Listen here: A sweet strike
This week’s football phrase is a sweet strike. To strike is a verb, which means to hit, and in football to kick or to shoot, and in this phrase strike is used as a noun. The adjective sweet means very good, beautiful or great, and often is used when the player hits the ball in the perfect place. In combination, a sweet strike means a fantastic shot, perhaps a volley that is beautifully timed, an unstoppable piledriver, or a great free kick. The phrase can also be used with strike as a verb, as in, he struck the ball sweetly. This weekend, Gareth Bale scored a goal against Manchester City with a sweet strike on the edge of the area, but it wasn’t enough to stop his side, Spurs, from losing. A sweet strike.
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What does “blood” mean actually mean in football? And also in this context, does the verb “strike” mean to shoot?
CHANCE! United smell a bit of blood here! They come forward again and Williams swings a cross into the box which Fernandes rises to meet, but can only put well wide having overrun the ball a bit.
GOAL! First blood to Manchester United! The hosts strike from the free kick which the Man City players were contesting, although it is a terrible and uncharacteristic error from Ederson which costs them too.
Hello Dwi,
Yes a strike can mean a shot but here it means score.
The phrase ‘first blood’ means to strike or score first – I think this phrase comes from boxing or fighting.
If a team ‘smells blood’ it means that they feel the opposition are weak and there is a chance to score or win the game.
I hope that helps
Damian