Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:45 — 15.2MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Blubrry | Podchaser | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | Youtube Music | RSS | More
Learn English Through Football Podcast: (to) Shepherd the Ball
In this week’s football-language podcast we look at language connected with defending or controlling the ball, including ‘to Shepherd the ball’. We will also look ahead to some of the big games at the weekend including a huge derby from Serie A in Italy in our predictions. You can read the transcript for this podcast below, while you can also check out our glossary of footballing phrases here and visit our site to access all our previous posts and podcasts. If you have any suggestions or questions about the phrase or our podcast then you can contact us here.
Hello
DF: You’re listening to the Learn English through Football Podcast.
DF: Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well and that you are enjoying all the football. My name is Damian and I am one half of the Learn English Through Football team and I am based here in London where the rain is back and it’s really cold too! What’s the weather like for you? How about you Damon, how are you and what’s the weather like in Tokyo?
DB: Hi Damian, sorry to hear about the rain coming back again. It seems to have been raining since the new year over there. Over here in Tokyo, the plum blossoms are out and it’s mostly sunny, although it did rain in the night. Perefect weather for a game of football!
Today’s Show
DF: Right, just before Damon tells us what’s on today’s show I just want to apologise for a issue or problem with our podcasts maybe not arriving on time over the last couple of weeks. There seemed to have been an issue with the hosting; so hopefully it has been all sorted now. And remember that you can subscribe to our podcast and weekly football phrase by coming along to learningenglishthroughfootball.com.
OK Damon what do we have on today’s show?
DB: Well Damian. I was watching the FA Cup fifth round tie between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool and heard a phrase connected with defending, and I thought we could look at a few phrases used to describe defending and controlling the ball. After that, we have some great matches in our predictions section to take a look at.
Stinger: You are listening to the Learn English Through Football Podcast.com (in Uzbek)
DB: Thank you for that message, which was in Uzbek, and yes, you are listening to the Learn English Through Football Podcast, or as we used to be known, languagecaster.com. Listen out for more of these messages (or stingers) in the show, and try and see how many languages you can recognise. And we’d love to hear from more football fans around the world so it would be great if you could send us your message in your language saying, ‘You are listening to the Learn English Through Football Podcast!’. Record it and send it to: contact@learnenglishthroughfoootball.com. OK, here’s the next message. What language do you think it is?
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Wu, a language related to Chinese )
To Shepherd the Ball Out
DB: Right, let’s start our look at defending and controlling the ball with our first phrase, which is to shepherd the ball out. I heard the commentator of the Wolves v Liverpool match use this phrase to describe Joe Gomez making sure the opposition couldn’t get the ball.
To understand this phrase, we need to understand a word from farming. A shepherd is someone who looks after sheep or goats. They stay close to the herd of sheep and keep them safe. The word can also be used as a verb, meaning to guide something, move something, in a particular direction.
In football, this phrase, ‘to shepherd the ball out’ is used to describe a player allowing the ball to go out of play, to cross the line, while at the same time, keeping another player from stopping the ball going out of play. To shepherd the ball out of play, means to put your body between the ball and the opposing player, to protect the ball, so the opponent cannot reach it. The ball then goes safely out of play, and the team wins a throw-in, a corner, or a goal kick.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Sukuma – Tanzania)
(to) Shield the ball
DB: When you shepherd the ball out of play, you usually shield the ball, a phrase which means to protect the ball. As I just said, to shepherd the ball, you put your body between the ball and the opposing player. This is to shield the ball. Shielding the ball is a skill that especially defenders and defensive midfielders should have.
Embed from Getty Images
Gakpo Shields the ball
(to) Look After the Ball
DB: And talking about midfielders, they are usually better at controlling the ball so that they can link play between defence and attack. They can ‘look after the ball‘ especially in ‘tight spaces‘. To look after the ball means you can keep the ball close to you and also away from opponents. If you are good at looking after the ball, opponents find it difficult to dispossess you, take the ball off you. In the centre of the pitch it can be crowded and there is little space, so we may describe a skillful midfielder as ‘good in tight spaces‘. They don’t panic and can look after the ball.
DB: Do you know any other phrases connected to the expressions we have used today? Or maybe you know some in other languages? If you do, then drop us a line at contact@learnenglishthroughfootball.com
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Hungarian)
Predictions
DB: Right, next up we have our predictions. And we have two matches to think about this week. A heavyweight clash in Serie A and a David versus Goliath matchup in the FA Cup. First up, here’s Damian with our first match.
Serie A: AC Milan vs Inter
DF: The big game in Italy this weekend sees league leaders Inter face second-place AC Milan. There are ten points between the two sides so I think Inter might play for a draw – maybe 1-1.
The Derby della Madonnina! I think you could be right, Damian. A draw would suit Inter and would dent Milan’s title hopes. Let’s hope for a more exciting game though – I’ll go for 2-2. And next is?
FA Cup: Wrexham vs Chelsea
DF: Wrexham, from the Championship, face Chelsea in the 5th round of the FA Cup and although the Welsh team are in a play-off position in the second tier it would still be a huge shock if they defeated Chelsea. But I think they might do it as Chelsea are still quite unpredictable. Maybe 1-1 and then Wrexham on penalties.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (from a Wrexham fan)
DB: On this one I disagree. Chelsea seem to have hit a rhythm, especially in front of goal in their last game, a 4-1 win against Aston Villa. I think they may have an uncomfortable first half but run out 2-0 winners and advance to the quarter finals. I would love to see an upset though!
OK, those are our predictions, and listeners, why don’t you practice your predictions language with us? What do you think will happen in any games that you are watching this week or the ones we have talked about? Let us know by coming along to our site or on any of our social media sites – you can find us on Facebook; on YouTube; Instagram and many more.
Contact
DF: And remember, our website has a huge glossary of football terms, with hundreds of expressions, phrases and clichés about the beautiful game of football. We also have a forum where you can ask and answer lots of questions about the language of football. We have recently had questions about the phrases, ‘Dr Tottenham‘ and ‘Arsenal have been Arsenal-ed‘ Do you know what these phrases mean? How about the phrase, ‘to be in good shape‘? Go along to the forum and take a look at some of the explanations and discussions there.
And we are also constantly updating our site; we have a new set of pages with lots of new football language including our weekly football expressions from the past 20 years. Let us know what you think. And of course, tell all your friends about us and give us ‘a like’ or a recommendation on your favourite podcast and social media platforms!
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Greek)
DB: Yes, that message was in Greek and well done if you got that right. We have also heard messages in Uzbek at the start, followed by Wu, a language related to Chinese, Sukuma, a language spoken in Tanzania, Hungarian, and a message from a Wrexham fan.
Goodbye
DB: Right, let’s take a quick look at some of the words and phrases from this week’s show: we ‘had to shephered the ball out’, ‘to shield the ball’, ‘to look after the ball’, and to be good in tight spaces.’ Try and listen out for these expressions (in any language) over the next few weeks. Thanks for listening, enjoy all the football this weekend And we’ll be back with another football expression next week. Ta-ra!
DF: Bye!
