Archive for March, 2011

 Print This Post | Subscribe: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

In this week’s roundup of the football news from around the world, we focus on Brazil – an amazing goalkeeper, a terrible haircut and claims of racism in a friendly match between the South American side and Scotland. You can listen to these and other stories on our weekly podcast and can find explanations of key vocabulary in bold below.

The Good

Scoring a 100 goals in your professional career must be a great feeling for any player. It’s a milestone that few will ever reach, and it’s one that you would never believe a goalkeeper would get close to. However, in Brazil, the São Paulo keeper, Rogério Ceni did just that, striking a beautiful, curling free kick into the top corner of the opposition’s net to send his team’s fans into delirium as it secured a 2-1 win for the Tricolor Paulista over derby rivals Corinthians. All of his goals have come from dead ball situations, but that doesn’t take anything away from his spectacular achievement. continue

 Print This Post | Subscribe: Predictions

This week we feature some of the big games from around Europe and we also try and predict two of the big Champions League quarter-final first leg matches. You can listen to the predictions on our show and leave your predictions as a comment below. Check out some language used in making predictions here. This week’s guest predictor is Martin, a Wales fan.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

On this week’s podcast we preview the qualifiers for the European Championships in 2012. Remember on this week’s podcast you can also:

• Listen only to the main report here – complete with transcript and vocabulary
• Learners of English can review the footballing news from around the world in our good, the bad and the ugly section of the show
• Check out a new football expression in English for Football
• For learners of English check out our Football Language Resources page with:
• A page with all our Football vocabulary posts
• Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases)
• Worksheets and transcripts from previous podcasts

Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking here

 Print This Post | Subscribe: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

An interesting week for Chelsea captain John Terry, the New Zealand FA doesn’t cover itself in glory and not so good for Manchester City. You can listen to these and other stories on our weekly podcast and can find explanations of key vocabulary in bold below.

The Good

We have given Chelsea captain, John Terry, a hard time over the past few months but here at languagecaster we have to admit that his form has picked up in recent times. Terry has had a good week with his team Chelsea hitting form – so much so that they could even mount a challenge to Manchester United for the title, while JT – that of course is his nickname – has been re-named as England captain by coach Capello. The turnaround has surprised many but it cannot be denied that Terry’s form, along with Rio Ferdinand’s injuries, means that he is the right man to lead England.
continue

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

 Print This Post | Subscribe: Main Listening Report | Complete List Here

This week’s main report looks at the qualifying groups of the 2012 European Championships that will take place in Ukraine and Poland next summer. There is a transcript below, while explanations of key vocabulary (in bold) can be found at the foot of the post, while other key phrases (in blue) also have meanings explained.

Introduction

The 2012 European Championship qualifiers resume this weekend and we take a look at how the groups currently stand and offer a tentative prediction on which 14 teams will join the Ukraine and Poland in the tournament next summer. Each of the nine group winners automatically qualify, along with the best runner-up, while the remaining eight second-place teams in each group will play-off to produce four more qualifying teams.

Groups A and B

Group A seems to be fairly clear-cut for Germany who are already five points ahead of second place Austria. The Austrians are battling it out for second place with Guus Hiddink’s Turkey and a Belgium side that were tipped by many to progress but who still only have 4 points from 4 matches. Turkey slumped to two recent defeats – a 3-0 thrashing against the fancied Germans and then more surprisingly 1-0 against minnows Azerbaijan, while Austria and Belgium payed out a crazy 4-4 draw recently. Hidink’s team, however,  should have enough experience to bounce back and claim second spot behind the Germans.
In group B, Russia are top with 9 points from 4 games with the Republic of Ireland, surprise package Armenia and Slovakia all on 7 points. It seems that no one wants to win the group, or perhaps that should be that no one is good enough to win the group and this means that this group will go down to the wire. Irish coach Trapattonni continues with his rather conservative approach to the game and this may cost the Irish a place in the finals though they should be good enough to come second behind an inconsistent Russia side. continue

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

 Print This Post | Subscribe: Weekly Football Phrase

Every week during the 2010-11 season, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase or cliché for learners of English who love the sport. Click on the link below to hear the word or phrase and you can also read the transcript below that. You can find many more examples by going to our football phrase page here football clichés here and our huge football glossary here.

Listen here: To play a blinder.mp3 | See the complete list here

This week’s English for football is the phrase to play a blinder which means to play exceptionally well, to show a lot of skill. It can be used to describe how a team plays but it is more common to hear this phrase to describe an individual’s performance, for instance, the striker played a blinder in scoring his hat-trick. In the big game between Chelsea and Manchester City, Chelsea defender David Ruiz scored a goal, defended very well and made some good passes throughout the match – he played a blinder for his new club. To play a blinder.

 Print This Post | Subscribe: Predictions

This week we take a look at some of the main qualifiers from the 2012 European Championships and wonder whether Wales can cause an upset against England or if Spain will continue their march towards retaining their title. You can listen to the predictions on our show and leave your predictions as a comment below. Check out some language used in making predictions here. This week’s guest predictor is Martin, a Wales fan.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

On this week’s podcast we preview the Champions League quarter-final match-ups. Remember on this week’s podcast you can also:

• Listen only to the main report here – complete with transcript and vocabulary
• Learners of English can review the footballing news from around the world in our good, the bad and the ugly section of the show
• Check out a new football expression in English for Football
• For learners of English check out our Football Language Resources page with:
• A page with all our Football vocabulary posts
• Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases)
• Worksheets and transcripts from previous podcasts

Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking here

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

 Print This Post | Subscribe: Main Listening Report | Complete List Here

This week’s main report previews the quarter-final matches from the Champions League and asks which team can win the trophy in Wembley in May. There is a transcript below, while explanations of key vocabulary (in bold) can be found at the foot of the post.

Transcript

All of the second round matches of the Champions League have now been completed leaving three teams from England, two from Spain and one each from Italy, Germany and the Ukraine to battle it out to decide this year’s best team in European club football. The draw has been made and on this week’s main listening report we take a look at the quarter-final match-ups.

Real Madrid-Tottenham

As a Spurs fan this was exactly the tie I wanted as this could (realistically) be our only run in the Champions League for a while. The glamour, history and attacking talent of the nine-time winners of this competition, Madrid, will have White Hart Lane buzzing though the Spurs fans will be hoping that the tie will not have gone beyond them by the return leg. Madrid boss, Jose Mourinho knows the Premier League well, has a European pedigree that has hardly been bettered by anyone and is a master tactician but he knows that his Madrid will have to be aware of the threat of Bale and Lennon on the flanks and ex-Madridista Van De Vaart playing up front. Tottenham have already put out AC Milan, can they go one better? Unfortunately I doubt it. continue

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

 Print This Post | Subscribe: Weekly Football Phrase

Every week during the 2010-11 season, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase or cliché for learners of English who love the sport. Click on the link below to hear the word or phrase and you can also read the transcript below that. You can find many more examples by going to our football phrase page here football clichés here and our huge football glossary here.

Listen here: On aggregate.mp3 | See the complete list here

This week’s English for football is the phrase on aggregate which simply means the total or the sum of something. In football it is common to use this word with the preposition ‘on’ and is usually used when there are two-leg matches, that is when two teams play each other home and away to decide the winner. This week’s Champions League matches saw Chelsea, Man United and Real Madrid all qualify for the last eight of the competition. Chelsea won 2-0 on aggregate, United 2-1 on aggregate while Madrid beat Lyon 3-0 on aggregate. On aggregate.