Podcast: Play in new window | Download () | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Blubrry | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | Youtube Music | RSS | More
Learn English Through Football Podcast: To Head Out
In this week’s football-language podcast we look at some of the language from the dramatic Champions League semi-final second leg between Inter and Barcelona, including the phrase, ‘to head out‘. We will also have some predictions, including el clasico and Liverpool versus Arsenal. 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’s Damon and I’m talking to you from a cloudy and wet Tokyo. What football did you watch this week? Hopefully you managed to see the fantastic Champions League semifinal second leg between Inter and Barcelona. What an amazing game. I’m sure Damian, the other member of the languagecaster team in London watched that. I’m guessing he also watched his team Tottenham qualify for the Europa League final. I bet he’s in a good mood. Damian, how are things?
DF: Hello Damon and hello to all the listeners too. Yes, I am in a good mood after Tottenham’s very professional performance this week in the Arctic Circle against Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt in the Europa League semi-final. We ran out comfortable 2-0 winners in the end to go through to the final 5-1 on aggregate, that’s 5-1 in total, where we will be facing Manchester United in the final so it’s an all-English affair in the final. Who knows, maybe both the Languagecaster hosts’ teams will win silverware this season!
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Hungarian)
DF: Yes, you are listening to Languagecaster and that message was in Hungarian and we are going to have more stingers or messages throughout the show in different languages; so which ones can you recognise? Don’t worry if you don’t know them, we’ll give you the answers at the end of the show. And here’s another one for you and I will give you a clue, this language is spoken in Europe.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in German)
Today’s Show
DF: Damon, what do we have on today’s show?
DB: Well Damian, we’re going to focus on that match I mentioned at the start of the show: the Champions League semi final second leg between Inter and Barcelona. We’ve got some football words and phrases that explain key parts of that match. After that, we have some predictions, with big games in England and Spain, and we’ll finish with a bit of information about how you can contact us.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (Catalan)
To be heading out/heading home
DF: Right, so we are going to look back at some of the language from that amazing second leg between Inter and Barcelona in which Inter dramatically qualified for the final after extra time. Remember, that the first leg in Barcelona last week finished 3-3 so when Inter took a two-goal lead in this game it looked like Barcelona would be knocked out – they looked like they were heading home or heading out. This phrase suggests that the team looks like it is going to be eliminated from a competition – it’s in a very bad position.
But then in the second half Barcelona staged a remarkable comeback and turned the game around – they went ahead in the 87th minute when Raphinha fired home a rebound after the Inter keeper Sommer had saved his first shot. Now it looked like Inter were heading out of the competition. But in the 93rd minute Inter scored an equaliser from their veteran defender Acerbi. This goal saved Inter and the game went in to extra time. The home side then scored again to go 4-3 up and it was now Barcelona who were heading home.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Italian)
Journeyman
DB: Head home is an interesting phrase, isn’t it. We can also use it to mean score a goal with a header, So, if you head home, it can mean go out of the tournament or score a goal! In the Inter vs Barcelona game we an only say Barcelona looked like they were heading home, because they had travelled to Italy, they were the away team. It would be strange to say Inter looked like they were heading home because they were already at home. For the Italian side, it would be to head out of the competition.
Let’s move to our last word from this game and it describes one of Inter’s heroes, Francesco Acerbi, who scored the remarkable added on time equaliser. The Guardian described the 37-year old as a journeyman. A journeyman is a player that has played at many clubs, usually starting with a lot of teams in the lower leagues. The player is also not considered a star player, or a gifted skilful player. They are admired because they work hard; think going to the office 9 to 5 every day.
Acerbi is 37-years old and has played at many clubs in Italy. He has been loaned out, moved on, played at teams in the lower divisions and has not stayed at one club for a more than six years. Now, he has found himself at Inter who are fighting to win the Seria A title and are in the Champions League final.
It’s been a long journey, but Acerbi has made his mark with his stunning equaliser.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Spanish)
Predictions
DB: OK, next up we have our predictions section, and here’s Damian with his thoughts on Newcastle versus Chelsea.
Newcastle v Chelsea
DF: Right, let’s start with the race for the Champions League places for next season from the Premier League and the game between Newcastle and Chelsea. Newcastle are currently in fourth place and Chelsea in fifth and both are on 63 points but only two points ahead of Nottingham Forest and three in front of Aston Villa. Chelsea have started to hit some form and will be boosted after reaching the Europa Conference League final on Thursday. I think this will be a 1-1 draw which might be enough for both sides to make next year’s Champions League.
Liverpool v Arsenal
DB: Next is Liverpool, the Champions of England, hosting Arsenal, currently lying in second place. This one is difficult to judge. The head coach of Liverpool, Slot, seems to be happy rotating the squad now they have won the title. He does not seem fully focused on winning the remaining games. On the other hand, they don’t want to lose to one of their big rivals this season. Arsenal will be desperate to show they deserve respect after being dumped out of the Champions League by PSG. They would love to win at Anfield and beat the Champions. I’ll go for a 1-1 draw, but I won’t be surprised at all if the Liverpool players play like they are on the beach!
Barcelona v Real Madrid
DF: And finally, it is clasico weekend! Barcelona will be hoping to bounce back from that heartbreaking (yet thrilling) defeat in the Champions League against Inter on Wednesday by trying to beat Real Madrid on Sunday. The Catalan side is four points clear of Madrid so a win or even a draw should give them the title. I’m going for a bad-tempered 1-1 draw.
What do you think of those predictions? Drop us a line and let us know here at Languagecaster.com.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in French)
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 podcast. Check out our website 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.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Vietnamese)
Goodbye
DB: Yes, you are listening to Languagecaster and that message, or stinger, was in Vietnamese. We also heard Hungarian, German, Catalan, Italian, Spanish, and French! Thanks everyone for listening this week. On this show, we heard about the phrase, head home or head out, as well as journey man. Let is know if you hear these phrases in the football this week or if you have similar expressions but in another language. Enjoy all the football. Ta-ra!
DF: Bye everyone, enjoy the football this weekend and we’ll see you soon.
