem vezettetek. Ez lesz pályafutásotok legnagyobb eseménye. Mit vársz magatoktól?
– A legfontosabb az, hogy helytálljunk a ránk bízott mérkőzéseken és azokat a feladatokat legjobb tudásunk szerint meg tudjuk oldani. Erős Gábor és Vámos Tibor kollégámmal együtt immár három éve azon dolgozunk, hogy a világbajnokságon büszkén képviselhessük a magyar játékvezetést.

– Izgulsz?
– Nem izgulok, de azért nagy várakozás van bennem, hiszen ez lesz az első világbajnokságunk. A dél-afrikai torna előtt azért még a hazai bajnokságban is várnak ránk feladatok, ahol szintén jó teljesítményt kell nyújtanunk. A magyarországi mérkőzéseken is maximálisan koncentrálunk, hiszen mindig a jelen a legfontosabb, a világbajnokság pedig egyelőre a közeljövő feladata.

– Zárásként áruld el, mely mérkőzéseket tekinted pályafutásod csúcsmeccseinek?
– Mindenképpen a 2008-as olimpia döntő levezetése kerülne az első helyre, ahol már egy kis nevet szerzett magának a mi triónk. Fontos mérföldkőnek tekintem az első Bajnokok Ligája meccsünket, a 2007-es Dinamo Kijev-Manchester United meccset illetve a tavaly ősszel lejátszott Bahrein-Új-Zéland világbajnoki kvalifikációs mérkőzést.

Lesznek tehát magyarok ezen a jeles fociünnepen, s rajtuk áll, milyen hírét viszik országunknak. Bízunk benne, hogy szép élményekkel gazdagodva erősíthetik meg az itthon maradottakat: nyelvek nélkül képtelenség boldogulni a mai világban.