'Heroic,' 'hapless,' and 'disgrace': The most common words used to describe each World Cup team

&#039;Heroic,&#039; &#039;hapless,&#039; and &#039;disgrace&#039;: The most common words used to describe each World Cup team

(Image credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

last updated 8 January 2015

The U.S. men's soccer team was "determined," "heroic," and "courageous." At least that was how the English-language media most often described them, according to a study by the Cambridge University Press.

As for other teams in the tournament, Italy was most frequently called "slow" and "vulnerable," while Russia was portrayed as "drab." The most common word associated with Ghana was "money." (The team made headlines by threatening to boycott a game against Portugal unless they were paid ahead of time.) And the Uruguayans, fronted by Luis "I crave human flesh" Suarez, got the worst coverage of anyone. The top two words tied to the team: "Bite" and "disgrace."

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Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.

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