obdurate
スポーツ紙の中には「比較的恵まれた組」と書いているものがありますが、ホントにそうなのでしょうか？
元サッカー部選手だった愚息は「きびしい！」と言っていました。
明らかにラテン語系（hard）のobdurate は「がんこな、強情な、人の説得を受けつけない」という意味ですが（ob+dure, cf. eudure, obstinate）、opponentsをともなって考えると「しぶとい、ねばり腰の相手」あたりでしょうか。でもサッカーはよくわからん！（UG）
Japan drawn with Colombia, Ivory Coast, Greece at World Cup
COSTA DO SAUIPE, Brazil —
Japan was drawn with Colombia, Ivory Coast, Greece in Group C at the World Cup on Friday.
One of only two pools not to feature a previous tournament-winner, Group C is headlined by a Colombia side which qualified comfortably behind Argentina in South American qualifying. With an attack spearheaded by Monaco teammates James Rodriguez and Radamel Falcao, they are currently ranked fourth in the world. Greece, which beat Romania in a qualifying play-off, remains characteristically obdurate opponents, however, and Ivory Coast’s gilded generation of Yaya Toure and Didier Drogba will view this as their last chance to make a mark at a World Cup.
