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Learn English Through Football Podcast: Neck and Neck
In this week’s football-language podcast we look at some phrases from horse racing used in football, including neck and neck. We will also talk about some of the big leagues in Europe and who can win the titles. You can read the transcript for this podcast below, while you can also check out our glossary of footballing phrases here and visit our site to access all our previous posts and podcasts. If you have any suggestions or questions then you can contact us at admin@languagecaster.com
Hello
DB: You are listening to the Learn English Through Football Podcast.
Hello everyone and welcome to the show for all those who love the beautiful game of football and who want to improve their English language skills. My name is Damian and I hope you are all well and enjoying some good weather like we have here in London. I wonder what the weather is like in Tokyo, where the other half of the Languagecaster team is based.
DB: Hi Damian! Good to hear you have good weather in London. It is similar in Tokyo, although today it is a little cooler and cloudier than earlier in the week. Listener, what match are you looking forward to this weekend? For me, it is Liverpool versus Tottenham – the Languagecaster derby! I’m hoping I’ll have bragging rights after that match on Sunday, and if I do, Liverpool will also have the Premier League title! More on that game later in the show.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Norwegian)
DB: Yes, you are listening to Languagecaster and that message was in Norwegian. We’ll have lots more stingers or messages like that throughout the show. Try and guess which languages they are and we’ll let you know what the languages are at the end of the show. Here’s one to get you started.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Uzbek)
Today’s Show
DB: OK, on today’s show, we’re going to take a look at some of the big leagues in Europe and the title races. We’ll also look at some football language borrowed from horse racing to talk about these title races. After that, we have Damian with this week’s predictions. He is going to take a look at the Spanish Cup Final (Copa del Rey), the English FA Cup semi-finals, and Liverpool versus Tottenham Hotspur. As I mentioned before, if Liverpool don’t lose, they will win the title. I wonder what Damian thinks will happen! But let’s start with a bit of contact information from Damian, after this stinger
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Turkish)
Contact
DF: Right, remember to contact us via email at admin@languagecaster.com if you have any questions about the language of football or if you have some feedback on our podcasts. Checkout our website at languagecaster.com and explore our Football Language Forum, where you can ask and answer questions about all kinds of football language. There is also our huge glossary of football terms, with hundreds of expressions, phrases, and clichés about the beautiful game.
And finally, please help us by spreading the word about our podcast and our site. Give us a like and a follow us on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Blue Sky, YouTube, and more. Now, we have had a comment from a listener on YouTube this week about the transcript that is automatically produced there; so, we will have a look at adding our own transcripts there. Remember that you can also access the transcript for the podcasts by coming along to our site here at Languagecaster.com.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Hungarian)
Neck and Neck
DB: Right, let’s kick of the show with our first phrase from the sport of horse racing – neck and neck. Now, in Serie A, there are two teams tied on 71 points each at the top of the league, they are neck and neck. This means they are very, very close to each other in the race for the title. Imagine two horses running towards the finishing line, and you cannot say which will win. Internazionale are just a nose in front of Napoli on goal difference.
(a) Two-Horse Race
DB: In third place are Atalanta on 64 points, so a long way behind. This brings us to our second phrase borrowed from horse racing, a two-horse race. In football, this means there are only two teams who can realistically win the title.
It also looks like a two-horse race in La Liga, where Barcelona lead Real Madrid by four points in the run in to the title. The Catalan side have 76 points to Real’s 72, so they are not neck and neck like Inter and Napoli in the Italian league.
Go Down to the Wire
DB: The race in Spain could go down to the wire, our third phrase from horse racing. If a title race goes down to the wire, it goes right to the end of the season before we know who is the champion. However, to make it go down to the wire, Real Madrid will need to beat Barcelona away on the 11th of May. If they don’t, Barcelona will be hard to catch.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Dutch)
The Final Straight
DB: Our fourth phrase taken from horse racing but used in football is ‘the final straight‘. The title races in Europe are in the final straight, which means the last few games of the season. It is becoming clearer which teams can win.
In the final straight in Germany, Bayern Munich are favourites and can wrap up the title this weekend with a win over Mainz and a Beyer Leverkusen loss against Augsburg.
At a Canter
DB: another team that can secure the title this weekend are Liverpool. They are a whopping 12 points ahead of second place Arsenal with a game in hand. A draw against Tottenham will crown the Reds champions. We can use a fifth phrase from horse racing to describe this situation, to win the title at a canter. To win the title at a canter means to win comfortably. A canter is when a horse runs, but not at 100% speed and effort. It is a relaxed run.
So there you have five phrases borrowed from horse racing but used in the language of football!
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Italian)
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (a Liverpool fan)
Predictions
DB: OK, next up we have our predictions section with Damian – he’s going to be looking at the Spanish Cup Final (Copa del Rey) and the English FA Cup semi-finals, as well as the Languagecaster derby between Liverpool, my team, and Tottenham, Damian’s.
Barcelona v Real Madrid: Copa del Rey final
DF: OK, let’s start with the final of the Spanish Cup, that’s the Copa del Rey final which also happens this year to be a clasico: Barcelona versus Real Madrid. This also sees the top two sides in la Liga in action so a huge game indeed. I think I am going to go for a Barcelona victory though it will be close – maybe after extra time? 1-1 with Barca winning 2-1 in extra time.
Aston Villa v Crystal Palace: FA Cup (Semi-final)
So, next up we will look at the first of the two FA Cup semi-finals here in England: Aston Villa and Crystal Palace. Villa have had a great season but they have been eliminated from the Champions League by PSG and lost to a last-gasp Manchester City goal on Tuesday so they might be a little nervous facing a Palace side that might well cause a shock. But 2-1 to Villa for me.
Manchester City v Nottingham Forest (FA Cup Semi-final)
The other semi-final sees Manchester City take on Nottingham Forest – that’s third against fourth in the Premier League. I think City have started to hit form recently and will win this one too – 2-0.
Liverpool v Tottenham (Premier League)
And finally the Languagecaster derby! Liverpool of course only need one point to be crowned Premier League champions and they should easily be able to do this against a poor Tottenham side who have a dreadful away record this season and may well be thinking about the Europa League semi-final later on in the week. 3-0 to Liverpool though it might be even more if the Reds are in the mood!
DB: I hope you are right on that last one Damian! Just one point needed, the finish line is getting closer! Listener, what do you think of those predictions? Let us know what you think might happen in those or any other games over the weekend. How about your team? Are they going to win?
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Mongolian)
Goodbye
DB: Yes, you are listening to Languagecaster and that message or stinger was in Mongolian. We started the show with a stinger in Norwegina, followed by Uzbek, Turkish, Hungarian, Dutch, and Italian. Well done if you were able to recognise any of those languages.
And thanks everyone for listening today. Remember that we looked at phrases from horse racing used in football: neck and neck, two-horse race, down to the wire, the final straight, and at a canter. Are there similar phrases in your language?
Have a great weekend. Ta-ra!
DF: Enjoy all the football this week – I am really looking forward to that Spanish Cup final and I am most definitely not looking forward to the Languagecaster derby! See you next week. Bye bye.
Learn English Through Football Podcast: A show for football fans to improve their English language skills
