Week 23: Vocabulary

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Here are some words and phrases you can hear on this week’s languagecaster’s Good, Bad and Ugly section of the podcast. For more English practice check out our worksheets, football glossary and English for football phrases.

  • Fierce rivals: Strong enemies, when a really negative feeling exists between clubs

Example: Fierce rivals Liverpool were held at lowly Stoke City on Saturday evening

  • To be held: To not be able to beat a lower-ranked team, to draw a game

Example: Liverpool were held at lowly Stoke City last weekend.

  • Thrashing: To beat another team heavily

Example: Manchester United gave Chelsea a thrashing last weekend.

  • Woeful: Awful, really bad

Example: Chelsea were woeful in their 0-3 defeat at Man Utd last weekend.

  • Lacklustre display: Really poor performance from the team, no fight at al

Example: Tottenham gave a lacklustre display against Wigan last week.

  • To slip into the bottom three: To move into the relegation zone

Example: Tottenham slipped into the bottom three after their defeat to Wigan.

  • To point the finger at: To blame, to accuse

Example: Felipe Scolari pointed the finger at some of his payers after the defeat at Old Trafford last week.

  • Capitulation: Complete disintegration, to fall apart, to be beaten easily

Example: Chelsea’s capitulation really angered fans and manager alike.

  • Foul language: Bad language, swearing

Example: Wayne Rooney was yet again accused of using foul language at the referee last weekend.

  • Steely determination: Showing great resolve, stubbornness

Example: West Ham are showing steely determination by not wanting to sell their best players.

  • To go into receivership: To become bankrupt, to go out of business.

Example: West ham may go into receivership if the club does not find a buyer by March.

  • Harsh: Extremely unfair, strict

Example: It seems harsh that West Ham are in trouble when top clubs owe a lot more.

Welcome to the website that helps students interested in football improve their English language skills. Soccer fans can enhance these skills with lots of free language resources: a weekly podcast, football phrases, explanations of football vocabulary, football cliches, worksheets, quizzes and much more at languagecaster.com.

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