Here are some words and phrases you can hear on this weeka€™s languagecastera€™s Good, Bad and Ugly section of the podcast – a review of the footballing news. For more English practice check out our worksheets, football glossary and English for football phrases.
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- Cast off: Someone or thing that has been let go
Example: Damon says that Juande Ramos is a Tottenham cast off.
- A step up: A promotion, a move up
Example: It is a step up for Ramos having left Tottenham for Real Madrid.
- Arch-rivals: Huge rivals, footballing enemies
Example: Barcelona play their arch-rivals Real Madrid in this week’s big game in Spain
- To book a place: To reach the next round
Example: Gillingham booked a place in the third round of the FA Cup after beating Stockport.
- To land a tie: To earn the right to play
Example: Gillingham landed a tie against Aston Villa in the next round
- Unprecedented: Never done before, something new or unique
Example: Sao Paolo won an unprecedented third Brazilian title in a row last week.
- Relegated: To move down a division after performing poorly.
Example: Vasco da Gama were relegated from the top Brazilian division after losing at home to Vitoria.
- Fallen giants: Teams or players that were once big stars but are now not so good.
Example: Ronaldo and Corinthians are examples of two fallen giants that may be on the verge of comebacks.
- Farce: A joke
Example: Damon reckons that the Champions League group stage is a farce.
- To be touted: To be promoted, to be called something good
Example: The Champions League is touted as the best competition in the world.
- A revamp: A change in a tournament.
Example: Damon is looking for the Champions League to be revamped.
- Off the ball: Away from the referee’s view, the referee cannot see it.
Example: Rooney hit a Danish player in an off the ball incident.
- To stamp: To hurt an opponent by putting your foot on them.
Example: Wayne Rooney stamped on a Danish defender.
- To turn a blind eye: To not really watch closely
Example: The French referee turned a blind eye to Wayne Rooney’s off the ball antics.