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VOA慢速英语2010年-EXPLORATIONS - Building Soccer in Amer

时间:2010-07-09 01:16来源:互联网 提供网友:ol7177   字体: [ ]
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FAITH LAPIDUS: I’m Faith Lapidus.

DOUG JOHNSON: And I’m Doug Johnson with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. Today we tell about the highest level of men’s soccer in the United States — Major League Soccer. We hear from three players who have links to Washington, D.C.

(SOUND)

Ben Olsen and Curt1 Onalfo had great careers as professional players. Now, they are passing on their knowledge as coaches with D.C. United. Mike Banner plays for the Chicago Fire, but started in Washington. Their stories tell a lot about the past, present and future of professional soccer in America.

FAITH LAPIDUS: In nineteen ninety-three, soccer in the United States started on a new road. It had been almost ten years since the last major soccer league in the United States had closed down. The North American Soccer League lasted from nineteen sixty-eight to nineteen eighty-four.

D.C. United players, in black, battle for the ball against A.C. Milan during a friendly match in May

The NASL had some notable3 successes. One team signed two of the most famous players in soccer history: Edison Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pele, of Brazil and Franz Beckenbauer of Germany. Both stars played for the New York Cosmos4 in front of big crowds. At the time, their best playing days were behind them. Yet foreign players like these planted the seeds of renewed interest in soccer in America.

(SOUND)

DOUG JOHNSON: But, the rest of the league struggled to attract fans. In the United States, soccer competes with baseball, American football and basketball. All these sports are American inventions and have developed wide support in schools, amateur5 and professional leagues.

Major League Soccer came with a different purpose. It began as part of the effort for the United States to hold the nineteen ninety-four World Cup competition. But it was also an attempt to establish a top professional level for soccer in America.

The first season took place in nineteen ninety-six. At the start, one team established itself as the league’s best. D.C. United won the first two M.L.S. championships. Today, the team has won more league championships than any other.

FAITH LAPIDUS: Ben Olsen was an important part of D.C. United’s early success. He was the top new player, or rookie of the year, in nineteen ninety-eight. His young pro2 career reached a high point the next season. D.C. United won the M.L.S. Cup, the league championship, on the strength of a Most Valuable Player performance by Olsen. He scored one of two goals for his team in the win against the Los Angeles Galaxy6.

DOUG JOHNSON: Ben Olsen looks back on his score in that championship as his most memorable7.

BEN OLSEN: “I’d lost a lot of championships before that year, so that was a special game.”

DOUG JOHNSON: Like many top American soccer players, Olsen played overseas. He joined the club Nottingham Forest in Britain. He says different leagues have different styles of play.

BEN OLSEN: “Some teams are very fast and athletic8. Some teams are more possession oriented9, meaning a little bit more low pressure on the ball and more skillful players. England has always been known to be a fast and physical league.”

Olsen was also a part of the United States World Cup team of two thousand six. He says playing for his country was something he will never forget.

FAITH LAPIDUS: Ben Olsen has had five operations for severe ankle injuries. Still, he had one of his best years in two thousand seven. He scored seven goals including a “hat trick”-- three in one game.

(SOUND)

Ben Olsen celebrates his third goal in one game against the New York Red Bull10 in June of 2007

He was recognized for his outstanding play with an M.L.S. Best Eleven award. He accepted the award in a wheelchair after a minor11 operation became major ankle surgery. Ben Olsen retired12 after the two-thousand-nine season. Today he is an assistant coach with D.C. United.

(MUSIC)

DOUG JOHNSON: The head coach of D.C. United knows about success. Curt Onalfo has won championships at every level in American soccer. He was a top player on two state championship teams in high school in Connecticut. He was a college player for the University of Virginia. His team won a national championship in nineteen eighty-nine which the school shared with Santa Clara University.

The year before, he first played with the United States National Team in a victory over Costa Rica. Curt Onalfo’s playing career included many appearances with the National Team and a victory in the M.L.S. Cup in nineteen ninety-nine.

But coaching seemed a natural move for him. He spent four years as an assistant coach under Bruce Arenas13 with the United States National Team. Arenas had coached Onalfo at the University of Virginia. In two thousand six, Onalfo assisted Arenas coaching the United States’ World Cup team.

FAITH LAPIDUS: Curt Onalfo became head coach of the Kansas City Wizards in two thousand seven. That year, he led the team to the conference finals. The Wizards reached the playoffs again the following year. But his new team, D.C. United, has struggled at the start of the season. The team has only two wins in league play. But, Onalfo knows how things can change — for better or worse.

On his twenty-fourth birthday, doctors told Onalfo he had non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the immune14 system. He received chemotherapy for six months. During that time, Onalfo thought about what he really wanted to do with his life: play soccer. He also says having faced cancer prepared him for leadership in good times and bad.

CURT ONALFO: “Your players are always looking up to you, and they’re looking for guidance. And I feel like having dealt with adversity really helps me to lead a group of men through difficult times as well.”

Looking for the best in every situation is one way Curt Onalfo deals with hardship. He describes himself as an optimist15.

CURT ONALFO: “The difference between winning and losing is often so slight and it’s really it comes down to what your attitude is.”

A good frame of mind is the start, he says. After that, good things will follow. Last Week, D.C. United defeated a top Italian team, A.C. Milan in a friendly match.

(MUSIC)

DOUG JOHNSON: Mike Banner’s path to playing Major League Soccer started in the nation’s capital. He played in the recreational league now called Sports on the Hill, based in the Capital Hill neighborhood. But, it was not easy growing up playing soccer. All Banner’s friends played basketball or football.

MIKE BANNER: “Initially, you know, I would get made fun of for playing soccer. But, I stuck with it and they respected me for it.”

Banner started college at Georgetown University in Washington. But one year in Brazil helped shape his development as a player. When he returned, he knew he had raised his level of play.

FAITH LAPIDUS: Mike Banner chose not to return to Georgetown, a top school in the Big East sports conference. Instead, he attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, a smaller school with a division two sports program. He would receive a scholarship and have the chance to play a lot of soccer. But could he succeed without the attention he would get at a big school?

The answer was yes. Banner’s team played in the NCAA division two tournament all three years he was on the soccer team. The team played for the national championship his first year. Banner got noticed as an excellent player.

The Chicago Fire's Mike Banner, left, fights for the ball in a file photo from last year

He was chosen to play for the Chicago Fire professional soccer team in two thousand seven. He has earned a lot of praise as a promising16 young player in Chicago. As a defender17, he does not score a lot of goals—although he does have two in his career. Banner says players get noticed through their ball skills, passing, and quickness. Today’s fans know and understand good play. Banner says coaches can tell if a player is only trying to improve his statistics18 or wants to help his team win.

DOUG JOHNSON: Mike Banner got his start in the Washington area through local recreational soccer. FIFA, the international football federation19, says the United States has twenty-four million soccer players—second in the world. Most are under the age of eighteen.

Major League Soccer still does not enjoy the economic success of other popular American sports. Forbes Magazine estimates the league had an income of about one hundred sixty-five million dollars in two thousand eight.

But fan support continues to grow. And American soccer is developing “from the roots up.” There is strong support for youth soccer in many places like the Washington area.

Mike Banner says American players now are developing their own style of play.

MIKE BANNER: “The U.S. is very diverse in its cultures. I would say it’s going to show up in our soccer game as well. I believe the U.S. is creating their own style of play.”

The new generation of American coaches and players is building a tradition of soccer that is as individual as each of their stories.

FAITH LAPIDUS: This program was written and produced by Mario Ritter. I’m Faith Lapidus.

DOUG JOHNSON: And I’m Doug Johnson. Are you a soccer fan? Tell us about your favorite team. Comment on our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com or on our Facebook page at VOA Learning English. Join us again next week for EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. We will present a preview of the FIFA World Cup, opening June eleventh in South Africa.

 


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 curt omjyx     
adj.简短的,草率的
参考例句:
  • He gave me an extremely curt answer.他对我作了极为草率的答复。
  • He rapped out a series of curt commands.他大声发出了一连串简短的命令。
2 pro tk3zvX     
n.赞成,赞成的意见,赞成者
参考例句:
  • The two debating teams argued the question pro and con.辩论的两组从赞成与反对两方面辩这一问题。
  • Are you pro or con nuclear disarmament?你是赞成还是反对核裁军?
3 notable sH1x9     
adj.值得注意的,著名的;n.名人,要人
参考例句:
  • His achievement is very notable.他的成就是非常显著的。
  • He wrote and published the essay under notable's name.他假托名人写文章发表。
4 cosmos pn2yT     
n.宇宙;秩序,和谐
参考例句:
  • Our world is but a small part of the cosmos.我们的世界仅仅是宇宙的一小部分而已。
  • Is there any other intelligent life elsewhere in the cosmos?在宇宙的其他星球上还存在别的有智慧的生物吗?
5 amateur 1xjzR     
adj.业余的,非专业的;n.业余爱好者
参考例句:
  • He made an amateur attempt to build a cupboard.他很外行地试做了一个碗柜。
  • Although Tom's only an amateur he's a first-class player.虽然汤姆只是个业余爱好者,但却是一流的高手。
6 galaxy OhoxB     
n.星系;银河系;一群(杰出或著名的人物)
参考例句:
  • The earth is one of the planets in the Galaxy.地球是银河系中的星球之一。
  • The company has a galaxy of talent.该公司拥有一批优秀的人才。
7 memorable K2XyQ     
adj.值得回忆的,难忘的,特别的,显著的
参考例句:
  • This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
  • The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。
8 athletic sOPy8     
adj.擅长运动的,强健的;活跃的,体格健壮的
参考例句:
  • This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
  • He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。
9 oriented BmdzfY     
adj.以…为方向的;重视的
参考例句:
  • Our students are oriented towards science subjects. 我们教的学生都是理科方向的。
  • He oriented himself on coming to a new city. 他初到一个新城市,就使自己适应新的环境。
10 bull jshzd     
n.公牛,买进证券投机图利者,看涨的人
参考例句:
  • It's only a hair off a bull's back to them.这对他们来说,不过九牛一毛。
  • Many dogs closed around the bull.很多狗渐渐地把那只牛围了起来。
11 minor e7fzR     
adj.较小(少)的,较次要的;n.辅修学科;vi.辅修
参考例句:
  • The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
  • I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。
12 retired Njhzyv     
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的
参考例句:
  • The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
  • Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。
13 arenas 199b9126e4f57770e1c427caf458ae03     
表演场地( arena的名词复数 ); 竞技场; 活动或斗争的场所或场面; 圆形运动场
参考例句:
  • Demolition derbies are large-scale automobile rodeos that take place in big arenas. 撞车比赛指的是在很大的竞技场上举行的大型汽车驾驶技术表演。
  • Are there areas of privacy in the most public of arenas? 在绝大部分公开的场合中存在需要保护隐私的领域吗?
14 immune Oy6yP     
adj.免疫的,有免疫力的,不受影响的,免除的
参考例句:
  • I am immune from the disease,for I had it once.我对这病有免疫力,因为我已得过一次了。
  • Be immune from corruption.拒腐蚀,永不沾。
15 optimist g4Kzu     
n.乐观的人,乐观主义者
参考例句:
  • We are optimist and realist.我们是乐观主义者,又是现实主义者。
  • Peter,ever the optimist,said things were bound to improve.一向乐观的皮特说,事情必定是会好转的。
16 promising BkQzsk     
adj.有希望的,有前途的
参考例句:
  • The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
  • We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。
17 defender ju2zxa     
n.保卫者,拥护者,辩护人
参考例句:
  • He shouldered off a defender and shot at goal.他用肩膀挡开防守队员,然后射门。
  • The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
18 statistics iGyzb     
n.统计,统计数字,统计学
参考例句:
  • We have statistics for the last year.我们有去年的统计资料。
  • Statistics is taught in many colleges.许多大学都教授统计学。
19 federation htCzMS     
n.同盟,联邦,联合,联盟,联合会
参考例句:
  • It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
  • Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。
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TAG标签:   VOA慢速英语  possession  possession
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