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Each week on languagecaster’s podcast we feature a main listening report and on this week’s show Hans, our German football expert previews the upcoming Bundesliga season. You can listen to the report by clicking the link below and can also read the transcript. Explanations of vocabulary in bold appear at the foot of the post.
Listen here to the Main Report on The Bundesliga
Transcript
1. Bayern Munchen for the title
This season Bayern are the favorites to win the Bundesliga again. This is despite the fact that they havena€™t added a single player to their roster. Coach van Gaal is oozing confidence in his second year in charge, and the players seem to be at their peaks right now. So who can, or will challenge them for the title? The usual teams have been mentioned: Bremen, Schalke, Hamburg and Leverkusen, but it is hard to see any of them being as consistent as Bayern. Perhaps the biggest threats to Bayern are their own success, meaning a heavy schedule and over confidence.
2. Transfers
The return of Ballack to Leverkusen, Raul and Huntelaar to Schalke, Diego to Wolfsburg, there are many new names in the Bundesliga this season. But the transfers that everyone is talking about are the two German stars of the World Cup, Mezmut Ozil and Sami Khedira to Real Madrid. Both are young and need time, but the feeling is that they have left too early in their careers and will waste away on the Madrid bench.
3. Ballack
Will he return to the national team? Will he retain the captaina€™s armband? Or has the injury that cost him his place at the World cup also cost him his international career? For now, when asked if there is a future for Ballack in the national team, coach Low answered a€œJeina€, a mix of a€˜Jaa€™ (yes) and a€˜neina€™ (no). Time will tell.
4. Excitement
This season is again shaping up as an open and unpredictable one. Seven away wins in round two, a Bayern loss at newly-promoted Kaiserslautern, a 6-3 away victory for Moenchengladbach and Mainz beating Wolfsburg 4-3, after trailing 0-3 prove this point. So, enjoy the games and fingers crossed for S.C. Freiburg (my team!)
Vocabulary
roster: The squad, the group of players connected to the club
at their peaks: To be in their best condition – they cannot play any better
oozing confidence : He is so confident that it appears to be dripping out of him; extremely confident of winning
will waste away: The two players will not figure much in the first team but will be substitutes a lot
is again shaping up : Once more the season looks like it will be exciting
fingers crossed : A sign of hoping for good luck
Here is a video link for the St Pauli fans celebrating their promotion to the first division
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73uwRINecJc