sparkle

Her ever-present smile and the sparkle in her eyes were trademarks as she cheered on an unheralded underdog team that notched upset after upset before falling in the semifinals.

The ocean sparkled in the distance, little crystals dancing on its surface.

Variety magazine called it "contagiously joyful" while the Financial Times said it "lacked sparkle".

"The spray tans, the hair and make-up, and the sparkles, the costumes... and the glamour," she said.

And, sounding a note that is ominous for those hoping to challenge Liverpool for the title, once again this was not a performance sprinkled with the sparkle of champions.