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Some big international games this week as the European Championship qualifiers start. On this week’s predictions we feature four of these matches and try to predict which teams will be making a good start to their campaigns. This week’s guest predictor is Chris, a Leeds fan.

Current Score: DB 3 | DF 8 | Guest 5

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Every week during the 2010-11 season, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase or cliché. 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: first-choice keeper.mp3 | See the complete list here continue

 

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On this week’s podcast we spotlight the sides that have been newly promoted to La Liga. We also look at some of the footballing stories from last week and try to predict some of the big games this week in our predictions battle. Remember you can also:

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Subscribe: Main Listening Report

Each week on languagecaster’s podcast we feature a main listening report and on this week’s show we spotlight the newly promoted sides in La Liga. You can listen to the report by clicking below and can read the transcript below. Explanations of vocabulary in bold appear at the foot of the post.

Listen here to the main report

Transcript

As with most of the big leagues in Europe, there are three newly promoted teams in the top division in Spain this season. The three teams are Real Sociedad, who came top of the second division last season, and Hércules and Levante, who finished second and third respectively.

Antoine Griezmann - New Sociedad star?

Let’s start with Real Sociedad. The team is based in the Basque town of San Sebastian and have spent most of their history in the top flight, and were champions in 1981 and 1982, but relegated in 2007. Traditionally they only recruited Basque footballers, this policy changed in the late eighties, although they still try to keep a backbone of Basque players.  Coached by Uruguayan Martin Lascarte, Real Sociedad will be hoping to stay in La Liga after their two seasons in the second division. They have a tough opener against Villarreal, but playing at home will help them. Big things are expected of teenager, Antoine Griezmann. The French left winger has come through the youth set up to impress in pre-season friendlies with four goals in two games, so keep an eye on him. Predictions? A draw to open their campaign and a mid table finish.

Next, Hércules. Based in Alicante, on the coast in the west of Spain, Hércules have been in the second division for most of their history. Although they have had spells in the top league their highest ever finish was fifth. More normally, they tend to hover around the relegation zone when they make it to La Liga. Before a ball has been kicked this season, the team is involved in a scandal that threatens to upset their early season, with a major shareholder, Enrique Ortiz, and their captain, López, alleged to have bribed teams to lose against their team last season. Predictions? Hércules open with a home game with Athletic Bilbao. Expect a loss and relegation this season. continue

 

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On this week’s podcast we take a look into the crystal ball and try and predict how Damon’s Liverpool and Damian’s Tottenham will finish this season. Remember you can also:

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This week we have two Premier League games to predict, with the two teams we spotlighted in our podcast – Liverpool and Tottenham – who are taking on Manchester City and Stoke respectively. Our guest this week is Martin, a Manchester United fan.

 

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Each week, languagecaster’s podcast will have four sections.

1. The good, the bad and the ugly – a review of the footballing news
2. A main report - an interview, spotlight, fans’ opinions etc. There is also a separate post with transcript and vocabulary support
3. An English for Football phrase – we explain a word from that week’s news, or a phrase that is important if you want to talk about football
4. Predictions – a look at 4 or 5 games
from around the world. Damon and Damian battle it out against each other and guests to guess the match results in a predictions competition

For teachers there is more information and ideas here.

Also, check out our -

• Football Language Resources page
• Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases)
• Worksheets and teaching ideas from previous podcasts

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Languagecaster.com starts its fifth season and we open the predictions battle with four games from the Premier League. Who will win the battle of the claret and blues when Villa host West Ham? Will Spurs beat the rich kids Manchester City? How will newcomers Blackpool do in a North West derby at Wigan? And finally, can Liverpool get off to a flyer against Arsenal? This week’s guest predictor is Theo, a Liverpool fan.

 

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The World Cup is over, Spain are Champions, Forlan has the Golden Ball, Thomas Mueller has been awarded the Golden Boot and Damian and Damon take a look back at the highs and lows of the tournament in the final languagecaster.com World Cup podcast. You can also:

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Every day during the World Cup, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase or cliché connected to this summer’s tournament. Click on the link below to hear the word or phrase and you can also read the transcript. 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 | See the complete list here

Today’s World Cup phrase of the day is the to not take lightly. If you take something lightly, it means you do not take it seriously, you do not think it is important. Most of the time this phrase is used in the negative - to not take lightly. Most people want to say that they do their job seriously, that they care about something, so they say they don’t take it lightly. Now in the World Cup there is always a game for the losers of the semi-finals, to decide a third place in the World Cup. Many teams, players and coaches take this game lightly, they do not think it is important. However, Uruguayan coach, Oscar Tabarez, has promised his team will not take this game lightly, that they will try to win. They feel it is worth coming third, that it is important. To not take lightly.

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Current Score: DB 35 | DF 65

Holland take on Spain  in the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa. The match will be played on Sunday the 11th of July at Soccer City, Johannesburg. Neither of these teams has won a World Cup before, and Spain has never been to a final, and no European team has ever won the title outside Europe, so there will be at least two firsts after the game this weekend. David Villa and Wesley Sneijder are leading the Golden Boot rankings with five goals apiece, so that is up for grabs too – although Forlan and Klose in the third place game may still win. . Join our predictions competition here, where there’s a chance to win an original languagecaster.com T-shirt!

Join our predictions competition by clicking here

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Every day during the World Cup, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase or cliché connected to this summer’s tournament. Click on the link below to hear the word or phrase and you can also read the transcript. 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 (coming soon) | See the complete list here

Today’s World Cup phrase of the day is the expression to hold on. This phrase is often used with ‘lead’ – as in to hold on to a lead. This means a team does not give in when a team is attacking them and putting them under a lot of pressure. To hold, means to grip tightly with the hand, so to hold on, means to not let go of the game, to keep in the game and not lose or give up a lead. Today, Holland went two goals up against Uruguay in the World Cup semi-final and were leading 3-1. But they held on to win despite the fact that Uruguay scored a late goal to make it 3-2 and were attacking for most of the last 20 minutes. To hold on.

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Current Score: DB 33 | DF 61

Holland take on Uruguay and Germany clash with Spain . Can Uruguay make it to the final as the only South American representative? Will it be 1974 over again with Holland hoping to get revenge against Germany? Will Spain win the biggest footballing honour to go with their European Championship of 2008? We will all know by Thursday. Join our predictions competition here, where there’s a chance to win an original languagecaster.com T-shirt!

 Print This Post | Subscribe: World Cup Football Phrase

Every day during the World Cup, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase or cliché connected to this summer’s tournament. Click on the link below to hear the word or phrase and you can also read the transcript. 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 (coming soon) | See the complete list here

The Hand of God, refers to a goal scored by Maradona against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter finals – scored with his hand. After that game the Argentinian maestro said the goal was, ‘a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the Hand of God.’ At this World Cup, nearly 25 years later there is a new Hand of God. Luis Suarez’s save on the goal line in the last few seconds of extra time put Ghana out – they lost on penalties. Suarez parried the ball away with a fantastic reflex save with his hands. Heartbreak for Ghana, but instead of feeling a little sheepish about the hand ball which stopped a certain goal, Suarez has claimed, ‘the real Hand of God belongs to me,’ referencing Maradona’s famous ‘goal’.

Very cruel on Ghana and another chapter in the history of the World Cup – the Hand of God part II!

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Current Score: DB 29 | DF 55

It’s the sharp end of the tournament – the business end. Eight teams looking to secure four places in the semi finals – three victories away from being crowned World Champions. In the first game, Holland take on Brazil , five time winners. The Dutch will be hoping to avenge their 1998 semi-final defeat on penalties to the Brazilians. Later in the day, Uruguay , two times winners, pit themselves against the only African side still in it, Ghana . On Saturday, Maradona’s Argentina and Germany clash in another Europe vs South America match. Finally,European Champions, Spain  take the field against outsiders, Paraguay in the third Europe vs South America game. Join our predictions competition here, where there’s a chance to win an original languagecaster.com T-shirt!

Join our predictions competition by clicking here