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

Current Score: DB 3 | DF 8 | Guest 5

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

Listen Here: first-choice keeper.mp3 | See the complete list hereTranscript

This week’s English for Football phrase is ‘first-choice keeper‘. The word keeper is a shortened form of goalkeeper, and first choice means the team’s best player in that position, the one the coach chooses ahead of others. The second-choice keeper will be on the bench and will only be used as a substitute. This week the European Championship qualifiers start and England’s first-choice keeper is Joe Hart of Manchester City. First-choice keeper.

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

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Subscribe: Main Listening Report

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

Listen here to the main report

Transcript

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

Antoine Griezmann - New Sociedad star?

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

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

Lastly, Levante. This club, based in Valencia, has been somewhat of a yo-yo club, regularly being promoted and relegated between the second division and the top flight over the past decade. They were only just promoted for this season on goal difference and it won’t be a surprise if they go straight back down again. Indeed, they lack a proven goal scorer and may struggle to find the net. They have also brought in a raft of new signings, which may mean they struggle to gel. All these facts point to relegation this season, which is what I predict. Their first game is against  Sevilla at home, and I expect a loss and a long season for los Granotes – the frogs.

Vocabulary

the top flight: the top division, the highest level

be relegated: be sent down a league, drop down a level

backbone: (in this context) the players that make a team stable and strong, the main part, the important players

to keep an eye on: watch carefully (because good things are expected)

spell (of time): a period of time, often used in the phrase a short spell

to hover around: to stay close to one position, to not move far from

alleged (to have done): accused of having done, thought to have done – but not yet proved

a yo-yo club: a club that often gets promoted and then relegated (eg. West Bromich Albion in the Premier League)

a raft of: a large number of, many

to gel: to work together, to fit together, form a team

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Tottenham make the Champions League group stage, an ugly melee spoils the Copa Libertadores final and trouble at Liverpool. These stories and more feature in this week’s the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, which can be heard on our weekly podcast. Vocabulary support can be found for the words in bold at the foot of the post.

Good

Tottenham completed a remarkable comeback against Swiss side Young Boys this week to qualify for the group stage of the Champions League. Spurs last played in the European Cup in 1962 when they reached the semi-finals but getting out of the group would be deemed a success this time round. Peter Crouch was the hero this week with a hat-trick but young Welsh star Gareth Bale assisted in all four of the goals. Spurs face holders Inter Milan, Dutch champions Twente and German side Werder Bremen in the group stages – do they dare to dream?

Bad

Bad for Liverpool, who were humbled at new kids on the block, Manchester City, 3-0. This despite Torres and Gerrard both starting. The Merseyside club never looked comfortable and were picked off by a strong-looking City side. That leaves the Reds 17th with one point out of a possible six. To add to their problems, Liverpool still haven’t found new owners and look no nearer doing so, and they also have Mascherano angling for a move to Barcelona. The Argentinian midfielder refused to play in the game against The Blues, angering fans who had been impressed by his performance the week before against Arsenal. There is one bright spot for Liverpool, however, as they are through to the group stages of the Europa League after winning 2-1 despite going behind away at Turkish side Trabzorspor.

Ugly

Brazilian side Internacional won the Copa Libertadores final last week by defeating Mexican side Guadalajara 5-3 on aggregate in a stormy affair. At the end of the game Mexican players were involved in a fight with players from Internacional but the police intervened very quickly. The Mexican players felt they had been provoked by the Brazilians and complained about the lack of security at the stadium. An ugly end to a great competition. See the highlights of the goals here

Vocabulary

remarkable : Amazing

to qualify for:: To progress to the next stage of the competition

would be deemed a success: Would be seen as a success

would be deemed a success: Three goals in one game by one player

Spurs face holders Inter Milan: Spurs will play against the current champions Inter Milan

new kids on the block: a new team, a fresh face, in this context a team that has joined the big teams as title contenders

to pick off: to calmly wait for a scoring opportunity and then attack and score

to angle for (something): to attempt to get, to try to get something

Copa Libertadores: The main club competition for teams in South America (equivalent to the Champions League)

by defeating: By beating (another team)

on aggregate: In total – there are two games (legs) and the scores are added up, this is the aggregate

stormy affair: An aggressive game, a tempestuous match

intervened: Stepped in, they wished to prevent any more trouble

The Champions League draw has been made and the Italian and Spanish leagues kick off this weekend so football in Europe is very much up and running. We feature many of these stories on languagecaster.com’s weekly football podcast. For more football news come to our site, read the posts, listen to our main reports and check out our links section.
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PREDICTION

This week’s featured match sees the Spanish champions Barcelona open the defence of their title away at Racing Santander. Below are the predictions of the languagecaster team – can you do better?

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FOOTBALL EXPRESSION

This week’s football phrase is the word gaffer which is a word used by players to describe the boss, the coach or manager of the team. The word originally was used to refer to a foreman or boss on construction site but has been popular in the football world since the 1970s. In a recent article in the British press, England and Spurs striker, Jermain Defoe reckoned that his gaffer was the best in the country. The gaffer.

Click here for more football cliches and football phrases.
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This week’s QUIZ QUESTION:

When was the last time a team apart from Barcelona and Real Madrid won La Liga?

a. Valencia
b. Deportivo La Coruña
c. Atletico Madrid
d. Sevilla

Answer next week.

The answer to last week’s question was that Manchester City have won the league title on two occasions in 1937 and 1968.
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For all students of the beautiful game

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This week we feature the champions from the top 4 leagues in Europe: Barcelona; Bayern Munich; Chelsea and Inter Milan. Our guest this week is Marco an AC Milan fan.

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

Listen Here: Gaffer.mp3 | See the complete list here

Transcript

This week’s football phrase is the word gaffer which is a word used by players to describe the boss, the coach or manager of the team. The word originally was used to refer to a foreman or boss on construction site but has been popular in the football world since the 1970s. In a recent article in the British press, England and Spurs striker, Jermain Defoe reckoned that his gaffer was the best in the country. The gaffer.

Every Season we ask which team you think will win the Premier League. Last season the majority of fans correctly went for Chelsea but how about this season? Simply click on the poll below and let us know what you think.

It’s week 2 of the Premier League, the Bundesliga also kicks off and we salute Internacional of Brazil on winning the Copa Libertadores. These and many other news stories all feature in this week’s languagecaster.com’s football podcast. For more football news come to our site, read the posts, listen to our main reports and check out our links section.
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PREDICTION

This week’s featured match is the Premier League game between Manchester City and Liverpool

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FOOTBALL EXPRESSION

Today’s weekly football phrase is the word pulsating which is an adjective used to describe a very exciting game, one that goes from end-to-end. The verb to pulsate means to throb or to beat rhythmically and so if a game has few pauses we can describe it as having a high tempo or rhythm or that it does not pause for breath – it is pulsating. The recent Premier League matches between Stoke and Tottenham and Liverpool and Arsenal were described as pulsating due to their end-to-end nature. A pulsating game.

Click here for more football cliches and football phrases.
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This week’s QUIZ QUESTION:

How many times has Manchester City won the English League title?/p>
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4

Answer next week.

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Check out the site for the latest polls – at www.languagecaster.com | Click here admin@languagecaster.com if you want to have your say on our weekly podcast.

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For all students of the beautiful game

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

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Every week during the 2010-11 season, the languagecaster team will include a main listening report that is featured on our weekly podcast. Below is the complete list and by clicking on the report you will be taken to a post with a transcript and an audio file.

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Each week on languagecaster’s podcast we feature a main listening report and on this week’s show we look ahead to the 2010-11 season for our two teams: Damon will talk about Liverpool while Damian discusses Spurs’ chances. You can listen to the report by clicking below and can read the transcript below. Explanations of vocabulary in bold appears at the foot of the post.

Listen here to the Main Report

Transcript

Damon: Well, Liverpool had a dreadful season last year, no trophies again and finishing seventh in the league. Awful! Can we do better this year? I hope so. And hope is something that Liverpool fans have again after their new manager, Roy Hodgson, has introduced a new confidence with three wins and a draw in his first competitive games – three victories in the Europa League and a battling draw with 10 men against Arsenal. So there is hope around Anfield, and this hope stems from his sensible signings. The latest, the experienced, combative Christian Poulson, will replace Mascherano as a holding midfielder – but coming in for a modest 4.5 million pounds, Liverpool can hope to make some money with Mascherano valued at over 20 million probably on the move according to the press. Hodgson has also bought in Joe Cole on a free transfer, an experienced striker in Jovanovic as well as a youthful defender in Danny Wilson. All, on paper, strengthening the squad.

Concerns still persist with the full back positions, left and right, but with Gerrard, Kuyt, Lucas, Carragher, Agger, Reina and of course Torres providing an experienced spine, the team looks strong. There are worries about its depth, however, and the manager will have to make some more signings before the end of the transfer window. Hopefully, the speculation about the sale of the club will also be over in the next few weeks and there will be some stability behind the scenes.

Predictions? A good cup run in the Europa League – semi final, and the FA Cup – perhaps as far as the final. As for the League, top four finish and I’m hoping for third – that or financial meltdown.

Damian
Despite a 4th place finish and a semi-final appearance in the FA Cup last season, there are still many football pundits who feel that Spurs will not feature in the top echelons of the Premier League next May. This could be due to our inconsistent form and the fact that we are still perceived as having a soft-centre. New signing William Gallas should have something to say about that and though there are some fans who disagree with him coming to the club thanks to his Arsenal connections, this is the type of signing the team needs, someone with Champions League experience and a Premier League winning mentality. The Champions League is going to be crucial for Spurs – if we qualify for the group stages then what effect will it have on our domestic performances? If we don’t make it, then how will we react?

Surprisingly for Harry Rednapp, the club has only moved for Gallas during the transfer window who joins along with Brazilian midfield star, Sandro who was signed in March. The feeling is that we are one or two big signings away from a real push for success so next week’s Champions League qualifier takes on an even more important role as players may decide to come to a club in rather than out of the top European club competition.

Predictions? Well, the top 2 will be there again while Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City will also be in contention. The irony is that we may have a stronger team than last season yet finish 6th. However, I am going for a repeat of 4th and hopefully a fun run in the Champions League.

Vocabulary

dreadful: very bad, awful, terrible

stem from: originate from, come from, start from

combative: aggressive, strong, hard tackling

on paper: theoretically, assumed before knowing the facts

behind the scenes: used to refer to the owners of the club, the financial deals, the management

financial meltdown: big economic problem, a situation in which the club has huge money problems and may go out of business

football pundits: Football experts

top echelons: The top positions in the league

perceived: Seen to be; appear

crucial: Vital, really important

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

Listen Here: Pulsating Game.mp3 | See the complete list here

Transcript

Today’s weekly football phrase is the word pulsating which is an adjective used to describe a very exciting game, one that goes from end-to-end. The verb to pulsate means to throb or to beat rhythmically and so if a game has few pauses we can describe it as having a high tempo or rhythm or that it does not pause for breath – it is pulsating. The recent Premier League matches between Stoke and Tottenham and Liverpool and Arsenal were described as pulsating due to their end-to-end nature. A pulsating game.

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Every week during the 2010-11 season, the languagecaster team will be explaining a football phrase or cliché connected to football. Below is the complete list which will be updated weekly and by clicking on the phrase you will be taken to a post with a transcript and an audio file. You can find many more examples by going to our previous season football phrase page here football clichés here and our huge football glossary here and of course by listening to our Weekly football podcast for all learners of English

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

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Every week during the 2010-11 season, the languagecaster team produces a weekly podcast. Below is the complete list of the podcasts which if you click you will be taken to the individual post.

Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking here

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

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

For teachers there is more information and ideas here.

Also, check out our -

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

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

The World Cup is over and already football fans around the world are looking forward to the new club season in Europe. Languagecaster.com will be back for the start of the new English Premier League season in mid-August with a new series of podcasts and English-learning materials for football fans everywhere.

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

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Every day during the World Cup, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase or cliché connected to this summer’s tournament. Click on the link below to hear the word or phrase and you can also read the transcript. You can find many more examples by going to our football phrase page here football clichés here and our huge football glossary here.

Listen Here | See the complete list here

Today’s World Cup phrase of the day is the expression littered with fouls which means that a game is full of fouls, that the game was a dirty one. The World Cup final between Spain and Holland promised to be a festival of football but instead we witnessed a game that was littered with fouls – Holland commited 28 and Spain 19. There were also 14 yellow cards in the game making it one of the dirtiest finals in World Cup history. To be littered with fouls. .

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The World Cup final takes place this weekend and we cast our eyes over the two teams and give our predictions. Vocabulary, in bold from the transcript of this report can be found below. You can also:

Transcript

Game 64 of the World Cup, has Holland taking on the Spanish to decide the winners of the 19th World Cup tournament. Neither of these two sides have previously won the trophy before and despite having great players in their team, good form coming into the competition and strong footballing traditions, few pundits had tipped them to reach the final. That is except those here at languagecaster – Damon predicted a Holland victory while I went for Spain.

I still think it will be Spain for despite a slow start – remember their first game defeat against Switzerland? – they have been improving ever since. If they were to win the World Cup, it would mean they would be the first ever team to lose their opening match and still go on to win the competition. Though they have been criticised for not scoring goals – only 7 so far in the tournament – they have won most of their games comfortably. David Villa has been receiving many of the plaudits for his performances and goals but the midfield have been immense, constantly probing for openings, setting up scoring chances and maintaining a solid shape throughout. Xavi and Iniesta have been wonderful while Xavi Alonso has also been very consistent. Doubts about their defence have been answered with only 2 goals conceded in the whole competition, while we also have to praise the fact that Spain have only had 3 yellow cards and are one of the teams that have given away the least amount of fouls in the whole of the World Cup. They never panic, their footballing technique is second to none and their performance in the semi-final was amazing as they destroyed a very strong German side to win through. Holland are organised and have great players throughout their side but I am going for a dominant 1-0 win for Spain.

Damon

Well, we’re here it’s the final, fantastic, Holland against Spain, of course, I tipped Holland to win the whole thing right at the beginning of the World Cup – go on, look it up, check it out at languagecaster.com. I had it there in black and white. And do I think they’re going to go the whole way? Well, it’s certainly interesting both these teams have got to the final without really blowing away anybody, without really impressing people. Spain are the favourites of course but I’ve got to say, I find their style of play a little bit sterile, of course, it’s beautiful, yes, wonderful and they pass it so well and they don’t give the ball back and isn’t that wonderful but … where’s the passion, where’s the … I don’t know, where’s the action? Where’s the drama? In Spain, I just don’t get that. My heart is with Holland and I’d really love them to win so I’m going to go for them, what the hell, I’m going to lose the predictions battle, anyway. I think they’re going to win 2-1, it’s going to be a great game because both these teams set up quite defensively, if you look at it. You’ve got Van bommell and De Jong for Holland sitting in front of their defenders and you’ve got Busquets and Alonso for Spain doing the same thing. You’ve got some great play makers on both sides, obviously Iniesta for Spain and you’ve got Sneijder for Holland and Robben … adding a little bit of spice and Villa who’s deadly and he may get the Golden Boot here who knows? So, it’s all to play for, I really hope it’s going to be a good game and to be a good game I think Holland have to score first, ‘cos if Spain do, well, we might as well put the mood music on and the volume down on the TV and just watch the pretty patterns

Vocabulary

taking on: To face, to play against

pundits: Expert football commentators

receiving many of the plaudits: The player has received much adulation, many people like one player because of his strong performances

probing : Searching

2 goals conceded: 2 goals have been let in; 2 goals have been scored against them

is second to none: No one is better

dominant: Convincing

blowing away anybody: Neither team has dominated another team

sterile: No imagination or flair

set up: Play, how the teams are organised

deadly: A very dangerous striker

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Every day during the World Cup, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase or cliché connected to this summer’s tournament. Click on the link below to hear the word or phrase and you can also read the transcript. You can find many more examples by going to our football phrase page here football clichés here and our huge football glossary here.

Listen Here | See the complete list here

Today’s World Cup phrase of the day is the expression to go for it which means to try and win a game by all-out attack – it here refers to the game, to try to win the game. This phrase was used by both sides before today’s World Cup 3rd and 4th place play-off between Germany and Uruguay with both teams suggesting they would take the game very seriously and try to win it by attacking – by going for it. The game was an exciting, open affair with the Germans winning 3-2 and the game was a great spectacle as both teams had gone for it. To go for it.

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Every day during the World Cup, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase or cliché connected to this summer’s tournament. Click on the link below to hear the word or phrase and you can also read the transcript. You can find many more examples by going to our football phrase page here football clichés here and our huge football glossary here.

Listen Here | See the complete list here

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

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Current Score: DB 35 | DF 65

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

Join our predictions competition by clicking here

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Every day during the World Cup, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase or cliché connected to this summer’s tournament. Click on the link below to hear the word or phrase and you can also read the transcript. You can find many more examples by going to our football phrase page here football clichés here and our huge football glossary here.

Listen Here (coming soon) | See the complete list here

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

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Current Score: DB 33 | DF 61

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

	DB	DF	Result
Holland v Uruguay	1-0 (1)	2-0 (1)	3-2
Germany v Spain	1-2 (1)	0-1 (3)	0-1

Join our predictions competition by clicking here

]]> http://languagecaster.com/2010/07/05/world-cup-predictions-the-semi-finals/feed/ 0 http://languagecaster.com/2010/07/04/world-cup-phrase-of-the-day-rout/ http://languagecaster.com/2010/07/04/world-cup-phrase-of-the-day-rout/#comments Sun, 04 Jul 2010 22:11:36 +0000 damianf http://languagecaster.com/?p=10004 | Subscribe: World Cup Football Phrase Every day during the World Cup, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase or cliché connected to this summer’s tournament. Click on the link below to hear the word or phrase and you can also read the transcript. You can find many more examples by going [...]]]>

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Every day during the World Cup, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase or cliché connected to this summer’s tournament. Click on the link below to hear the word or phrase and you can also read the transcript. You can find many more examples by going to our football phrase page here football clichés here and our huge football glossary here.

Listen Here | See the complete list here

Today’s World Cup phrase of the day is the expression rout which means a heavy defeat. This word can be used as a noun, the rout of England by Germany or a verb, Germany routed England 4-1. In the quarter-final of the World Cup, Germany heavily defeated Argentina 4-0, they routed them. The rout of the South American side caused huge surprise around the world and may lead to coach Diego Maradona resigning from his post, he may step down. Rout.

]]> http://languagecaster.com/2010/07/04/world-cup-phrase-of-the-day-rout/feed/ 0 http://languagecaster.com/2010/07/03/world-cup-phrase-of-the-day-the-hand-of-god-part-ii/ http://languagecaster.com/2010/07/03/world-cup-phrase-of-the-day-the-hand-of-god-part-ii/#comments Sat, 03 Jul 2010 10:04:18 +0000 grell http://languagecaster.com/?p=9996 | Subscribe: World Cup Football Phrase Every day during the World Cup, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase or cliché connected to this summer’s tournament. Click on the link below to hear the word or phrase and you can also read the transcript. You can find many more examples [...]]]>

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

Every day during the World Cup, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase or cliché connected to this summer’s tournament. Click on the link below to hear the word or phrase and you can also read the transcript. You can find many more examples by going to our football phrase page here football clichés here and our huge football glossary here.

Listen Here (coming soon) | See the complete list here

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

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

]]> http://languagecaster.com/2010/07/03/world-cup-phrase-of-the-day-the-hand-of-god-part-ii/feed/ 0 http://languagecaster.com/2010/07/02/world-cup-podcast-8-world-cup-quarter-finals-preview/ http://languagecaster.com/2010/07/02/world-cup-podcast-8-world-cup-quarter-finals-preview/#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:22:45 +0000 damianf http://languagecaster.com/?p=9970 i-tunes Feed | Podcast Feed The World Cup quarter-finals take place this weekend and we have some mouth-watering ties to look forward to. In today’s podcast Damon and Damian cast their eyes over the four match ups. Vocabulary, in bold from the transcript of this report can be found below. You can also: Check out [...]]]>

i-tunes Feed | Podcast Feed

The World Cup quarter-finals take place this weekend and we have some mouth-watering ties to look forward to. In today’s podcast Damon and Damian cast their eyes over the four match ups. Vocabulary, in bold from the transcript of this report can be found below. You can also:

Check out a new football expression in World Cup English for Football

Follow the predictions battle between Damon and Damian in the Predictions competition

For learners of English check out our World Cup Language Resources page with:

Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases)

Transcripts from previous podcasts and much more.

Transcript

Holland-Brazil

Everyone’s favourites for the title – at least on our site’s poll – Brazil take on Holland in the first of the World Cup quarter-finals. Indeed, so much are they favourites that the Dutch are being described as ‘Brazil light’. These two sides have a history – though not as contentious as the Germany-Argentina game – going back to 1974 when the then reigning champions Brazil were torn apart by a rampaging Dutch side that included Johann Cruyff. In 1994 they met again and this time the Brazilians won 3-2 despite a wonderful comeback from the Dutch. With current manager Dunga as their captain, Brazil went on to lift the trophy on penalties that year, which is how they defeated the Dutch in the 1998 semi-finals in France. The games have always been of a high quality and no one is expecting anything less of today’s match.

Both teams are in very good form with the Dutch on a national record run of 23 games unbeaten but it is generally felt that Brazil have better discipline, organisation and more match winners in their team than Holland. True, the Dutch have Sneijder, Van Persie and Robben but Brazilian fans point to Robinho, Fabiano, Maicon and Kaka. Despite these top players, however, I am going to go for Holland partly because I feel the pressure on Brazil – and particularly Dunga – is simply too heavy for them to bear. I also feel that the Dutch have one good game in them and this could be the one, while Robben looks very impressive and I feel if he or one of his team mates scores first then it will be very interesting to see how Brazil cope. 2-1 to Holland.

Ghana – Uruguay

How fitting that Uruguay are doing so well this time round in a World Cup held on African soil. They were the first national team in South America to… field a player of African descent, years before their more famous neighbours Brazil. But what a shame that they are up against an African side in Ghana, and one of these teams will be going home come Sunday. Ghana of course, are hoping to be the first African side to reach the semi finals in a World Cup, and Uruguay, although past World Cup winners, haven’t tasted success in this competition since 1970 when they got to the semis.

I expect this match to be quite defensive, a little like Japan v Paraguay, as both teams have so much to gain from a win, and will feel so disappointed with a loss. On balance, Uruguay have looked the stronger of the two teams so far and seem to be able to score when they need to with Forlan and Suarez up front. On the other hand, Ghana have looked resilient, strong and intelligent with the ball, but lack a clinical finish.

A tight 1–1 draw with Uruguay going through on penalties.

Germany – Argentina

Germany v Argentina. Two heavyweights in the world of World Cups. Germany have three trophies to Argentina’s two, and this match has two teams with pedigree clashing in the quarter finals. Added to the history we’ve got the Europe vs South America angle. This year, four of the eight quarter finalists are from South America, and perhaps Europe will have to wait to win a World Cup outside of European soil. History and geography are interesting enough, but throw in a bit of bad blood and things get even more interesting.

The two have met five times in  World Cups, with two of those meetings being in finals – Argentina winning in 1986 and Germany getting revenge four years later. However, most of the rivalry stems from the last World Cup in Germany in 2006. Germany defeated Argentina on penalties after the game ended 1-1 – after the game, but still on the pitch, a mass brawl erupted with both sides laying into one another. The memory of that has resurfaced in the build up to this game. Germany’s Sweinstagger has criticised the Argentinian fans and their team’s style of play. Maradona has responded by promising his players will be ‘in the faces’ of their opponents.

It should be an interesting game. As an England fan, with bad memories of both these teams, it’s difficult for me to choose a winner – can’t they both lose? But if push comes to shove – 2-1 to Argentina.

Spain – Paraguay

This one seems to be fairly clear-cut with the 2008 European Champions taking on a side that has only managed 3 goals so far in the tournament, which is a little unfair as Spain have only got 5 themselves. Spain are the favourites but South American sides have been pulling off surprises throughout the competition and Paraguay are nothing if not organised. Their manager, Martino, feels that his side’s discipline can see them through but anyone who watched their second round match against Japan will wonder where they will find goal-scoring opportunities. Paraguay on the other hand know very well about Spain’s goal-scoring threat – David Villa has scored 4 times already and is on fire at the moment, with Iniesta and Xavi hitting form at the right time this looks a very confident and fluid Spanish side that should be able to win through – 1-0 for me.

Vocabulary

take on: To play against, to face

contentious: Controversial – some bad feeling between the two sides

reigning champions : Brazil had won the title in 1970, so they were the then champions, the holders

were torn apart : Completely thrashed, well beaten

rampaging: Here it means that a team were non-stop in their attacking play

to go for: To choose, to predict

to bear: To carry

field a player: play  someone, choose someone to play in the team, put someone on the pitch

(to) taste success: to have experience of winning, to be successful

resilient: strong, not easily overcome, can recover from setbacks

heavyweight; a powerhouse, a traditionally strong team, a team with history

European soil: in Europe

(to) stem: to have roots in, to start in/from

(to) lay into: to punch, to fight with, to attack violently

if push comes to shove: if you are forced to give an opinion, if you have to make a choice

clear-cut: Very clear, obvious

is on fire: Villa is playing very well at the moment

fluid: Playing in a fast, passing style

]]> http://languagecaster.com/2010/07/02/world-cup-podcast-8-world-cup-quarter-finals-preview/feed/ 0 14:04 i-tunes Feed #124; Podcast Feed The World Cup quarter-finals take place this weekend and we have some mouth-watering ties to look forward to. In ... i-tunes Feed #124; Podcast Feed The World Cup quarter-finals take place this weekend and we have some mouth-watering ties to look forward to. In today's podcast Damon and Damian cast their eyes over the four match ups. Vocabulary, in bold from the transcript of this report can be found below. You can also: Check out a new football expression in World Cup English for Football Follow the predictions battle between Damon and Damian in the Predictions competition For learners of English check out our World Cup Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Transcripts from previous podcasts and much more. Transcript Holland-Brazil Everyone's favourites for the title - at least on our site's poll - Brazil take on Holland in the first of the World Cup quarter-finals. Indeed, so much are they favourites that the Dutch are being described as 'Brazil light'. These two sides have a history - though not as contentious as the Germany-Argentina game - going back to 1974 when the then reigning champions Brazil were torn apart by a rampaging Dutch side that included Johann Cruyff. In 1994 they met again and this time the Brazilians won 3-2 despite a wonderful comeback from the Dutch. With current manager Dunga as their captain, Brazil went on to lift the trophy on penalties that year, which is how they defeated the Dutch in the 1998 semi-finals in France. The games have always been of a high quality and no one is expecting anything less of today's match. Both teams are in very good form with the Dutch on a national record run of 23 games unbeaten but it is generally felt that Brazil have better discipline, organisation and more match winners in their team than Holland. True, the Dutch have Sneijder, Van Persie and Robben but Brazilian fans point to Robinho, Fabiano, Maicon and Kaka. Despite these top players, however, I am going to go for Holland partly because I feel the pressure on Brazil - and particularly Dunga - is simply too heavy for them to bear. I also feel that the Dutch have one good game in them and this could be the one, while Robben looks very impressive and I feel if he or one of his team mates scores first then it will be very interesting to see how Brazil cope. 2-1 to Holland. Ghana - Uruguay How fitting that Uruguay are doing so well this time round in a World Cup held on African soil. They were the first national team in South America to... field a player of African descent, years before their more famous neighbours Brazil. But what a shame that they are up against an African side in Ghana, and one of these teams will be going home come Sunday. Ghana of course, are hoping to be the first African side to reach the semi finals in a World Cup, and Uruguay, although past World Cup winners, haven't tasted success in this competition since 1970 when they got to the semis. I expect this match to be quite defensive, a little like Japan v Paraguay, as both teams have so much to gain from a win, and will feel so disappointed with a loss. On balance, Uruguay have looked the stronger of the two teams so far and seem to be able to score when they need to with Forlan and Suarez up front. On the other hand, Ghana have looked resilient, strong and intelligent with the ball, but lack a clinical finish. A tight 1--1 draw with Uruguay going through on penalties. Germany - Argentina Germany v Argentina. Two heavyweights in the world of World Cups. Germany have three trophies to Argentina's two, and this match has two teams with pedigree clashing in the quarter finals. Added to the history we've got the Europe vs South America angle. This year, four of the eight quarter finalists are from South America, and perhaps Europe will have to wait to win a World Cup outside of European soil. History and geography are interesting enough, but throw in a bit of bad blood and things get even more interesting. Podcast,,World,Cup languagecaster.com no No http://languagecaster.com/2010/07/02/world-cup-competiton-win-a-brazil-shirt/ http://languagecaster.com/2010/07/02/world-cup-competiton-win-a-brazil-shirt/#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 10:57:20 +0000 damianf http://languagecaster.com/?p=9975 This is your chance to to win a Brazil World Cup football top (see left). To enter the free draw simply tell us which team you think is going to win the World Cup. Do you think Brazil will win their sixth title or will the Dutch or the Spanish win their first? Can Ghana [...]]]>

This is your chance to to win a Brazil World Cup football top (see left). To enter the free draw simply tell us which team you think is going to win the World Cup. Do you think Brazil will win their sixth title or will the Dutch or the Spanish win their first? Can Ghana do the unthinkable and become the first ever African side to win the competition? Post your comment below and we will enter you into the draw that will take place the day before the World Cup final takes place – July 10th.

Listen to languagecaster’s podcast here

]]> http://languagecaster.com/2010/07/02/world-cup-competiton-win-a-brazil-shirt/feed/ 2 http://languagecaster.com/2010/07/02/world-cup-phrase-of-the-day-to-kick-out/ http://languagecaster.com/2010/07/02/world-cup-phrase-of-the-day-to-kick-out/#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 10:41:17 +0000 damianf http://languagecaster.com/?p=9980 | Subscribe: World Cup Football Phrase Every day during the World Cup, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase or cliché connected to this summer’s tournament. Click on the link below to hear the word or phrase and you can also read the transcript. You can find many more examples by going [...]]]>

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

Every day during the World Cup, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase or cliché connected to this summer’s tournament. Click on the link below to hear the word or phrase and you can also read the transcript. You can find many more examples by going to our football phrase page here football clichés here and our huge football glossary here.

Listen Here | See the complete list here

Today’s World Cup phrase of the day is the expression to kick out which means to expel or throw out. This phrase is in the news today as it emerges that the Nigerian government has decided to withdraw its football team from international football for two years due to its poor performances at the World Cup. As FIFA is totally against government intervention in football, it has threatened to kick Nigeria out of its organisation meaning that Nigeria would be unable to play in the Africa Cup of Nations or the World Cup. The Nigerians have until Monday to change their decision or else they will be kicked out of world football for the near future. To kick out.

]]> http://languagecaster.com/2010/07/02/world-cup-phrase-of-the-day-to-kick-out/feed/ 0 http://languagecaster.com/2010/07/02/world-cup-newsletter-2-world-cup-quarter-finals/ http://languagecaster.com/2010/07/02/world-cup-newsletter-2-world-cup-quarter-finals/#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 10:20:44 +0000 damianf http://languagecaster.com/?p=9977 The 2010 tournament has reached the quarter-final stage and on our 8th World Cup podcast we look forward to these mouth-watering ties. For more World Cup news and resources come to our site, read the posts and check out our links section. You can also have a chance to win a Brazil top – click [...]]]>

The 2010 tournament has reached the quarter-final stage and on our 8th World Cup podcast we look forward to these mouth-watering ties. For more World Cup news and resources come to our site, read the posts and check out our links section. You can also have a chance to win a Brazil top – click here to find out more.

________________________________________

FEATURED POSTS

Download the latest podcast which is all about the World Cup quarter-finals here

Review week two at the World Cup here

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Listen to something from our World Cup podcast back catalogue: A review of the Second Round

Read our fabulous Glossary of footballing phrases

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PREDICTION

Tomorrow’s featured match is German v Argentina which Damian thinks will finish 2-3 and Damon feels Argentina will prevail 2-1.

Remember three points for a perfect score and one point for the right result. You can also join our predictions competition, where there’s a chance to win an original languagecaster.com T-shirt! Check all our predictions here and let us know how you think the games will finish.

________________________________________

FOOTBALL EXPRESSION

Every day during the World Cup, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase or cliché connected to this summer’s tournament. Here is a list of all the phrases we have done so far and here is yesterday’s phrase:

Today’s World Cup phrase of the day is the expression to step down which means to resign or to quit a job. The World Cup is over for many teams and their coaches and this means that many of them will lose their jobs because of poor performances. Others have made the decision to leave by themselves – they have not been fired or sacked. Thus, Italy’s coach Lippi and his French counterpart Domenech announced that they would be stepping down before the tournament had even started, while Mexico’s coach Aguirre has stepped down after his side were knocked out of the second round by Argentina. I wonder how England fans would feel about their coach Capello if he were to step down? To step down.

Click here for more football cliches and football phrases.

________________________________________

Today’s QUIZ QUESTION:

Germany beat Argentina on penalties in the World Cup quarter-final of 2006. Who missed the deciding penalty for Argentina?

a. Mascherano
b. Cambiasso
c. Sorin
d. Messi

Answer in the next newsletter.

In the last newsletter we asked what was the score in 1966 between North Korea and Portugal and the answer was d. Portugal 5-3 N. Korea
________________________________________

POLL – Should there be Goal-line Technology?

Check out the site for the latest polls here | Click here admin@languagecaster.com if you want to have your say on our weekly podcast.

You can also follow us at Twitter

Come along to our online shop and browse books and DVDs related to football and English language teaching and learning.

For all students of the beautiful game

]]> http://languagecaster.com/2010/07/02/world-cup-newsletter-2-world-cup-quarter-finals/feed/ 0 http://languagecaster.com/2010/07/01/world-cup-predictions-the-quarter-finals/ http://languagecaster.com/2010/07/01/world-cup-predictions-the-quarter-finals/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 10:05:22 +0000 grell http://languagecaster.com/?p=9943 | Subscribe: Predictions Current Score: DB 29 | DF 55 It’s the sharp end of the tournament – the business end. Eight teams looking to secure four places in the semi finals – three victories away from being crowned World Champions. In the first game, Holland take on Brazil , five time winners. [...]]]>

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Current Score: DB 29 | DF 55

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

	DB	DF	Result
Holland v Brazil	0-1	2-1 (3)	2-1
Ghana v Uruguay	1-1 (3)	1-2	1 (2)-1 (4)
Argentina v Germany	2-1	3-2	0-4
Spain v Paraguay	2-0 (1)	1-0 (3)	1-0

Join our predictions competition by clicking here

]]> http://languagecaster.com/2010/07/01/world-cup-predictions-the-quarter-finals/feed/ 0 http://languagecaster.com/2010/06/30/world-cup-phrase-of-the-day-to-step-down/ http://languagecaster.com/2010/06/30/world-cup-phrase-of-the-day-to-step-down/#comments Wed, 30 Jun 2010 22:13:51 +0000 damianf http://languagecaster.com/?p=9963 | Subscribe: World Cup Football Phrase Every day during the World Cup, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase or cliché connected to this summer’s tournament. Click on the link below to hear the word or phrase and you can also read the transcript. You can find many more examples by going [...]]]>

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

Every day during the World Cup, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase or cliché connected to this summer’s tournament. Click on the link below to hear the word or phrase and you can also read the transcript. You can find many more examples by going to our football phrase page here football clichés here and our huge football glossary here.

Listen Here | See the complete list here

Today’s World Cup phrase of the day is the expression to step down which means to resign or to quit a job. The World Cup is over for many teams and their coaches and this means that many of them will lose their jobs because of poor performances. Others have made the decision to leave by themselves – they have not been fired or sacked. Thus, Italy’s coach Lippi and his French counterpart Domenech announced that they would be stepping down before the tournament had even started, while Mexico’s coach Aguirre has stepped down after his side were knocked out of the second round by Argentina. I wonder how England fans would feel about their coach Capello if he were to step down? To step down.

]]> http://languagecaster.com/2010/06/30/world-cup-phrase-of-the-day-to-step-down/feed/ 0 http://languagecaster.com/2010/06/30/world-cup-podcast-7-round-2-review/ http://languagecaster.com/2010/06/30/world-cup-podcast-7-round-2-review/#comments Wed, 30 Jun 2010 01:31:11 +0000 damianf http://languagecaster.com/?p=9884 i-tunes Feed | Podcast Feed The second round of the World Cup is now over and what an amazing four days it has been. On today’s podcast we take a look back at those 8 games, which had a little bit of everything from penalty shootouts to disputed goals, red cards and some wonder [...]]]>

i-tunes Feed | Podcast Feed

The second round of the World Cup is now over and what an amazing four days it has been. On today’s podcast we take a look back at those 8 games, which had a little bit of everything from penalty shootouts to disputed goals, red cards and some wonder strikes. Vocabulary in bold is explained in the transcript below.

Check out a new football expression in World Cup English for Football

Follow the predictions battle between Damon and Damian in the Predictions competition

For learners of English check out our World Cup Language Resources page with:

Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases)

Transcripts from previous podcasts and much more.

Transcript

The second round of the World Cup is now over and what an amazing four days it has been. On today’s podcast we take a look back at those 8 games, which had a little bit of everything from penalty shootouts to disputed goals, red cards, wonder strikes, as well as lots of tears of joy and sadness.

Uruguay 2- 1 South Korea

In a rain-drenched Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Uruguay beat South Korea 2-1 thanks to two well-taken goals by top striker Luis Suarez, his second in particular a real beauty which means Uruguay continue their successful run and sees them reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time since 1970. The Koreans had their chances but failed to find a way past the impressive Uruguayan defence – one that had not conceded a goal in this tournament – until Lee Chung-Yong’s equaliser half way through the second half. The Asian side pressed for a winner but it was Suarez who sealed the victory with a delightful curling shot in the 80th minute.

Ghana 2- 1 (aet) USA

A real topsy-turvy game saw Ghana make it to the quarter-finals for the first time in their history and to become only the third side from Africa to make it that far. The Black Stars deserved it for their extra-time performance when they took the game to the States who had seemed favourites to win after their strong second-half showing had earned them an equaliser from their captain Landon Donovan. This goal had cancelled out Boateng’s early strike for Ghana but rather than going on to win the game, it was the Africans who finished stronger with their top scorer Asamoah Gyan getting the winner in extra time.

Germany 4-1 England

Without a doubt Germany deserved this victory but to tell the truth they didn’t really have to work that hard for it. Seeing England have a perfectly good goal ruled out was one piece of extremely good luck but England’s inability to maintain possession, their tactical naivity and poor performances from top players meant that it was a relatively easy victory for the young German side. Klose out-muscled the defence for the first, Podolski rammed home the second while Thomas Mueller scored two goals on the counter-attack early in the second half to record England’s biggest ever World Cup defeat. Upson scored what proved to be a consolation goal while Lampard was unfortunate in having his goal chalked off when everyone else watching knew that it was in. A thrashing.

Argentina 3-1 Mexico

Diego Maradona’s side keep rolling on and they fully deserved this victory over a Mexican side who yet again were let down by poor finishing after some good build-up play. However, they can also point to bad refereeing decisions as it was clear to everyone that Carlos Tevez’ opening goal was well offside. Nothing wrong with Tevez’ second and his side’s third when he slammed home a rocket from outside the box. Hernandez scored a late consolation for Mexico but yet again they have fallen at the second round to their southern neighbours. A mouth-watering tie lies ahead between Argentina and Germany in a repeat of the quarter-final of 4 years ago.

Holland 2-1 Slovakia

Many felt that the Slovaks had peaked in their amazing victory over Italy in the final group match and so it proved to be as the Dutch ran out comfortable winners. Arjen Robben’s return from injury has given the Dutch a huge lift and he scored his second goal of the tournament midway through the first half before Wesley Sneijder sealed the victory late in the second. The Slovaks did get a late consolation goal when Vittek netted his fourth goal of the tournament but it proved too late and the Dutch side maintained their 100% record to qualify for the last 8.

Brazil 3-0 Chile

Chile had been many people’s dark horses and had won many friends with their high-paced attacking style of play but they were unable to reproduce it against their South American neighbours who dominated from the word go. Strong in defence and brilliant on the counter attack the Brazilians were formidable and goals from Juan, Luis Fabiano – his third of the tournament, and a resurgent Robinho ensured another victory over Chile. Dunga is still under pressure of course, nothing short of winning a sixth trophy is what the fans want from him and the Selecao but on this form there are few who would bet against him doing it.

Paraguay 0-0 Japan (Paraguay 5-3 on pens)

Neither side had ever reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup before and on this performance it is easy to see why. Easily one of the worst games of this tournament it seemed that neither side was capable of keeping the ball for more than one or two touches, with Japan in particular showing little in attack. Their defender Komano missed his penalty in the shoot out while Paraguay scored all of theirs to send the South Americans through and the Japanese to return home with regret because they will never get a better chance of making the last 8.

Spain 1-0 Portugal

Another team returning home with regret is Portugal after they succumbed to their Iberian neighbours and European Champions Spain 1-0 last night. The Portuguese simply wished to shut-up-shop against the Spanish and when they went behind midway through the second half they could find no way back into the game. Their captain and star striker Ronaldo barely got a kick in the second half and had to watch on in admiration as Spain’s David Villa yet again showed that he is one of the best strikers in the world with his 4th goal of the tournament. Spain move on.

Vocabulary

rain-drenched: It had been raining heavily all day; full of rain
a real beauty : A beautiful goal
conceded a goal: Not allowed a goal to go in against them; had maintained 3 clean sheets up until then
equaliser: A goal to tie the game, e.g. 1-1
aet: After Extra Time
topsy-turvy: A game that is difficult to predict as it is constantly changing; one minute the Americans were on top then the Ghanaians
Black Stars Nickname of the Ghana football team
cancelled out: Another verb to describe an equaliser
strike: Here it means a goal
goal ruled out: A disallowed goal, it was not a goal
tactical naivity: The england team did not understand tactics very well
out-muscled: He was stronger than the England player
rammed home: He smashed home the goal, he scored with a very strong shot
counter-attack : An attack that starts from the defence and is very speedy
chalked off: Disallowed goal, ruled out
build-up play: The team passed the ball well before scoring
slammed home a rocket : He scored a great goal (with a lot of power)
box: The penalty area
A mouth-watering tie: A game that everyone is looking forward to
had peaked: Had played their best, cannot play any better
ran out comfortable winners: Easily won
sealed the victory: Completed the victory
netted his fourth goal : Scored his 4th goal
high-paced: Play in a quick manner
formidable : Very good and very strong
the Selecao: Nickname for the Brazilian football team
the shoot out: The penalty shoot-out at the end of extra time to decide the winner
succumbed to: Lost to
their Iberian neighbours: Spain
to shut-up-shop : Very defensive
barely got a kick : Hardly kicked the ball, was not involved in the game

]]> http://languagecaster.com/2010/06/30/world-cup-podcast-7-round-2-review/feed/ 0 9:25 i-tunes Feed #124; Podcast Feed The second round of the World Cup is now over and what an amazing four days it has been. ... i-tunes Feed #124; Podcast Feed The second round of the World Cup is now over and what an amazing four days it has been. On today's podcast we take a look back at those 8 games, which had a little bit of everything from penalty shootouts to disputed goals, red cards and some wonder strikes. Vocabulary in bold is explained in the transcript below. Check out a new football expression in World Cup English for Football Follow the predictions battle between Damon and Damian in the Predictions competition For learners of English check out our World Cup Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Transcripts from previous podcasts and much more. Transcript The second round of the World Cup is now over and what an amazing four days it has been. On today's podcast we take a look back at those 8 games, which had a little bit of everything from penalty shootouts to disputed goals, red cards, wonder strikes, as well as lots of tears of joy and sadness. Uruguay 2- 1 South Korea In a rain-drenched Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Uruguay beat South Korea 2-1 thanks to two well-taken goals by top striker Luis Suarez, his second in particular a real beauty which means Uruguay continue their successful run and sees them reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time since 1970. The Koreans had their chances but failed to find a way past the impressive Uruguayan defence - one that had not conceded a goal in this tournament - until Lee Chung-Yong's equaliser half way through the second half. The Asian side pressed for a winner but it was Suarez who sealed the victory with a delightful curling shot in the 80th minute. Ghana 2- 1 (aet) USA A real topsy-turvy game saw Ghana make it to the quarter-finals for the first time in their history and to become only the third side from Africa to make it that far. The Black Stars deserved it for their extra-time performance when they took the game to the States who had seemed favourites to win after their strong second-half showing had earned them an equaliser from their captain Landon Donovan. This goal had cancelled out Boateng's early strike for Ghana but rather than going on to win the game, it was the Africans who finished stronger with their top scorer Asamoah Gyan getting the winner in extra time. Germany 4-1 England Without a doubt Germany deserved this victory but to tell the truth they didn't really have to work that hard for it. Seeing England have a perfectly good goal ruled out was one piece of extremely good luck but England's inability to maintain possession, their tactical naivity and poor performances from top players meant that it was a relatively easy victory for the young German side. Klose out-muscled the defence for the first, Podolski rammed home the second while Thomas Mueller scored two goals on the counter-attack early in the second half to record England's biggest ever World Cup defeat. Upson scored what proved to be a consolation goal while Lampard was unfortunate in having his goal chalked off when everyone else watching knew that it was in. A thrashing. Argentina 3-1 Mexico Diego Maradona's side keep rolling on and they fully deserved this victory over a Mexican side who yet again were let down by poor finishing after some good build-up play. However, they can also point to bad refereeing decisions as it was clear to everyone that Carlos Tevez' opening goal was well offside. Nothing wrong with Tevez' second and his side's third when he slammed home a rocket from outside the box. Hernandez scored a late consolation for Mexico but yet again they have fallen at the second round to their southern neighbours. A mouth-watering tie lies ahead between Argentina and Germany in a repeat of the quarter-final of 4 years ago. Holland 2-1 Slovakia Many felt that the Slovaks had peaked in their amazing victory over Italy in the final group match and so it proved to be a Podcast,,Posts,,World,Cup languagecaster.com no No http://languagecaster.com/2010/06/29/world-cup-phrase-of-the-day-to-pull-the-strings/ http://languagecaster.com/2010/06/29/world-cup-phrase-of-the-day-to-pull-the-strings/#comments Tue, 29 Jun 2010 21:21:20 +0000 damianf http://languagecaster.com/?p=9955 | Subscribe: World Cup Football Phrase Every day during the World Cup, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase or cliché connected to this summer’s tournament. Click on the link below to hear the word or phrase and you can also read the transcript. You can find many more examples by going [...]]]>

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Every day during the World Cup, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase or cliché connected to this summer’s tournament. Click on the link below to hear the word or phrase and you can also read the transcript. You can find many more examples by going to our football phrase page here football clichés here and our huge football glossary here.

Listen Here | See the complete list here

Today’s World Cup phrase of the day is the expression to pull the strings which is used when a player dominates or heavily influences a game. This player is like the fulcrum or pivot of the team through which everything passes. He is the one who sets the pace of the attacks and is usually the best passer of the ball and has the best footballing brain of the team. Perhaps the best example of a player in the World Cup who pulls the strings for his side is Xavi who plays for Spain. In the second round match against Portugal he constantly pulled the strings in his side’s victory. To pull the strings.

]]> http://languagecaster.com/2010/06/29/world-cup-phrase-of-the-day-to-pull-the-strings/feed/ 0 http://languagecaster.com/2010/06/29/sorry-okada/ http://languagecaster.com/2010/06/29/sorry-okada/#comments Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:40:42 +0000 grell http://languagecaster.com/?p=9925 With three hours to go before Japan kick off against Paraguay, hoping to get through to the last eight for the first time in their history, fans in Japan are a) going football nuts, b) confident and c) sorry. a) Let’s take the going crazy bit: it’s natural for a country whose team is doing well [...]]]>

With three hours to go before Japan kick off against Paraguay, hoping to get through to the last eight for the first time in their history, fans in Japan are a) going football nuts, b) confident and c) sorry.

a) Let’s take the going crazy bit: it’s natural for a country whose team is doing well in the World Cup to get World Cup fever. Last night’s match becomes the main topic of conversation between colleagues at work, students at school and even strangers commuting to work. This is especially true of teams that don’t have much history of success in the World Cup (Japan – appeared in the last 4 World Cups, played 13, won 7, lost, drawn 2, best = last 16). b) Japan is confident! Everyone… I asked today (I live in Tokyo) thought Japan would win… I mean everyone! 2-1, 1-0, 2-0, in extra time etc. What a refreshing change from some of the tentative fans of the so-called ‘bigger’ teams and their fans, who always seem nervous about making any bullish predictions when the knockout stages are reached.

c) The coach of Japan, Takeshi Okada was crucified in the build up to the World Cup. No-one gave the team a hope in hell (languagecaster.com included). In their last 10 games before the competition they had only beaten Yemen and Hong Kong, and the team lost twice against their biggest Asian rivals, South Korea. Oh, but how things change: a dour 1-0 win over a poor Cameroon side gave them three points, a 1-0 loss to tournament dark horses, Holland, showed grit and determination, and a 3-1 victory over Denmark showed a more attacking side to the Blue Samurai. Now, websites have been set up just so Japanese fans can post their apologies to Okada. The buzzword for the last few days in japan has been – Sorry, Okada, or in Japanese, Gomen Oka-chan! ごめん、オカちゃん！If they win later, expect Okada to take his place amongst Japanese sporting icons and to have a little chuckle to himself about it’s a funny old game.

Vocabulary

(go/be) nuts: crazy, a big fan, like a lot

World Cup fever: be into the World Cup, become obsessed with the WC, watch every game

tentative: nervous, quiet, fearful

bullish: confident, very optimistic

crucified: criticised heavily, be attacked by critics

have no hope in hell: have no chance at all, zero chance

dour: dull, boring, defensive

Blue Samurai: the nickname of the Japanese side

]]> http://languagecaster.com/2010/06/29/sorry-okada/feed/ 0 http://languagecaster.com/2010/06/29/world-cup-predictions-day-19/ http://languagecaster.com/2010/06/29/world-cup-predictions-day-19/#comments Tue, 29 Jun 2010 09:49:29 +0000 grell http://languagecaster.com/?p=9912 | Subscribe: Predictions Current Score: DB 27 | DF 54 An all Iberian clash with Spain  and Portugal , and in the other match up, two teams Japan  and Paraguay hoping to make it to the last eight for the first time in their histories. Join our predictions competition here, where there’s [...]]]>

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Current Score: DB 27 | DF 54

An all Iberian clash with Spain  and Portugal , and in the other match up, two teams Japan  and Paraguay hoping to make it to the last eight for the first time in their histories. Join our predictions competition here, where there’s a chance to win an original languagecaster.com T-shirt!

	DB	DF	Result
Japan v Paraguay	1-1 (1)	0-1	0-0
Spain v Portugal	2-1 (1)	2-0 (1)	1-0

Join our predictions competition by clicking here

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