Here are some words and phrases you can hear on this weeka€™s languagecastera€™s Good, Bad and Ugly section of the podcast. For more English practice check out our worksheets, football glossary and English for football phrases.
- Sitting clear at the top of the table: To be leading the division by a lot of points
Example: Barcelona have scored 59 goals this season so far and are sitting 12 points clear at the top of the table.
- To sweep (all) before (them): To easily beat all the teams they have played so far
Example: The Catalan side are sweeping all before them as they race to the top of the table.
- A thrashing: A heavy defeat of another team
Example: Deportivo received a 0-5 thrashing from in-form Barcelona last weekend.
- Reported: Alleged, not completely sure if it’s true, mentioned in the media
Example: Kaka turned down a reported A£500.000 a week offer from Manchester City.
- Gloating: When people show off they gloat; arrogance
Example: It might stop some of the gloating by the Premier League.
- Fail to convert: Missed a chance to score a goal
Example: Zaki, Bent and Torres all failed to convert easy chances in last week’s games.
- To fluff the chance: To miss an easy goal; to make a mistake
Example: Torres rounded the keeper but then fluffed the chance of scoring.
- An altercation: A fight though usually not so big
Example: Two Newcastle players had to be separated from each other in training after an altercation.
- Homophobic chants: Nasty songs about gays / homosexuals
Example: Fans were banned after admitting singing homophobic chants at former player Sol Campbell
- Away goal: In Cup competitions an away goal counts double in case of draws.
Example: The aggregate score was 4-4, but Burnley had an away goal.
- Underdog: The non-favourite; the team from a lower division
Example: Though Burnley were the underdogs they almost scraped through to the final. but they didn’t 😉
