Fleetwood's Cup Night Shock
Aims
Discover how a small League Two club beat Arsenal and discuss what sporting surprises can mean for teams and fans.
The lesson, stage by stage
- News10 min
In the news: The story
Read a 93-word news story: Fleetwood Turn a Big Night into a Giant-Killing
Fleetwood Town, a small club in League Two, beat Arsenal in a cup match after a penalty shootout. As the underdog, Fleetwood had little expectation of winning, so the result was a major upset. The win sent them to the cup quarter-finals for the first time. Fleetwood's goalkeeper made important saves, and a teammate scored the final kick under intense pressure. The club had struggled in recent league games, but the win may give the team and town new momentum. The players now need to turn their attention to their next league match.
- Vocabulary8 min
Vocabulary: Words in the news
6 items
- Discussion10 min
Discussion: A night to remember
2 discussion questions
- What makes a big sporting upset exciting to watch?
- Would you rather watch a match decided in normal time or a penalty shootout? Why?
- Discussion10 min
Discussion: Your team and your town
2 discussion questions
- Have you ever supported a team or person that other people expected to lose? What was it like?
- What kind of event could bring people in your town or community together?
- Discussion10 min
Discussion: What comes after the big win?
2 discussion questions
- How can a team use a surprising win to improve its future results?
- Do you think being an underdog helps a team, or does it create more pressure? Why?
Target vocabulary
In a Tuton account these words become your student's vocabulary deck, so they come back in practice between lessons.
- penalty shootout
- A way to decide a tied football match
- underdog
- A person or team expected to lose
- expectation
- A belief about what will probably happen
- upset
- A surprising win by the less likely side
- pressure
- Stress from needing to do something well
- momentum
- Energy or success that helps progress continue
This plan comes from the Sport course in the Tuton library. Browse all free lesson plans.