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6 World Cup Talking Points: Week 1

damianf — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 16:20:56 +0000

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The World Cup is a week old and if you are struggling to keep up or simply have no idea what’s going on and you need some language for those World Cup conversations, then here’s a list of 6 talking points to help you through till next week at least. Vocabulary support can be found for the words in bold at the foot of the post.

1. Vuvuzela

If you don’t know what a vuvuzela is then you are on the wrong site. Annoying drone of angry bees or fantastically atmospheric backdrop to the tournament? There is talk of a ban but that would be hard to implement and extremely unfair to the hosts. Should it be banned? Let us know here.

2. Lack of Goals

The atmosphere is fantastic, the stadia are brilliant, Messi looks like he is up for it but where are all the goals? After the first set of matches there were a total of only 25 goals from 16 matches which makes it fewer than the Italia 90 World Cup which is long-regarded as the most boring in recent times. No one wants to lose the first game but where is the sense of adventure that teams had in Germany 2006?

3. The Ball

The Jabulani, the official World Cup football, has been called the roundest ball ever produced by Adidas. They would though. Commentators, managers and fans are suggesting that the misplaced passes, over-hit crosses, goalkeeping mistakes and the lack of decent long shots have been caused by the unpredictability of the ball. How can it be unpredictable when the ball is the roundest ball in football history? Stop complaining and get on with it, after all, it’s only a ball.

4. Spain

1 defeat in 48 matches before the tournament, the European 2008 Champions were heavily-favoured to finally win their first ever World Cup. Yet despite, 70% of ball possession and 22 shots on goal they lost 0-1 to a well-marshalled Swiss side. Now the media is full of doom and gloom and writing Spain off. Don’t panic Spain fans, even though they may have to beat Brazil in round 2, I’ll be putting some money on them to win their first World Cup.

5. Two Diegos

While his team are producing the goods on the pitch, the suited and bearded manager of Argentina, Diego Maradona is proving to be as divisive as ever. The owner of the infamous ‘Hand of God’ demanded fair play from players during the tournament and then attacked Pele and Michel Platini who he accused of being French. Brilliant. Despite the enormous presence of Maradona at this tournament there is another Diego shining here – Diego Forlán, who has been masterful in both games for his country Uruguay, scoring two goals and making another one. He strolled around the pitch last night against South Africa as if he owned the place. A real masterclass of football.

6. North Korea

Everybody loves an underdog but when did the whole world start supporting a founder-member of the axis of evil as opposed to a fun-loving nation that plays beautiful football? Is it that we love the sneaky way the team tried to add an extra striker to their squad by pretending he was a goalkeeper? Maybe it’s the story that the regime in North Korea will only show TV highlights if their team does well or that the Chinese authorities have flown in a thousand fans to pretend to be Koreans. Whatever it is they are rubbish at football!

Vocabulary

drone: Noise that a swarm of bees makes

he is up for it: Enthusiastic, really wants to play

a well-marshalled Swiss side: Very well organised team

full of doom and gloom: Very pessimistic

writing Spain off: To feel that they do not have a good chance

‘Hand of God’ : After scoring a goal with his hand against England in 1986, Maradona claimed it was the Hand of God that did it.

masterful: Very good, much better than anyone else

strolled around: Walked around with no worries at all

an underdog: A team that is not expected to do well

a fun-loving nation that plays beautiful football: Brazil

sneaky: Underhanded, not open

Football Vocabulary: The Transfer Window 2010

damianf — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:59:29 +0000

The winter transfer window is about to close, meaning that clubs have only a few more days to buy, sell, loan and trade players. Speculation abounds as gossip, whispers and rumours fill newspapers and websites with the language of football transfers.

One area that my football-loving students find difficult to understand is the language used to describe the world of football transfers, particularly when they appear as headlines in newspapers or websites. Let’s take a look at some of the headlines that have recently appeared on the Sky Sports website and see if we can break down their meaning a little.

Strachan eyes Nak deal

Espanyol confirm Boro interest

Stoke to hijack Pompey keeper

Norwegian snubs English interest

Kaboul seals return to Spurs

Languagecaster has already published two previous posts (here and here) on this topic in which we classified this language into four sections: a) speculation b) contact c) the move and d) money.

In the first example the manager of one club (Strachan) is hoping that he can sign a new player (Nak) though nothing has actually happened yet – and probably won’t either. The verb to eye suggests that the manager is tempted but at the moment is only looking. The second example suggests that things are hotting up as there has been official contact between the clubs which means that a deal could be imminent unless of course another team comes in with a better bid and the player moves elsewhere – this is what the word hijack suggests in the third example. There is another reason for players not moving after this initial contact and that’’s when the player refuses to move to a club – he turns them down or snubs them. However, if the two clubs agree a fee and the player is happy to move then a deal can be completed – or sealed. There, it’s actually quite easy!

Read the previous post on the language of football transfers here

There is another list of transfer vocabulary here.

Download a pdf worksheet on the language of transfers here.

Video Report: World Cup Final 1966

damianf — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:37:56 +0000

In this video worksheet post we use a clip from the excellent The History Of Football [2002] [DVD] on the 1966 World Cup final between Germany and England. There is also a worksheet, transcript and answer sheet below. The report lasts for 3 minutes 30 seconds.

1966 Worksheet | 1966 Transcript

Transcript

Bobby Moore and Uwe Seeler were out in the middle exchanging international compliments and meeting the referee Dienst of Switzerland.

The West German attack had bite and purpose, on they came again. An English defensive lapse gave the ball to Haller… and that was it. One down after 12 minutes spurred the English attack. This time a chance came to West Ham’s Geoff Hurst – it’s the equaliser!!

It’s there. Peters has scored. If only they could keep the lead for a few desperate minutes against the West Germans, now a team playing their hearts out to keep in the running. Germany would not let up then seconds before the final whistle, agony for England. Webber scored. It had to be extra time. Then Geoff Hurst, cool and collected, had the ball in the net. No! It bounced out. ‘Goal!’ claimed England. ‘No goal!’ protested the Germans. The referee consulted the linesman who’d been in line with the posts and goal it was.

When there was only a minute to go England still had no thought of being content with that one goal lead racing to beat the whistle, Geoff Hurst saw an opening in the defence and achieved a hat trick.

Bobby Moore lead England up to the Royal Box to receive the Jules Rimet Cup and the winners’ medals. To be here as winners of the FA Cup has often been described as the summit of a footballer’s ambition, how much greater is the triumph they enjoy now.

Three years go Alf Ramsey set out on the hard road that lead to the World Cup. Only the optimists thought he could possibly succeed, certainly not West Germany whose team now ran a lap of honour. They were very sporting losers. Finally it was England that the whole world of sport was now cheering.

Main Report 14: Ireland vs France

damianf — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:24:18 +0000

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it. | Subscribe: Main Report

This week’s main report looks at the World Cup play-off match between Ireland and France. Listen to our Irish football correspondent, Brendan, discussing whether Ireland can cause a huge upset and make it to South Africa 2010. The transcript can be found below, while vocabulary support can be found for the words in bold at the foot of the post.

Listen to the report here

Once FIFA decided to move the goalposts late in the World Cup qualifier campaign and seed the play-off draw, football fans here in Ireland greeted the draw with fear and trepidation. In the end those fears were realised when Stephen Piennar drew the name of France out of the bowl, made more difficult when we discovered that we’d have to play the second leg in Paris.

The French squad was announced during the week and the names in it trip off the tongue… Gallas, Sagna, Evra at the back… Diarra, Toulalon in midfield and the likes of Anelka, Henry, Benzema up front.

What chance do we have when you compare players? If we did qualify for the World Cup, there’d hardly be a slew of kids around the world, rushing to get their Sean St Ledger, Keith Andrews and Glenn Whelan stickers for their shiny new World Cup albums.

And yet and yet… we clutch at straws. Firstly, because we’re football fans and that’s part of the contract. But also because we look at the respective dugouts.

In the green corner, Signour Trappatonni, the man who’s been around as long as St Patrick and who has done it all before…and in the blue corner… Monsieur Domenech, the French coach who picks his players based on their zodiac signs and whose most significant act during their dismal showing in the European Championships was to propose to his girlfriend live on TV – he’s still waiting for a reply by the way.

Spies at Irelands training camp this week say that Trappatonni is making his players practice penalties. We know that no stone will be left unturned, and we know that the level of organisation that the Italian has brought to the squad so far has enabled us to go unbeaten throughout the campaign.

Will it be enough? Well, it shouldn’t be and the super-power that is France should progress but the beauty of sport is that nobody fully knows. It’s a leap of faith, so off we go to Croke Park this Saturday night and in Trap we trust.

Vocabulary

to move the goalposts: To change the rules

trepidation: Extreme worry, fear

the second leg: The second of two matches to decide the winning team

trip off the tongue: The names are so well known

a slew of: A lot of, many

we clutch at straws: To be very optimistic, hopeful (with little reason)

respective dugouts: Here: the two managers

St Patrick: The patron saint of Ireland

no stone will be left unturned: he will make sure that nothing is left to chance, be well prepared

Croke Park: The national stadium of Ireland

Video Worksheet: Folk Football

damianf — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:37:06 +0000

In this video worksheet post we use a clip from the excellent The History Of Football [2002] [DVD]on the topic of Folk Football. There is also a worksheet, transcript and answer sheet below. The report lasts for 2 minutes 10 seconds.

Folk Football Worksheet | Transcript

(for audio only, click here)

Transcript
The legend, whether true or not, is still enacted year in, year out by the people of Kirkwall, Scotland, making it one of the last strongholds of the game, which for hundreds of years dominated Britain.

The game itself is remarkably similar to other long-abandoned folk matches played on the island. The pitch is the entire town; the players number in their hundreds; the goals are local landmarks a mile apart. One goal was generally all it took to win the game, although that could take a whole day. In Kirkwall, two sides compete: the ‘up-the-gates’ and the ‘down-the-gates’. Their struggle for the ball, or ‘baa’, is deeply symbolic.

The tradition was for a long time that if the ‘down-the-gates’ managed to get the ‘baa’, which was a fertilising influence of the sun – it was the sun and its fertilising influence – and they threw it into the waters of the harbour then that would bring good fishing. And if the ‘up-the-gates’ got the ‘baa’ to their goal, and they were mostly farmers, that would bring good crops, particularly good potatoes. And there was a small town in Norway that until recently phoned every New Year’s Day to see which way the ‘baa’ had gone so that they could assess whether or not there was going to be good fishing in the months ahead. In terms of roughness, there are no rules, it’s hard, a hard physical contest. Perhaps sometimes old scores are settled but generally speaking there is little gratuitous violence.

Football Vocabulary Check – Week 12

grell — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:42:53 +0000

Try languagecaster’s online crossword puzzle.

Before you try the puzzle, listen to our Main Report and read The Good the Bad and the Ugly.
You can do both if you listen to our weekly Podcast: this has the Main Report and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, as well as Predictions and English for Football).
Click the image below to try the puzzle (check the top menu for hints). Good luck!

Football Vocabulary Check – Week 11

grell — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:46:39 +0000

Try languagecaster’s online crossword puzzle.

Before you try the puzzle, listen to our Main Report and read The Good the Bad and the Ugly.

You can do both if you listen to our weekly Podcast: this has the Main Report and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, as well as Predictions and English for Football).

Click the image below to try the puzzle (check the top menu for hints). Good luck!

Football Vocabulary Check – Week 10

grell — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:29:35 +0000

Try languagecaster’s online crossword puzzle.

Before you do listen to our Main Report and read The Good the Bad and the Ugly (you can do both if you listen to our weekly Podcast: this has the Main Report and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, as well as Predictions and English for Football).

Click the image below to try the puzzle (check the top menu for hints). Good luck!

Week 8: Main Report – Paraguayan Football

grell — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:11:06 +0000

This week’s main report looks at one of the countries that has already qualified for the 2010 World Cup – Paraguay. The transcript of the report is below.

Try our online listening quiz.

Listen to the report here

Transcript

Bigger than Japan but smaller than Spain, a population slightly larger than Denmark, but smaller than Hong Kong, and looking forward to their eighth appearance in the World Cup Finals, more than Portugal but fewer than Hungary – which country am I talking about?

South Americans, Paraguay, qualified for the 2010 World Cup on the 9th of September, just after England and Spain. They booked their tickets after being guaranteed a top four spot in the South America group and on the way beat Argentina and Brazil. This is also their fourth appearance in a row.

But what else can we say about football in Paraguay? Well, it starts with a Dutchman, William Paats, and the team he founded, Olimpia Football Club, now Club Olimpia. That was back in 1902, and four years later the Paraguayan Football League was founded, 13 years after the first league to be established in South America, the Argentine league.

The power base of football in Paraguay is in Ascuncion, with nine of the 12 top-flight teams playing here. Teams which play outside Acunsion, like 2 (segundo) de Mayo and 3 (tercero) de Febrero, seem to be banished to the border areas with Brazil and Brazil and Argentina, respectively.

The most successful team in Paraguay is Olimpia followed by Cerro Porteno, “el club del pueblo” – the people’s club. Olimpia, as mentioned are the oldest club, but Cerros Porteno are the most popular.

Olimpia play in black and white stripes, have won the title a record 38 times, 10 more than Porteno, and are currently third in the Clausura season after 10 games.

Cerro Porteno, also from Asuncion have , play in blue and red stripes, representing two political parties that were rivals when the club was formed – the strip is a symbol of how all Paraguayans should unite in friendship. So far this season, they could do with some friendly results, as they are in the bottom half of the table.

When these two teams meet it is the biggest match of the season – Paraguay’s El Clásico.

But back to the national team. they are ranked 23rd in the world by FIFA, and will be hoping to repeat and perhaps better their run in 1998, where they got to the last 16 only to be defeated by France with the first ‘Golden Goal’ in world cup history.

Players to look out for include their experienced captain, who came out of retirement to join the side again, Denis Caniza; Roque Santa Cruz, playing in the premier League for Manchester City, although not a regular in the qualifying campaign so far, should have an impact along with his strike partner, Nelson Haedo Valdez.

All that remains is to congratulate Paraguay on their qualification.

Now try the online quiz.

Latest Football Clichés

damianf — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:51:47 +0000

This post gives explanations of two more footballing clichés. You can find many more examples by going to our football cliché page here.

To run your socks off | Listen to the cliché here

This cliché is used when a team or an individual player is seen to work very hard during a game. The expression is often used with the verb ‘work’ as in he worked his socks off throughout the game. Indeed, this phrase is synonymous with certain types of battling midfield players such as Steven Gerrard or formerly Roy Keane who often run their socks off to get their teams back into a game. If a team works their socks off it means that they battled hard and did not give up. To work your socks off.

A great advert (for the game) | Listen to the cliché here

A great advert for the game is a cliché used by commentators and fans to describe an exciting match that usually represents the best of something or somewhere. Sometimes a match can be described as being a great advert for the Premier League, that is, it represents all that is good from the English league, such as battling skills, bravery, attacking play and so on. When it is used to describe a game from the lower leagues it is praising the standards of the two teams involved – thus, West Brom versus Newcastle was a great advert for the Championship – it was of a Premier League standard despite being played in a lower division.

Week 7: Main Report – the Bundesliga 2009/10

damianf — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:07:03 +0000

This week’s main report looks at the Bundesliga with Hans guiding us through the German league. The transcript of the report is below and includes vocabulary in bold which is explained at the foot of the post.

Listen to the report here

Transcript
Hans: Hello and welcome to the Bundesliga. My name is Hans and I’m delighted this season because my team SC Freiburg are back in the top flight after several seasons in the second league. However, as always with the Bundesliga, everybody is talking about Bayern München.

Other leagues in Europe have two or three contenders for the title but it seems in the Bundesliga there is only one team at the beginning of the year. And who can argue, Bayern München have loads of money, they’ve bought great players: Mario Gomes, Robben, they have Franck Ribery, a new coach Van Gaal and they seem to be finding their stride; after six games they’re sitting in third and slowly coming to grips with each other’s play.

So what makes the Bundesliga so exciting? It’s when Bayern München don’t win. When they fall other teams have a chance to pick up the scraps. Last year it was Wolfsburg, a few years ago Stuttgart and this year, Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen are the two teams tipped to be right on their heels at the end of the season. At the moment Hamburg is playing beautifully and sit on top of the table. Bayer Leverkusen are sitting in second. But there are many other teams in the league that people don’t talk about. Hoffenheim, last year’s dream team, are sitting in fourth and are playing extraordinarily well. Mainz, just promoted, have already performed above what people expected of them. And my team Freiburg sit in 11th having beaten Schalke away from home and that’s right, in the Bundesliga the big teams are finding it hard at the moment: Schalke, Moenchengladbach, Dortmund, Stuttgart, Köln have all started very slowly. Of course, Bayern München will be there at the end but all the neutrals, myself included, will hope they fall so that we see another champion of the Bundesliga come July 2010.

Vocabulary

top flight : the top division

to be finding their stride: To get into a rhythm; to start playing well

they’re sitting in third: They are in 3rd position in the league

coming to grips with: getting used to

scraps: pieces

to be right on their heels: To be chasing them; to push them all the way

Main Report: Week 5 – Champions League Preview

damianf — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:34:13 +0000

This week’s main report looks ahead to the group stages of the Champions League. In this interview Damian asks Manchester United fan Brendan about this season’s competition. The transcript of the report is below and includes vocabulary in bold which is explained at the foot of the post.

Main week 5

DF: Now the Champions League group stages are about to start and after last season when there were really no surprises at all the question is, do we really care? Brendan.

Brendan: Well there is no doubting that the Champions League only gets going when the knock-out stages are with us but having said that I think this year there will be a few more intriguing games in the group stages because we have the re-admittance of AC Milan and Bayern Munich and also the French league has picked up and there are three stronger French teams in it this year. So, perhaps all the groups won’t be as preordained as it had been twelve months ago, so, yes, while it won’t get going until the knock-out stages it should be a bit better this season.

DF: Now English clubs have dominated over the past few years, do you think this domination will continue?

Brendan: I think the four English teams will again be in the shake up … I think all four teams you could argue in England have perhaps been weakened somewhat, Manchester United, of course, losing Ronaldo, Liverpool losing Xavi Alonso and Chelsea and Arsenal not really making too many additions to their squad. Coupled with that you have Barcelona, who will be as strong as ever, and also Real Madrid who have bought Kaka, Ronaldo, Alonso and so many top players that they should be a force. So, I think the English teams will be there or there abouts and I think it could be between those four, the two Spanish and even maybe Inter Milan as well.

DF: So then, a final prediction, which of these teams then do you see contesting the final in Madrid next spring?

Brendan: Well, I think, as you say, the final is on in the Bernebeu so there will be lots of focus on Real Madrid as the host team. I think they… it will be very interesting to see how they go and we won’t know that until about Christmas to see how their team has gelled. I think you can’t look beyond Barcelona who still have some quality players throughout the team and, you know, if Man United get their act together and they get Owen Hargreaves back in the middle of midfield you never know they could be there again. So maybe a repeat of last year’s final.

Vocabulary

gets going: Starts, really begins

Intriguing games: Interesting matches

Re-admittance: To be back in the competition

Has picked up: Has improved

Preordained: Predicted, already decided upon

In the shake up: To be close to winning, will be strong

To be there or there abouts: To be near winning; to be strong

Contesting the final: To be playing in the final

Gelled: To have stuck – how well they play together

Get their act together: To start playing better

Week 4: Main Report – World Cup Stars – Maradona

damianf — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 09:18:03 +0000

Listen to this week’s show here

This World Cup Stars post features possibly the greatest player of all time, Diego Maradona. To help you understand a little better there is a vocabulary list containing the words in bold at the foot of this post

TRANSCRIPT

Pele may have won more World Cup titles, Ronaldo may have scored more goals, Lothar Matthäus played more games but no one has dominated the World Cup as much as Diego Maradona. He won the trophy in 1986, scored 7 goals in 21 consecutive appearances over four tournaments from 1982 to 1994 and was never far from the centre of World Cup controversy. The sad departure in 1982, the ‘Hand of God’ and subsequent wonder goal against England in 1986, the tears in the final of 1990 and the drug scandal in 1994 have all meant that Maradona is a definite part of World Cup history.

When the 1982 World Cup in Spain started, Maradona was playing his club football with Barcelona and the whole world was waiting for him to shine, unfortunately so were the defences of the other participating nations who ganged up on him and, much like Pele in 1966, kicked him out of the tournament. Maradona never really got going and his frustration was evident from the atrocious tackle on Brazilian player Dirceu in the second round that gave him a straight red card as his side was eliminated.

Four years later in Mexico and this time he was at the peak of his career. Many focus only on the so-called ‘Hand of God’ moment against England but he also scored against Italy in the group stage and then in the knock-out rounds he got the winners against England and Belgium before playing the match-winning pass in the World Cup final against Germany to help Argentina lift the trophy. He was, quite simply, the best player in the world. Though this team had great players it was clear that they were carried to the title by the skill, the pride, the courage, the technique and the determination of their leader Maradona.

He almost did it again four years later in Italia 90 with a much weaker side and despite the fact that he was hampered by injuries, Maradona took the team to the final – his assist for the goal against Brazil in the second round a particularly sweet moment – before losing to West Germany on a controversial penalty. The following World Cup in 1994 turned out to be the low point in his football life as he was banned from the competition for taking illegal drugs and he returned home in disgrace never to play for the national team again.

However, his pride at representing his country, his intense passion for the game, the style with which he played it and the fact that he made people fall in love with the sport has meant that despite the controversies that seemed to follow him, Diego Maradona is the greatest ever World Cup star.

Vote for Diego Maradona in our poll to find out the greatest ever World Cup star.

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Vocabulary

Here are explanations of some of the words and phrases from the reading.

consecutive appearances: A run of games without a break, e.g. 21 games in a row

ganged up on him: The other teams bullied him, they targeted him

side was eliminated: To be knocked out, sent home

peak of his career: At the top of his game, he was playing better than ever

‘Hand of God’: Infamous goal against England that he scored with his hand – Maradona called it ‘Mano de Dios’

knock-out rounds: If you win you progress to the next round and if you lose, you go home.

hampered by injuries: To be held back (be slower) due to injuries

banned from the competition: To be told to leave, to be kicked out of the tournament

in disgrace: To have no honour

representing his country: To play for his country

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Latest Football Clichés

damianf — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:10:04 +0000

This post gives explanations of two more footballing clichés. You can find many more examples by going to our football cliché page here.

Can’t win the title in August but you can certainly lose it | Listen here

This cliché is a classic example of stating the complete obvious to make a point. As most European leagues start in August and finish in May it is mathematically impossible for a team to win the title so early in the season. So no matter how well a team begins the season it is far too early to predict that they will become champions. However, if a team that is tipped to do well has a bad start to the season then it might be difficult for them to recover and go on to win the title, meaning that a winning start is vital.

To gatecrash the top 4 | Listen here

To gatecrash a party is to attend a party that you have not been invited to. Many football fans in England feel that Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal, known as the top 4 in the Premier League, have become so big and powerful that it seems as if they have their own mini league, or private party. Thus, any team that attempts to finish in the top four, that wishes to make a breakthrough, is seen as a gatecrasher – an unwanted guest in an elite or powerful group. This year, Manchester City have been tipped to gatecrash the top four thanks to their incredible wealth. To gatecrash the top four.

Week 3: Main Report – La Liga or the Premier League?

damianf — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 23:38:30 +0000

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it. | Listen to the report here

La Liga kicks off this weekend and on this week’s main report we ask whether the Spanish League is now better than the Premier League. Explanations of key terms are explained in bold at the end of the transcript below.

Listen to this week’s show here

TRANSCRIPT

Spain or England?

The much-anticipated Spanish football season, La Liga, kicks off this weekend, and it is one which Ronaldo now claims is the best league in the world – though that may only be because of his recent move there. But maybe Ronaldo has a point; has a shift occurred in the power structure of club football? Now with all due respect to domestic football in South America, or in Germany with the Bundesliga or even in Serie A the top two football leagues in the world are undoubtedly the English Premier League and Spain’s La Liga. But which one can truly call itself the best league in the world?

TV

If you listen to British TV channel Sky Sports, which has the rights to broadcast football in the UK, then the answer is simple – the Premier League is the best in the world. And if we are talking global TV audiences then maybe they are right. The Premier League is broadcast to more than 200 countries and has a global reach of over 600 million homes with an average of about 80 million viewers per game. That’s a lot of people. La Liga is way behind those figures but by changing some of their kick-off times this season it is clear they are targeting the lucrative Asian market to go along with their already strong showing in North and South America.

Money

The last TV deal between Sky and the Premier League in February 2009 was worth £1.78 billion over three years, a figure that La Liga can only dream about but despite this, Spanish League clubs pay their players as well as their English counterparts and in some instances even better. Indeed, the top 4 highest-paid players in the world are Ibrahimovic, Kaka, Messi and Ronaldo who all ply their trade in Spain. With the Euro strong against Sterling and the highest rate of tax much lower than in the UK, it is no wonder that players are being attracted to Spain.

Players

And what about those players? Well, in addition to the four superstars mentioned above, La Liga will also be lucky enough to see such quality players as Atletico Madrid’s Kun Aguero, Valencia’s David Villa, Real Madrid’s Iker Casillas and Xavi Alonso, while at Barcelona, Iniesta, Xavi and Thierry Henry would walk into any team in the world. Of course, Barcelona are the current champions of Europe having destroyed England’s best, Manchester United, last May when their performance, more a dismantling actually, sent out a clear answer to our original question: which of the two leagues is better? Well, for financial power and current global brand awareness it has to be the Premier League but for possessing more top-quality players my vote goes to La Liga.

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Vocabulary

Here are explanations of some of the words and phrases from the reading.

much-anticipated: Eagerly awaited, people are really looking forward to it

is broadcast : Is shown on TV

the lucrative Asian market: The market in Asia is very popular; Football is very popular in Asia

counterparts The equivalent; those who have a similar stature or position

ply their trade: They work; they play in the Spanish League

would walk into any team in the world: They are so good they could play for anyone

a dismantling: Completely defeated, beaten heavily

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Week 2: Main Report – World Cup Stars: Pele

grell — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:55:37 +0000

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it. | World Cup Stars

Listen to this week’s show here

Transcript

Each era has its heroes and stars. Today’s football world is dominated by players like David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, who are role models to many young players, but I wonder how long their influence will last.

There is one player that has stood the test of time and is the greatest World Cup player of all time. Pelé appeared in four World Cups, 1958, 1962, 1966 and 1970, scoring 12 goals – the third most by any player – and creating many more. It was his first and last tournaments in Sweden and Mexico respectively that cemented his reputation as a world great.

In 1958, Pelé was 17 and had been playing for Santos and Brazil for one year. No one could imagine what an impact the boy from Três Corações in the south of Brazil would have on the tournament, but by the time he had scored four goals, including a hatrick against France in the semis, on the way to reaching the final everyone knew he was special. In the final, he scored one of the goals of the century – a precise chest-down, a deliciously weighted lob over a defender, polished off with a clinical volley. Pelé scored another as Brazil overcame Sweden 5-2 He became and the youngest player to score a hatrick in a World Cup, and appear and score in a final.

In 1970, in Mexico, Pelé was back to his best as part of the 1970 Brazil team which included such players as Jairzinho, Rivelino, Gérson and Tostão. It was samba football at its pinnacle and Pelé was involved in many breathtaking goals and moves during the tournament, but perhaps the famous was an attack that resulted in what is often regarded as the perfect goal. In the final against Italy, Clodoaldo dribbled past four Italians, played the ball to Rivelino who struck a long pass down the left to Jairzinho. From Jairzinho, Pelé received the ball just outside the box in the middle of the field before waiting for the perfect moment to stroke the ball right into the path of Carlos Alberto, who smashed it into the net.

Goal scorer and goal maker, Pelé’s close control and timing have not been surpassed. His obvious love for the game has seen him become a UNESCO goodwill ambassador and a recognised face beyond the football world. Perhaps this quote by Italian defender Burgnich, who marked Pelé during the 1970 World Cup final illustrates what a great player Pelé was, “I told myself before the game, he’s made of skin and bones just like everyone else — but I was wrong.”

Vote for Pelé in our poll to find out the greatest ever World Cup star.

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Vocabulary

Here are explanations of some of the words and phrases from the reading.

to dominate: to overpower others, to be the most important, to reign

role model: someone who young people want to copy / emulate

to stand the test of time: endure, remain unchanged for a long time, be permanent, last a long time

to cement (your) reputation: to make your reputation even stronger, make people think you are even better

impact: effect, impression

deliciously: delightfully, do something in a way that makes people admire it – Here, the lob was so good people were amazed

clinical: accurate, allowing for no error

pinnacle: the very top

to stroke the ball: pass the ball accurately and smoothly

to surpass: to get ahead of, to beat, to do better

6 Reasons to use football-related topics in your classroom

damianf — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 12:48:30 +0000

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The languagecaster team have often been asked why we chose to focus on language learning through football. Well, apart from being two language teachers with a love for the game, we thought it might be interesting to offer teachers some alternative content for their language classes. So, here are 6 reasons to use football-related topics with your English language students. Explanations of key vocabulary (in bold) can be found at the foot of the page.

1. Most Popular Sport in the World

Football is, despite what some people may say, the greatest game in the world and is also by far the most popular – both in terms of participation and in viewing figures. According to FIFA’s website there are 265 million officially registered players in the world, while the weekly global TV audience for the Premier League alone have almost reached 200 million. With football becoming ever more globalised, the language needed to communicate within and about the game is increasingly becoming English.

2. The World Cup

The summer of 2010 sees the World Cup taking place in South Africa and the whole world will be watching. At the last World Cup the total TV audience reached 5.9 billion viewers. But it’s more than just the football. When we started podcasting during the 2006 German World Cup we realised that not only were listeners interested in the matches and the players but also the culture of the countries that were taking part.

3. Narrative

Okay, so it’s not Heart of Darkness, Lord of the Rings or even Harry Potter but football works as a narrative, an ongoing process, a story. Don’t believe me? Well, every season, cup competition and tournament has a clear start, middle and end to it. There are winners and losers, heroes and villains, scandals and controversies, overseas battles and domestic struggles, not to mention the full range of emotions, including hope, disappointment, fear, relief, desolation, elation, tears and laughter at the unfolding drama. Footballers may be overpaid and lacking somewhat in intelligence but, like soap opera and film stars, they offer an escape from the ‘real’ world for millions of people. Unlike those stars on screen, however, the ending in football is never scripted. Apart from maybe in Italy sometimes!

4. Motivation

One of the biggest complaints that teachers have about teaching English (or any other subject for that matter) is that students are not motivated enough to learn. Well, everyone has an opinion on football – even if they don’t like the game. Fans all over the world love to discuss the ‘beautiful game’, whether it is arguing over who is the best player in the league or debating if technology should be introduced into the sport people are always talking (and listening, writing and reading) about football.

5. Access to content

Football is everywhere. Traditionally, the only place you could find out about the game was on the radio or from the back pages of the newspapers. But now TV channels show hundreds of live games each season, newspapers have special football supplements, radios organise phone-ins, the Internet has millions of pages devoted to the game through blogs, polls, and of course podcasts. Turning this content into authentic materials is a great way to motivate students as it offers a connection to current topics, as well as adding variety to your classes.

6. David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and Brazil

Although you may not know anything about the rules, the competitions or even the teams, you will surely have heard of Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham or that Brazilian football is pretty special. You can also be sure that if you are an English language teacher then your students will know about these and much more and will want to talk about football, soccer, fútbol, Футбол, futebol, Ποδόσφαιρο, calcio, サッカー, piłka nożna, 미식 축구, Fußball …

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Vocabulary

viewing figures: The numbers of people watching the games

officially registered players: Players who have signed with a club

5.9 billion viewers: 5.900.000.000 people watched the games

Heart of Darkness: Novel by Joseph Conrad (1902)

an ongoing process: Something that takes place over time

villains: Bad guys, not heroes

controversies: Scandals

overseas battles and domestic struggles: Here these refer to national and international competitions

desolation: Depression, woe

football supplements: Extra parts of a newspaper dedicated to only football

devoted to: Given over to; focusing only on football

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Reading: Sir Bobby Robson

damianf — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 23:04:35 +0000

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Former England manager Sir Bobby Robson died last weekend. In this post we take a look back at one of the most respected English managers in the game. Vocabulary in bold is explained at the end of the post to help you with comprehension. When you have read the article take the quiz on Bobby Robson’s life here.

Football has often been described as a cut-throat business with little room for sentiment or even respect. So the passing of Sir Bobby Robson, the former English national team coach, last week was sad for many reasons but mainly that amid the nastiness and back stabbing that makes up current day football, he proved that it was possible to be both a gentleman and a winner.

Born in the north-east of England he started his playing career at Fulham and then moved onto West Brom where he played more than 250 games. He returned to Fulham and in total made over 300 appearances for the London club. He also played 20 times for England, scoring 4 times as well as appearing in the World Cup of 1958. He went on to manage Fulham but was sacked after only a year and then took on the Ipswich Town job in 1969.

Robson turned this rather modest club into one of the most consistent and attractive sides in England in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Their league record under him was impressive. In the 10 seasons from 1973 to 1982 Ipswich only finished below 6th on one occasion and in that year, 1978, they won the FA Cup for the first and only time in their history, while three years later they went on to taste European glory by winning the UEFA Cup against AZ Alkmaar.

Robson was the people’s choice to take over as England manager in 1982 but the mood often turned sour for him as England failed to qualify for the 1984 European Championships and then lost all three games in the 1988 European Championships. They made it to the World Cup of 1986 however and after a stuttering start they started to look like a team that could win the tournament until they came up against Diego Maradona and his ‘hand of God’ in the quarter-finals. He did go one step further in the 1990 World Cup in Italy when England lost out to Germany on penalties at the semi-final stage and though England were defeated Robson emerged from the tournament with his reputation enhanced.

At a time when few English players, never mind managers, travelled overseas to ply their trade Robson left to coach in Holland, Portugal and Spain. The decision to work abroad may, according to some, have been to avoid the stress of managing in England but when you are the coach of PSV, Porto, Sporting or Barcelona, particularly Barcelona, then pressure is a major part of the job. The fact that he won trophies at all of these clubs bar Sporting is testament to the quality of Robson as a coach. Qualities that were often hidden due to his conduct that was always respectful of opponents, fans, the media and of the game itself. Tactically he was astute, while players loved to play for him thanks to his passion for football.

He returned to England in 1999 and took over the reigns of Newcastle when they were second bottom in the Premier League and in disarray. He guided them to safety that season and then kept them in the top 5 in the Premier League for the following three years, including two seasons in the Champions League. He was sacked in 2004 and Newcastle have never been the same since. One of only 10 footballers to have received a knighthood Sir Bobby was described as the ‘heart and soul of the English game’ and will be sorely missed by all who love the sport.

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Read the BBC Sport’s article on Robson here

Read the Guardian’s look back at his life here

Watch a review of the 1990 World Cup here

Take a quiz based on Bobby Robson’s life here.

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Vocabulary

a cut-throat business: A business where competition is tough, little room for nice guys

back stabbing: Unfairly attack someone, a suggestion of deceit is involved

modest club: Not a big club

to taste European glory: To win a European trophy

the mood soon turned sour: Public opinion changed, the fans were not supportive of him

a stuttering start: A poor beginning to the tournament, not consistent

his reputation enhanced: He was extremely well regarded, people thought highly of him

to ply their trade: To work

bar Sporting: All except Sporting

is testament to: Proves that, demonstrates that…

astute: Wily, clever, smart, deep thinking

took over the reigns: Became manager of; was in charge of

in disarray: To be in a mess; in chaos

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Quiz Answers: Sir Bobby Robson

1. b. 6
2. b. The north east of England
3.b. Ten
Bonus question: Matt Busby, Tom Finney, Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore, Bobby Robson, Geoff Hurst, Alf Ramsay, Alex Ferguson, Trevor Brooking
4. c. More than 250 times
5. b. 1982
6. a. The European Championships of 1984
7. b. 20
8. b. PSV
9. c. 1978
10.d. 2002

The Championship 2009-10 Preview

damianf — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 22:11:35 +0000

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The second tier of English football, The Championship, kicks off this week and in this post we take a look at which teams we think will be involved in the promotion race or the relegation battle. To help you understand this reading there is a vocabulary list containing the words in bold at the foot of this post

Which teams do you think will be promoted from the Championship? Vote here.

The English football season gets underway again this weekend with 24 teams from the Championship battling it out over the next nine months. With the Premier League often facing accusations of being boring thanks to the dominance of the top four, the Championship is always a much more open affair. Games come thick and fast and reputations often count for nothing. The league is always tight and one good run can see a team break into the play-off spots but conversely a bad run can drag you down to the relegation zone.

This year sees some big clubs in the division and a host of new managers, in fact seven of them will be making their debuts this week with their new clubs. But Newcastle are without doubt the biggest story in the division and not just because they will have the most support. Off the field they are a shambles waiting for someone, anyone, to buy the club. This will allow them to find finances to buy new players and more importantly, to appoint a full-time manager. Newcastle’s confidence is low and some have even suggested that, like Leeds and Charlton in recent years, they will ‘enjoy’ consecutive relegations and drop into League One. I disagree, I think they have enough good players to see them through and predict they will go up as champions.

The two other teams that went down last season, Middlesbrough and West Brom, are also looking to bounce straight back but history suggests it will be difficult for them – in the past five years only three teams have gone up to the Premiership after being relegated the previous season. West Brom have a new manager in Roberto Di Matteo – famous for scoring the fastest goal in an FA Cup final – who had some success in the lower leagues with MK Dons but I am not convinced he is the right man for the job. Neither ‘The Baggies’ nor Middlesbrough will be playing in the top flight next season.

Last season, Cardiff City and Sheffield United were unlucky not to gain promotion but this year I think they will go one better and make it to the top flight with Cardiff finishing second and ‘The Blades’ going up via the play-offs. Other teams that will come close this year include Roy Keane’s Ipswich town, as well as local rivals Derby County and Nottingham Forest. Both of these clubs have invested in lots of new players and will be hoping to have a better start than last season which saw them escaping relegation only toward the end of the campaign. Nigel Clough may have the higher profile at Derby but I am tipping Forest as my dark horses and to make the play-offs.

Who is going down? Well, many people feel that Blackpool and Scunthorpe will struggle this year while I reckon that Coventry, Bristol City, Doncaster and Swansea will also find it hard. Predicting is never an easy game and making a prediction for this year’s Championship could be described as foolhardy but here goes anyway.

Going Up
1. Newcastle United
2. Cardiff City
3. Sheffield United
Going Down
22. Coventry City
23. Blackpool
24. Scunthorpe

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Vocabulary

thick and fast: Lots of games in a short period of time

a host of: Lots of; many

to bounce straight back : To be promoted immediately after a relegation; to come back

the right man for the job: A suitable or very good candidate for a job

‘The Baggies’: The nickname for West Bromich Albion (WBA)

will go one better: The team will be promoted

the top flight : The Premier League

‘The Blades’: Nickname of Sheffield United

via the play-offs: A set of matches at the end of the season to decide which team should get the third promotion spot.

have invested in: Have spent money on

I am tipping: I am predicting

dark horses: A team that is not among the favourites to do well but may surprise

going down: To be relegated

foolhardy: Crazy, stupid

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Online Listening: Liverpool – 2009~10 season preview

grell — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 02:11:55 +0000

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Less than two weeks before the Premier League kicks off and this week a Liverpool fan looks ahead to what might happen for his team. Does he think that Liverpool can go one better than last season and win the Premier League and is he impressed with Liverpool’s business in the transfer market?

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Listening Practice (football phrases)

Listen to the report and see how many words and phrases connected with football you can hear. Go to the glossary for a huge A~Z list of other football phrases.

Click here to try our online listening quiz.

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Transcript

Damon: OK, I’m here with Tim, a Liverpool fan. Hello Tim

Tim: Hi there.

Damon: OK, I’d like to ask a few questions about the upcoming season.

Tim: Sure

D: My first question is which players do you think are going to be key for Liverpool in the 2009/10 season?

T: Well of course Torres needs to be in form and fit for the whole season. He’s definitely a key player for us. And in the midfield, if we manage to keep hold of Alonso and Gerrard – have them both firing on all cylinders. I think they will be the key to our success.

D: Have there been any good signings or good transfer moves for Liverpool so far in the summer?

T: Well the major signing we’ve had of course is Johnson. And I think that’s quite a good move, a tad pricey, but it’s a long term move. I think in a few years time we’re going to need more and more English players. Perhaps there’s going to be a rule change about how many home national players you have for your side, so long term I think that’s a good signing. Otherwise it’s been very quiet. I think It’s still early days but I think if we can keep hold of our midfield defensive pair of Mascherano and Alonso those will be the best signings we have for the summer.

D: OK. What are the goals, what are Liverpool aiming for? What would you be happy for them to achieve?

T: Well of course it’s the Premier league (title). If we win it, if we win it on goal difference I’d be happy. So Premier League. I think this is the season we’ve really got to… because the other competitors are going through a bit of transition and we should have the most stable team, so we should start ofvf best and we should carry it on through for the whole season.

D: What would be the biggest challenge for Liverpool in the season?

T: I think, I have a feeling we’re going to have a good start to the season and I think it will be maintaining that momentum throughout the nine months until May next year.

Football Vocabulary: The Language of Transfers (Part 2)

damianf — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 20:30:58 +0000

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The summer transfer window is now in full swing with Real Madrid and Manchester City having spent most of the cash so far. Here is an additional list of phrases and terms connected with transfers to go along with our earlier post on the topic.

Click to find out more on the language of football transfers

VOCABULARY

To be unveiled: When a new transfer has gone through; to be revealed
Example: Kolo Toure was revealed as a Manchetser City player this week.

To be seeking an exit: To be actively looking for a move away from the club
Example: Patrick Viera is seeking an exit from Inter Milan as he wishes to play more football in the World Cup year.

To bolster the squad: To improve the team /squad; to give the squad a ’shot in the arm’
Example: Arsene Wenger wishes to bolster his squad after losing three players in a week

To hand in a transfer request: When a player wishes to move and officially asks his club (often used with ‘written’
Example: Xavi Alonso has handed in a written request to Liverpool’

Believed to be interested in: Rumours suggest that a club is interested in signing a player
Example: It is believed that Real Madrid are interested in signing Franck Ribery from Bayern Munich.

Keen to add: Wish to sign more players
Example: Rafael Benitez is keen to add some new players to his squad

To land: To sign a player
Example: Manchester City have landed Carlos Tevez from rivals Manchester United.

To rule out: To turn down, to reject an offer, to deny
Example: Bayern Munich have ruled out the possibility of Ribery moving to Real Madrid

Deemed surplus to requirements: When your team decides that they no longer want you
Example: Alan Hutton is deemed surplus to requirements at Tottenham and may move on

Vying to buy: When two or more clubs are interested in buying a player
Example: Spurs and Aston Villa are vying to sign Turner from Hull

Be in line to: To be on the verge of, to be about to (usually collocates with return)
Example: Patrick Viera is in line to return to the Premiership with Arsenal

To monitor: To watch or to keep an eye on a player to see if there is a chance of signing him
Example: Liverpool are monitoring Ashley Young in the hope of signing him

To show interest in: When a club wishes to sign a player, to eye a player
Example: West Ham are still showing interest in signing the Icelandic international

Undisclosed fee: A transfer fee has been paid but we do not know officially how much the player cost, this information was not provided
Example: Birmingham City have bought Christian Benitez for an undisclosed fee.

To be placed on the transfer list: When a club decides it wants to sell a player
Example: Darren Bent has been placed on the transfer list by Tottenham

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Take a look at some of the back pages of the English newspapers to see lots of the language mentioned in the post above.
Let us know if you come across any other language connected to transfers
What do you think of the transfer window so far? Who should or shouldn’t your team buy?

Online Listening: Manchester City – 2009~2010 season preview

grell — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:20:41 +0000

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The new season has nearly started and languagecaster.com has asked some fans what they think about their teams chances in the next year of football. We kick off this series of posts with Dave, a Manchester City supporter reflecting on the new money at his club and the possibility of breaking into the top four in the Premier League.

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Listening Practice

Click here to try our online listening quiz.

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Transcript

Damon: Hello Dave.

Dave: How you doing?

Damon: I’m alright. Dave’s a Manchester City supporter, is that right?

Dave: That’s correct.

Damon: OK. Just a few questions. Obviously, Manchester City have been buying a few players in summer. Who are you particularly excited about?

Dave: I think the manager Mark Hughes has bought all good players actually, so I expect Adabayor to score quite a few goals. I think that’s a definite possibility. The midfield, Barry was a very very good buy I think – sorry for Liverpool and everything. Besides that they, the point is they haven’t finished yet. They’ve just got Toure, apparently, from Arsenal, and if they can Lescott they could be a pretty good team I think all round.

Damon: OK, so you think they’ll be a pretty good team. What kind of realistic goals do you think they should set themselves. What would you be happy with?

Dave: Well they’ve already said top five. You have to be conservative with these estimates otherwise it’s ridiculous to say we’ll win anything this time. But the thing is they will over the next two seasons possibly get into the top four if not this year I think. I think Arsenal are kind of reeling a little bit at the moment, and I think United, Liverpool, and Chelsea also have to watch out.

Damon: OK. And which players should we look out for?

Dave: Again, I think possibly this year, Robinho might come good because he wasn’t really challenged enough last year as everybody saw. In the home games he was great and in the away games he disappeared. I think now the fact that he’ll have to fight for his place against Tevez in particular and maybe even Bellamy means that he may well have to prove himself, which I think he could well do.

Damon: And how do feel with your club being awash with money?

Dave: I think it’s excellent. The thing is, you know, everybody’s criticising City at the moment. The thing is teams like United, Liverpool, and Chelsea have had the same amounts of cash more or less but they’ve had it over a longer number of years. Whereas City have had it all at once and so of course they’re set up as some kind of target, right. The point is all the big teams pay a lot of money for the players. City are doing it all at once, and they’ve got good players.

Damon: Thank you very much Dave.

Dave: Come on City!

How to learn English with languagecaster.com’s podcasts

grell — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:20:04 +0000

languagecaster’s produces one podcast every week during the European football season. You can listen to the podcast by clicking here. In this post we focus on how students of English can improve their English listening skills from with these podcast.

Main Elements of the Podcast

First – a review (Listen to the podcast and read in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly posts)
Second – a main piece of about 5 minutes (You need to download the worksheet with answers and transcript so you can practice while you listen. languagecaster.com has over 100 worksheets to go with the audio from the podcasts)
Third – English for football – phrases to help you talk about football (The audio and transcript can be found here)
Fourth – Predictions (We talk about future games and guess the scores – languagecaster looks at several interesting games each week. You can see the predictions if you check out the D & D’s Predictions posts)

Here is an image to show what is on the podcast.

Download the pdf of the picture with active links

For teachers there is more information and ideas here.

David Beckham and the Half-Time Dance

damianf — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:30:29 +0000

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It seems that America is fallng out of love with David Beckham. Read the article on the former England captain’s current troubles at his club LA Galaxy. Vocabulary in bold is explained at the end of the post to help you with comprehension.

David Beckham’s return to LA after his Italian break has not proved to be as welcoming as he might have expected. First on the attack was newly-restored Galaxy captain Landon Donovan who questioned Beckham’s commitment to the team after the former England captain extended his stay at Serie A side AC Milan at the end of last season. Next up were the New York fans who made Beckham’s first MLS appearance for nearly six months an uncomfortable one in Galaxy’s 3-1 victory last week. Then, in his first game back at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles, ‘Becks’ was constantly jeered by his own supporters leading to an ugly incident with a fan at half-time. Beckham didn’t actually hit anyone – unlike one of his England colleague’s – but when you are given the task of bringing the game to the USA and a $250 million dollar contract is involved then something is seriously amiss in the Kingdom of Becks.

There is some sympathy for Beckham. After all, the standard of football in Italy is clearly better than that of the MLS and ‘Becks’ realised that he could still play at a decent level and maybe even feature in the next World Cup. Landon Donovan’s comments stem from jealousy at his own poor efforts of making it in Europe, while the fans’ reaction has been predictable but at the same time rather laughable as they attempt to create an atmosphere where one clearly does not exist. But Beckham is also to blame.

He should not have reacted to the drunken taunts of the fans – though the constant verbal abuse that players have to endure deserves some sympathy – but instead should have walked away. Unless of course he was interested in provoking something other than a drunken member of the ‘LA Riot Squad’. The whole episode feels as if it has been stage managed by Becks’ real team – not LA Galaxy but those that work for ‘FC Brand Beckham’. What better way to defend yourself over criticism of lacking passion for the club than by taking on a fan – even if it was not a Cantona-style kung-fu attack. But we all know the real reason for this altercation – and really, that’s all it was despite the hand-wringing from fans and journalists, Becks wants a move away from Los Angeles and the MLS and what ‘Becks’ wants, ‘Becks’ usually gets. Rumours of a return to Milan are getting louder while Manchester City are also said to be interested in bringing Beckham home when the MLS season comes to an end in October. One thing is for sure however, David Beckham’s days in the MLS are numbered.

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Vocabulary

newly-restored: recently re-appointed, became captain again

extended his stay: lengthened his stay, stayed longer than originally agreed

constantly jeered: booed by the fans throughout the game

something is seriously amiss: There is a big problem

feature in the next World Cup: Wants to play in the next World Cup

stem from: Come from

drunken taunts: Verbal abuse from drunk fans

stage managed: Has been deliberately set up or organised

altercation: a fight, quarrell, angry discussion

hand-wringing: To be distressed or very upset

days in the MLS are numbered.: He won’t be staying long in the MLS

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I Don’t Like Football: Part 1

damianf — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:42:52 +0000

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Though it’s hard to believe not everyone is a fan of football. In the first of our series of interviews with people who just don’t like the game, Alan from Scotland tells us why a 5-4 ‘thriller’ left him completely bored. Listen here to the interview. To help you understand there are some comprehension questions, as well as a vocabulary list containing the words in bold at the foot of this post.

Listen to the interview here

DF: So continuing in our series of people who just don’t like football we have Alan. How are you doing Alan?

Alan: Very well thank you.

DF: Alan, can you tell us where you are from?

Alan: From Scotland.

DF: And tell us why don’t you like football?

Alan: It’s a completely pointless game. What is the point of seeing 22 grown men running around a field kicking a ball into a net and being happy about it? I really don’t get that, now that’s a superficial reason. There’s a deeper reason to it as well, it’s like, you… you have these teams that represent cities and they’re all saying ‘my city’s better than your city or my area is better than your area’. It’s kind of like the old ancient argument of ‘our women are more beautiful than your women’. It’s just stupid, pointless, boyish, rubbish.

DF: So Alan, have you ever seen a game live? Have you ever been to a stadium to watch a game?

Alan: Once.

DF: Can you remember who was playing?

Alan: I petitioned my father, he didn’t want to take me because he knew that I didn’t like the game but I wanted to go with my dad and see a football match just for the hell of it when I was a young kid, I was probably less than 10 years old I think, about 9, 8 or 9. He took me to Aberdeen versus Celtic. Now, at the time Aberdeen was a very big team in Scotland and Celtic still is. The score was 5-4. I was pleading to go home at half-time because I thought it was incredibly boring and I really didn’t understand what the big fuss was about and this thing called ’scoring goals’, which as far as I could see was some little man on a pitch hitting a ball into a net at some point and I really didn’t find that that was very interesting.

DF: So do you think in the future there’s any chance of you returning to watch another game of football?

Alan: Absolutely none.

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Comprehension Questions

Listen here to the interview

1. Where is Alan from?

2. Alan uses 4 adjectives to describe football. What are they?

3. What age was he when he went to see his first game?

4. Which two teams were involved and what was the final score?

5. Aberdeen are no longer a big team in Scotland. True or False

6. What was Alan doing at half-time in the game?

7. Why?

8. Will Alan ever go and watch another game again?

Answers below

Vocabulary

Pointless: Having no reason to it, no point, can’t understand why

I really don’t get that: I just don’t understand it

Superficial: Not deep

Represent: To play or perform for a particular area (He represented England on 25 occasions)
Ancient: Extremely old, from very earlier times

Live: To be physically at the game, watch the game in the stadium

Petitioned: Asked (suggestions here that he asked quite a lot)

Just for the hell of it: No real reason just decided to go or do something

Pleading: Begging, really asking to do something

Didn’t understand what the big fuss was about: He didn’t know why everyone was talking about the game (why people were excited with football)

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Answers

1. Where is Alan from?
Scotland
2. Alan uses 4 adjectives to describe football. What are they?
stupid, pointless, boyish, rubbish.
3. What age was he when he went to see his first game?
About 8 or 9
4. Which two teams were involved and what was the final score?
Aberdeen versus Celtic 5-4
5. Aberdeen are no longer a big team in Scotland. True or False
True. ‘Aberdeen was a very big team in Scotland and Celtic still is’ which suggests that Aberdeen no longer are a big side
6. What was Alan doing at half-time in the game?
Pleading with his dad to go home
7. Why?
Because he thought it was so boring
8. Will Alan ever go and watch another game again?
No

Teaching Ideas: (Listening) Being a Fan – Manchester City

damianf — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:56:34 +0000

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In this teaching ideas post we listen to Manchester City fan Dave explain why he supports the Blues and not the Reds from his hometown of Manchester. Vocabulary in bold is explained at the end of the post

Download the worksheet here
Listen to the interview here

Why Manchester City? That’s a very good question. I know that in Japan and in many other countries most people know or have heard about Manchester United of course – a very famous team. However, you may be interested to know that there is another team in Manchester and the team is called Manchester City.

The main difference between United and City – apart from the fact that United are far more famous and successful – is that City wear sky blue, sky blue shirts and white shorts. I mention that because when I was a kid, when I was about maybe 10 or 11 years old that’s the main reason why I chose to support Man City, as opposed to Man Utd. Or at least one of them. And the other main reason was not so much the team but the supporters of the club. For a lot of football fans in England it’s not only the actual team and the players who are on the pitch that you support but you also become involved in the atmosphere of a club and it used to be when the stands were all standing – that means no sitting, you could go there and have a really, really good time, not so much watching the game but having a laugh, listening to some of the other fans and the comments that they made.

The main difference between United and City was that at United all the fans just completely adored the team at the time, which as I remember was Bobby Charlton, George Best, Denis Law. On the other hand, City, which had a very good team at that time, whenever they lost the crowd used to really criticise them and attack them and so on. For me as a young boy of 10 or 11, I just found that rather more interesting to be critical of the team rather than just showing adulation all the time.

And I think even now there is … that is a big difference maybe between the fans of City and United and that’s why that it’s very difficult for a City fan to switch over to supporting United. That may be similar in … with other cities which have two teams, like Liverpool and Everton maybe, or even in …with the London teams, Arsenal – Spurs, Chelsea – Fulham, and so on. But really that is the main reason why, even though I do agree that United have a great team at the moment and play great football, I still hate them. It’s mostly because of the fans.

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Vocabulary

Here are explanations of some of the words and phrases from the reading. Download the worksheet here

atmosphere: The feeling surrounding the club

the stands: Where fans go to sit or stand and watch the game

having a laugh: To have some fun, to be relaxed

adored: To really love someone or something

to switch over to: To change the team you support

Teaching Ideas: (Listening) Being a Fan – Arsenal

damianf — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:22:44 +0000

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it. | Teaching Ideas

In this teaching ideas post we have an interview with Arsenal fan Andy who tells us about some of his memories while supporting the Gunners. Vocabulary in bold is explained at the end of the post

Download the worksheet here
Listen to the interview here

Damian: Right, today we have got an Arsenal season ticket holder giving us his views on all things Gunners. Hello, how are you doing? Could you please introduce yourself.

Andy: Hi yes, my name is Andy Robertson, I have been an Arsenal fan for life and I started supporting Arsenal when I was very young, mainly because my mother came from north London.

Damian: Can you remember your first game?

Andy: I can remember my first couple of games, there were a few at Highbury and some of the Champions League games in the late ’90s when we played at Wembley against clubs like RC Lens. They weren’t great experiences because they were all draws.

Damian: So, when you were younger, who were your heroes at Arsenal?

Andy: The guys who really stick out for me were, particularly, like Ian Wright in the mid-90s and as we went towards the end of the ’90s the sort of ‘golden era’ for me was the amazing back four of Bould, Winterburn, Seaman … Parlour on the wing and when we had players like Bergkamp and Viera … Overmars who came in, it was just an amazing time.

Damian: Now, tell us a little about your best and your worst memory. Let’s start with the worst memory.

Andy: Worst memory was probably Champions League final in Paris, I have to say. (Ed: Lost 1-2 to Barcelona in 2006)

Damian: How about the best memory as an Arsenal fan?

Andy: Er, couple of good memories was winning the double in the ‘98 season and probably Robin Van Persie’s goal against Charlton.

Damian: Thank you very much

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Vocabulary

Download theworksheet here
Listen to the interview here

season ticket holder: a fan that holds a ticket for all the home matches for the season

Gunners: The nickname of Arsenal

north London: Arsenal are from this part of the country (as are rivals Tottenham)

Highbury: The name of the previous Arsenal stadium

Wembley: The national stadium of England

draws: When neither team wins a game, e.g. 1-1; 2-2

stick out: To be easily remembered, to stand out

back four: The collective name for the four defenders in a team

the double: When a team wins both the domestic league and cup

Teaching Ideas: Europe’s Top 10 – Nationality Adjectives

grell — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:20:20 +0000

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In September, Europe gets back to World cup qualifiers. This post takes a look at the top ten teams in Europe (FIFA ranking). As you read the post, look at the names of countries and the nationality adjectives. Or try the online listening quiz to check your knowledge.

The World Cup will take place next year in South Africa, Across the world countries are trying to qualify. In Europe, 53 teams are chasing 13 qualifying places. Let’s take a look at the top 10 teams in Europe according to FIFA’s ranking. Spain, the European champions, are ranked number two in the world. They are also doing well in their qualifying group. They are top and haven’t lost yet. Greece will be happy to have jumped up to 11th in the world, and they are also doing well in qualifying. They are equal with Switzerland in their group, but ahead on goal difference. The game in September between the Greeks and the Swiss, who are 13th in the world, should be interesting.

The other teams in our top ten list should be OK. France, Croatia and Russia are in second places in their groups – The French team are ranked 9th, one ahead of Croatia but three behind Russia. The Russians are in the same group as Germany, who were in the semi-finals in the last World Cup. The Germans are on top of their group and look comfortable. Joining Spain as teams that have not lost a game in qualifying and are top of their groups are England and the Dutch. Both these teams are almost in South Africa now. The Netherlands are ranked 3rd by FIFA and England 7th. Finally, there is Italy, who have won the World Cup four times and are ranked 4th. They are leading their group ahead of Ireland and should stay top.

Focus on language

In this post there are several country names and nationality adjectives (nationality adjectives are often the same as nationality nouns – used with people from the country).

For example: Europe and Europeans, France and French

Test yourself and:
Download the Nationality Adjectives Part 2 Worksheet pdf.

The language of football transfers in 4 easy steps

damianf — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:12:49 +0000

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The summer transfer window is upon us which, of course, means that clubs are allowed to buy and sell players for a fixed period of time. In this teaching ideas post we take a look at the language of football transfers. You can download the worksheet here and to help you understand there is also a vocabulary list containing the words in bold at the foot of this post and a Football Transfer Crossword to help you practise these words.

Introduction

A transfer is when a footballer moves from one club to another and this can come about in two ways: either the club decides to sell the player or the player chooses to leave the club. Simple. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. The whole process is a compete mess as:

club managers attempt to buy the best players within their budgets
players look for higher salaries and a better chance of winning trophies
agents want to earn large fees from their clients
fans are full of hope or dread at the prospect of buying someone new or selling one of their stars
press speculation fuels the whole process.

So, here is a brief guide to the language of football transfers in four easy steps.

1. Speculation

The transfer process usually begins in the media with rumours and gossip linking players (and managers) with different clubs. A player may be unhappy with the way he has been treated by his club and is angling for a move away, or if a bigger club is showing interest, the player is flattered and suggests it would be a dream move for him – though we all know that it just means more money. Of course, the player may not wish to move and instead vows to stay and commits his future to the team. Speculation is particularly rife, or common, when a player is nearing the end of his contract as clubs can buy the player at a cheaper price. As we mentioned earlier, the club may well wish to get rid of the player and so they make him available and allow him to contact another club.

2. Contact

Officially, a club is not allowed to talk to another player while he is contracted to a club but they can ask permission to do so, particularly if the club suggest they are open to offers for the player. The press may report that officials from the two clubs were seen talking but if this happens while a player is still under contract, then it is known as tapping up and is illegal and could mean a fine or another form of punishment. If the talks go well then the press may suggest that the teams are close to a deal and that a bid has been made but if there are any problems then the deal falls through and no one is going anywhere.

3. The Transfer

There are two set periods in the year when teams can buy and sell players and this is known as the transfer window. A club will decide how much a player is worth, a price is put on his head and then will enter into negotiations with another club. When the two agree a fee and the player is happy to move, then we say that he has signed for another club, he has moved, he has been transferred and that the club has sealed the deal. Sometimes, if it has been a particularly quick affair and maybe rather surprising, the press say a player has been snapped up by another team.

Not all transfers involve money. Sometimes a player moves to another club on a free – costing nothing – as he is out of contract, deemed not good enough or that he has been a loyal servant and can make some money from a move (usually at the end of his career). Another transfer that does not involve cash is the loan deal which sees a player being lent or loaned to another club for a set period of time, while a swap deal sees two players changing clubs, one player joining one team and the other moving in the opposite direction.

4. Money

Football is a huge business and the money involved in transfers helps to keep it running. If a player is still under contract at his original club then the new club has to pay some money to secure the player, a transfer fee, and usually, the better the player, the higher the fee. The current transfer record is £80 million paid by Real Madrid to Manchester United for Portuguese star Ronaldo. The player will also receive a signing-on fee along with his new contract and, of course, his agent will also benefit. It is not usual these days for a club to pay the full fee up front but rather it is paid in installments which may last for years in some cases.

So, the transfer process is now complete. However, the business of football, the intense media hunger for stories and the fans’ desire for success all mean that transfer speculation soon begins again and before you know it, the transfer window is open once more and the whole procedure starts again.

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Take a look at some of the back pages of the English newspapers to see lots of the language mentioned in the post above. You can also check out the BBC football gossip page.
Let us know if you come across any other language connected to transfers
What do you think of the transfer window so far? Who should or shouldn’t your team buy?

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Vocabulary

Here are explanations of some of the words and phrases from the reading above. Download the worksheet for free here. You can also practise the vocabulary with a crossword: PDF version | Answers

linking: Connecting, suggesting a move

is angling for a move away: The player wants to move away

are showing interest: When a club wish to buy a player

is flattered: The player is being praised so he feels good

a dream move: A move (transfer) that the player has always wanted

vows to stay with the club: The player does not want to move clubs, promises to stay

committing his future: The player is determined not to move, he really wants to stay

Speculation is often rife: When there is a lot of gossip about a transfer

to get rid of the player: To fire or sack a player

make him available: Put him up for sale, offer him

open to offers: The team are willing to sell

were seen talking: The clubs are in discussions

tapping up: An illegal approach to sign a player

close to a deal: The two sides have almost agreed on the transfer

a bid has been made: The buying club has offered money to the selling club

the deal falls through: There are difficulties with the transfer and it is called off

a price is put on his head: There is a price tag for the player; how much it will cost to buy him

agree a fee: The two clubs are happy about how much the player costs

he has signed for another club: The player has moved to another club

has moved: The player has moved to another club

has been transferred: The player has moved to another club

sealed the deal: The player has been bought

snapped up: A player has been bought by another team (quickly)

on a free: The player costs nothing to buy

out of contract: The player is a free agent, no longer connected to the club

a loyal servant: A player that has stayed a long time at one club

the loan deal: An agreement between teams that sees a player move to another club for a short period of time but that he still belongs to the first club

under contract: When a player still belongs to a club

a transfer fee: The money paid between the two clubs for a player

transfer record: The most money paid for a player

a signing-on fee: Money received by a player when he joins a new club

paid in installments: To pay a bill in parts, i.e. not the full quantity

Football Transfer Crossword: PDF version | Answers

Teaching Ideas – Reading: The Confederations Cup

damianf — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:31:30 +0000

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it. | Teaching Ideas

In this teaching ideas post we look at the FIFA Confederations Cup which is taking place at the moment in South Africa. You can find a short reading about the tournament below along with a printable worksheet (with answers) here. There is also a short vocabulary list at the foot of this post.

The FIFA Confederations Cup kicks off in South Africa this week with eight teams taking part in a warm-up for the 2010 World Cup finals. The eight sides include the six conference winners – the teams that have won the international tournaments in their respective regions – as well as the hosts, South Africa and the current world champions, Italy. So, New Zealand represent Oceania, Egypt are the current African Nations Cup holders, Spain won the Euro title in 2008, the USA won the CONCACAF regional trophy, Iraq represent the best in Asia, while Brazil are the reigning Copa America champions.

Since FIFA took over the running of the tournament in 1997, Brazil and France have both won it twice, with Mexico winning the other one. Initially it was played every two years but since 2005 it has been decided to play the competition every four years, taking place the year before the World Cup.

The tournament offers a good chance for South Africa to demonstrate that they can smoothly organise an international football competition 12 months before the real thing takes place. It will also bring in some much-needed revenue for the local economy though there will hardly be any supporters travelling from overseas. In fact, there are no guarantees that the venues will be full at all during the competition thanks to high ticket prices.

There are other problems. Many of the players have just finished a tough season in Europe, meaning that managers in the top leagues there will be hoping that their star players do not get injured or become burned out. Fans are also suffering from an excess of football and it looks like TV audiences will be low too, so sponsors will not be happy.

So, which team is going to lift the trophy on June 28th? Most people’s favourites include Brazil and Spain, while betting against the Italians is never a good idea. New Zealand and Iraq are seen as the outsiders but a good tip for dark horses of the tournament can be the US team who will make life hard for Brazil and Italy in the group stage. Indeed, with some luck they may progress to the final where, I think, they will lose to Spain.

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Vocabulary

Here are explanations of some of the words and phrases from the reading. Download the worksheet here

hosts: The team playing at home, the country organisng the competition

current world champions: The last team to win the World Cup

represent: To act on behalf on

reigning: The current champions, the team that last won the trophy

revenue: Money, income

venues: The places where the games take place, the stadia

burned out : To be extremely tired, have nothing left after playing too much football

betting against: To think they will not win, to gamble on an another team

outsiders: A team with little or no chance

dark horses: A team that not many people think will win but may have a chance

Teaching Ideas (Reading): Manchester United Review of the Season

damianf — Wed, 20 May 2009 07:38:13 +0000

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In this teaching ideas post we ask Brendan, a Manchester United fan, to review his team’s title-winning season for us. Read the interview below and then practise your reading skills and vocabulary with the printable worksheet below. You can also find more teaching ideas here and lots more football language in languagecaster’s football glossary.

Worksheet (Reading Skills): Manchester United Season 2009 pdf

How would you sum up the season?
All in all, a pleasing season given our huge commitments in all competitions. We were only a penalty shootout away from playing the most amount of games possible in a season – the World Club Cup, League Cup, FA Cup, Charity Shield, Premiership and Champions League. The most pleasing aspect being the fact that we pipped our most fervent rivals Liverpool to the title. And knocked them off their perch.

What were the key moments of the season?
When we arrived back from the World Club Championships we had a tough fixture against Stoke away which we manged to win with a late goal from Carlos Tevez. A tough place to win at any stage and also a place where Liverpool slipped up. Other notable mentions, 18 year-old Macheda’s goal against Villa in stoppage time while we were going through a slump and also Howard Webb’s timely intervention against Tottenham and on a personal note Michael Carrick’s goal against Pompey.

Were you ever worried about not winning?
In fairness, Liverpool pushed us all the way this season. At the beginning of the year, I thought that a final points tally in the early 80’s would suffice. As it happens, United could win on Sunday against Hull and finish with 90 and still only win by 4 points. So, until Michael Carrick scored a late goal against Wigan last week I was always worried. But isn’t that what fans are supposed to do?

What was the darkest moment of the season?
A game at which I was in attendance. Old Trafford 14th of March: Man Utd 1 Liverpool 4. Didn’t see it coming but as I said to fellow disconsolate fans leaving the ground, it is still retrievable. And it was.

Who was your player of the season?
Due to the severe workload, United had to use most of their squad at various stages this season, so in many ways it was a squad effort rather than being down to one outstanding performer. However, Nemanja Vidic played most games and was probably our most consistent performer (save for the Liverpool match)

Can you win again next season? Who will be your main challengers?
Yes we can. A lot depends on the future of messers Tevez and Ronaldo. The challengers will be the same as any other year, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. The transfer window will be key. As will the retention of our pensioner manager!!

// –>

Football Vocabulary: Playing the Game

damianf — Tue, 12 May 2009 11:06:38 +0000

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it. | Teaching Ideas

On many of the pages of languagecaster’s site you can find language connected to football, such as cliches and phrases. In this teaching ideas post we take a look at some of the words and phrases that players might say while playing a match, the kind of language that you can hear – or use – on the pitch. There are online crosswords and quizzes, as well as printables that practise the vocabulary below. You can also check out languagecaster’s football glossary which has a huge selection of football vocabulary.

Receiving the ball to feet with a man on

Overseas players moving to an English-speaking environment often feel frustrated at their lack of communication skills. However, one area where they can improve quickly is with the language on the field of play. As you can imagine, players do not have much time during a game, so quick and clear communication with your team mates is key. For example, when you see an opponent coming towards one of your own players, you are not going to shout ‘Be careful John, there is a member of the opposing side approaching’. Instead, the phrase ‘man on‘ is used to warn your team mate. How about if you want to tell one of your players that he or she is free and has time to look up and pass or dribble with the ball? You could explain all of that to them but it’s much better to simply shout ‘time‘.

Many of the phrases used by players in a game are similar to these expressions in that they are made up of only one or two words to help with this rapid communication. So, though you might know the meaning of the words ‘head‘, ‘out‘ and ‘time‘ away from the football pitch, on it they tend to have different meanings.

Below is a list of some of the more common expressions (with online and printable quizzes) you might need when playing football in an English-speaking environment. Next time you play a game how about trying to use some of them with your team mates?

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Vocabulary: Playing the Game

Playing the Game: Crossword pdf | Playing the game crossword: answers pdf | Online Crossword
Playing the Game: Multi-choice quiz pdf | Online Multi-choice quiz
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Man on: A warning given to a team mate with the ball that an opponent is nearby; be careful there is someone near you.

To feet: This is used by one of your team mates when he / she wants you to pass to their feet, a simple pass on the ground. Sometimes it is shortened to feet.

Chest: This is used by one of your team mates when he / she wants you to give them the ball on their chest. This expression might be heard at a throw-in.

On my head: This is used by one of your team mates when he / she wants you to give them the ball on their head. This expression might be heard at a throw-in and sometimes it is shortened to head.

Time: This is what you can say to one of your team mates when he/she receives the ball and has time to move with the ball – it is the opposite of man on.

Square: This is what you say to a team mate when you are standing to their left or right, i.e. beside them and you want them to pass to you. You can also say square it.

Push up: You can hear this phrase when one of the defenders tells the rest of the defence to move forward and away from their own goal. It is often used to catch people offside. Similar to the phrase get out.

Through ball: A through ball is one played quickly (usually first time) in order to a team mate who is running in on goal. An effective weapon to break down a defence.

One-two: This is sometimes known as a wall pass and means to give and then quickly receive a pass from one of your team mates. It can be an effective tactic in crowded areas to allow players to get free.

Easy ball: This expression is used to tell your team mate to play a simple rather than a difficult ball as your team wants to keep possession. Don’t give away the ball!

Get out: Often shouted by one of the defenders to the rest of his defence to try and push back the opposing attackers or to catch them offside. This is similar to push up.

Mark up: This is said by players when defending a corner, free kick or other set piece and means to ensure that an opponent is not free, in other words get close to them.

First time: Don’t trap or control the ball, hit it when it arrives.

One-touch: Similar to first time in that the player usually has no time to control the ball so he or she needs to pass it or shoot quickly.

Hold: This is said to a team mate who has the ball that he or she should keep it a little longer, don’t pass it just yet. This is particularly used for telling a centre forward to hold on to possession.

Teaching Ideas

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The Football Lexicon (below) is a book with hundreds of different football expressions and along with many other football-products can be bought from languagecaster’s shop

These are only some of the words and phrases used on the football pitch. We would be interested to hear of any more that you have heard about, please post a comment below and let us know.