315. The Importance of Being Earnest 2 (B2 level)

Here are the B2 phrases we'll be studying today: **1) far too many/much/few etc.** There are far too many games in this new 48-team tournament, and our players look absolutely exhausted. The manager chose far too few midfielders in the starting line-up, which is why we completely lost control of the ball. **2) in any case** I don't think the referee should have given that penalty, but in any case, we played poorly and didn't deserve to win. It is going to be incredibly hot in Miami for the next match, but in any case, the team must adapt if they want to reach the semi-finals. **3) demand (verb)** After that terrible performance against Canada, millions of fans back home demand that the manager changes his tactics for the next round. Spanish supporters demand beautiful, attacking football, so we cannot just defend a 1-0 lead. **4) no guarantee** Even though we have a fantastic squad this year, there is no guarantee that we will defeat a strong team like Argentina. Winning our group easily gives us confidence, but it offers no guarantee that we will survive a penalty shootout in the knockout stage. **5) relevant** Past defeats against Germany are not relevant to this young squad; they are only focused on making history in 2026. Having experience in big Champions League finals is highly relevant for our players during a high-pressure World Cup tournament. **6) As for...** The defense looked solid today, but as for our strikers, they missed too many clear chances in front of the goal. I’ve already bought my match tickets for the group stage, but as for the final in New York, the flights are just too expensive. Contact Mike Bilbrough with a question or enquiry about advertising on Practising English Podcasts: https://www.practisingenglish.com/contact.htm My NEW book: "**B1 English Vocabulary Builder - 22 Short Stories for Learning the Words and Phrases Students Need to Pass the B1 Exam**" is now available! This book gives the learner enough vocabulary **to pass any B1** exam (special help for Cambridge exams). To read more about my book, click here (you can access it from any Amazon platform): https://amzn.to/46AVFe9 Learners studying towards **B2 level** will be interested in my B1 to B2 reader: **The Tudor Conspiracy** (includes audio version) https://amzn.to/4gPsj0i For very young learners (from 8-10), I recommend my picture reader book for children learning A1 to A2 English. It comes with a fully dramatised audio version: https://amzn.to/46TCWvv Oxford Bookworm Graded Readers: Read stories at your level to improve your English. I recommend Oxford Bookworms as the best series of books for learners: https://amzn.to/4r7YVHg At https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, free grammar help and exercises and other English learning ...