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How would you describe Brazilian football? German football? Or Italian football for that matter? On this week’s show we ask some fans to describe the playing styles and characteristics of six top footballing nations.

For English learners try the worksheet Podcast 11

We also:

• Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
• Introduce a new football expression in English for Football
• And continue the predictions battle in the predictions competition

For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with:

• ** New Feature ** Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, technical terms, cliches and football phrases)
• Worksheets and transcripts
• Vocabulary lists

Transcript

Damon: OK. Germany

Tim: Germany… efficient.

Damon: Italy.

Tim: Italy… tactical, a little bit conniving and lucky.

Damon: Argentina:

Tim: Creole football, dribbling, and playing the ref.

Damon: England

Tim: Bottlers, bad penalty takers, WAGs.

Damon: Brazil.

Tim: Flair, style, overweight strikers.

Damon: Holland.

Tim: Good tradition, bad present.

***

Damon: Germany

Ed: Unfortunately successful.

Damon: Italy.

Ed: Primadonnas

Damon: Argentina:

Ed: Hard workers.

Damon: England

Ed: Victory!

Damon: Brazil.

Ed: Style

Damon: Holland.

Ed: Underperformers.

***

Damon: Germany

Hans: Excellent team, always in finals, work hard. team mentality

Damon: Italy.

Hans: Hot and cold. They’re winners and losers and sometimes cheats – like to dive, but technically very strong.

Damon: Argentina:

Hans: Very strong, very tough mentally and physically – all round solid soccer team.

Damon: Brazil.

Hans: Often referred to as a sort of a samba, stylish, like to dance, play, dribble, but mentally again hot and cold, sometimes very weak.

Damon: England

Hans: England always promise more than they deliver. Great players, but as a team seem to lack the mentality to go all the way.

Damon: Holland.

Hans: Traditionally, beautiful to watch, but seem to collapse at the quarter final stage, so mentally not as strong.

***

Damon: OK, Germany

John: Complex.

Damon: Italy.

John: Conniving, cunning, always looking for the opportunity. Capable of the most exhilarating moments and some of the most stupifyingly boring moments all in the one game.

Damon: Argentina:

John: Almost always entertaining.

Damon: Brazil

John: I’ve got nothing for you.

Damon: England.

John: Perennial under-performers. Disappointingly under-performing. Amazing individual talent that they never seem to be able to put together into a team performance.

Damon: Holland.

Ed: Holland always seems very organised on the field, but accompanied by all the stories of in-fighting and who’s not getting on with whom, but it generally looks good on the field.

***

Simon: Tendency to be cynical… efficient and robotic… the beautiful game… under-achievement and disappointment … total football historically… beautiful on their day but can be dirty.