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Learn English Through Football Podcast – 2019 Women’s World Cup Week 1: The first week of the 2019 Women’s World Cup has finished and on this week’s podcast we look back at some of the highs and lows from the tournament. There is lots of other football going on around the world and we look at some of the good, the bad and the ugly from those stories. We also have a football-language question, explain some football phrases and offer one or two predictions. If you’d like the transcript to the show please show your support by becoming a patron (through Patreon). With the transcript you can improve your English by reading as you listen, or if you are a teacher of English you can use the transcript to make several activities for your learners. If you have questions or comments, email us at: admin@languagecaster.com (Damian=DF, Damon=DB).
Learn English Through Football Podcast: Women’s World Cup 2019 Week 1
Introduction
DB: You are listening to languagecaster.com’s football-language podcast. Hello everyone and welcome to the podcast for all those who love the beautiful game of football and for those who are aiming to improve their English language skills.
Now, as everybody knows, the Women’s World Cup 2019 is well underway with most groups having played two matches and many teams making it already to the last 16. There’s been some great football, great goals, great saves, and lots of action. And we’ll be talking a little bit more about that competition later in the show. Now, Damian is in Ireland but here he is talking about what football he’s been watching lately.
DF: Hi everyone, hope you are enjoying all the football. I’ve been watching so much football despite thinking that the end of the season had already passed! Do you know that the 2019-20 Premier League fixtures have just been published, while qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup have just started and the qualifiers for next season’s Champions League are about to start next week!
Right, what football have I been watching this week? I saw the Nations League final between Portugal and Holland; I also went to see Ireland play against Gibraltar in a European Championship qualifier here in Dublin on Monday – a forgettable game apart from the three points that Ireland won!
And of course, I have been watching lots of action from the 2019 Women’s World Cup – all of the games are shown on national broadcasters in both Ireland and the UK which is great and demonstrates the popularity of the sport. I wonder if that is the same in other parts of the world? Drop us a line and let us know how the Women’s World Cup is being received in your home country.
Line Up
DB: More from Damian later. We’re going to start the show with the Good, Bad and Ugly. We’ll look back at the first week of the 2019 Women’s World Cup as well as some of the big news stories from around the world. We also explain some football language that has emerged from the week, and we’ll have our football-language question and offer one or two predictions for some of the upcoming games this week.
Stinger: You’re listening to languagecaster.com (in Catalan)
DB: OK, let’s kick off with the good, the bad and the ugly with Damian.
Good
DF: Right, what’s been good in the world of football this week? Well, it has been good for some of the powerhouses in women’s football at the 2019 World Cup in France. The USA started their campaign by breaking a tournament record when they defeated, actually thrashed, Thailand 13-0. Leading 3-0 at the break the Americans scored ten times in the second half rout of the poor Asian side, with Alex Morgan scoring five times. It has also been a good week for the French hosts as they secured six points from two wins over Korea and Norway, while both Germany and England have also managed to get two wins from their opening two matches. It is shaping up to be a great tournament indeed.
DB: Well done also to the Nations League winners Portugal who overcame the Dutch 1-0 to win the inaugural, that’s first, competition. The Portuguese had home advantage and a tight game was decided by a powerful shot into the corner by Guedes. Well done to Portugal. And finally, good news for Eden Hazard as his move to Real Madrid was finally confirmed. The Chelsea striker has been heavily linked with the Spanish side for several years, but never been managed to make the move – until now.
Bad
DB: For bad, I’m going to pick the USA team’s celebrations as they stuffed Thailand 13-0. It’s perfectly fine to celebrate and to be pleased with such a performance; it’s even OK to keep scoring when the other team has obviously given up, but the US team came in for a lot of criticism for how they celebrated when the game was done and dusted. Knee slides for the ninth goal were felt by some to be rubbing it in, unsportsmanlike. It’s a difficult one, but I have some sympathy for those who felt that the US players could have shown a little restraint when the score started to head towards double figures. And here’s Damian’s pick.
DF: OK, I’m a fan of VAR – the video assistant referee – as I think that it helps referees to make better decisions, but during the Women’s World Cup, I’m not sure that VAR has always helped as well as it could have done. Delays in decision-making have frustrated the crowds, while some of the decisions involving handball have been inconsistent to say the least – France were rather luckily awarded a spot kick against Norway while Scotland had two key decisions go against them in their games against England and Japan. I understand it’s new technology but these issues need to be ironed out quickly.
Amazing
DB: I’m not a fan of VAR, so I’m not surprised it hasn’t improved the tournament. No ugly this week, just amazing. Hats off to Brazilian super star Marta, appearing in fifth straight Women’s World Cup and scoring in all of them. She has a total of 16 tournament goals, the most of any football player. A stunning record, and the 33 is already a legend.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (Hindi)
Contact/Social Media
DF: OK, here’s a quick section on how to contact us. You can do so directly via email at admin@languagecaster.com, or on our forum page or via twitter, @languagecaster, and Facebook – Learn English Through Football. All likes and re-tweets are greatly appreciated, and thanks to those who’ve done so.
We also appreciate all of you who come along to our site and download our podcasts, which you can do via all the usual podcast providers, such as iTunes, tunedin, and stitcher.
And finally, please think about supporting us for as little as $2 a month via Patreon, that’s patreon.com/languagecaster. This support helps us pay for our site and keeps the audio of all our podcasts as well us access to our massive football glossary free. We have posted some listening worksheets this week on the 2019 Copa America and some new football language including the phrase ‘to labour to a victory’.
Stinger: You’re listening to languagecaster.com (in Italian).
Football Language: spot
DB: OK, this word we’re focusing on today is used as an adjective, as in spot kick, or as a noun, as in convert from the spot. A spot is a small round circle and in football it refers to the penalty spot. As a noun, you will often hear ‘score from the spot’ in commentary or read it in reports. It means to convert a penalty, to score a penalty. Here’s an example from the Straits Times reporting on the Australia versus Brazil game in group C: “Marta opened the scoring after 27 minutes, converting from the spot after Leticia Santos was fouled by Elise Kellond-Knight.” It is also used as an adjective – a spot kick: for example the referee awarded a spot kick.
Now, don’t forget we also have a football-language forum where you can ask or answer questions on football-language. You can also access more football language by coming along to our football-language glossary.
Football Language Quiz:
DB: OK, football language quiz time. We’ve seen some great goals in the Women’s World Cup, but also some great saves. In the Canada vs New Zealand game Erin Naylor made a stunning save from a Prince header. We want to know which phrase would describe a save that stops the goal by making the ball go past the post. Is it
- Tip round the post
- Pass round the post
- Stretch around the post
- Guard the ball around the post
And we’ll have the answer at the end of the show.
Predictions
DB: Before we look at some upcoming games, just a reminder that we have a Women’s World Cup predictions competition on our website languagecaster.com. You can join at any time. Just go to the site, click on the Women’s World Cup Predictions tab and register. Three points for a perfect score and one for the correct score. Learn English Through Football, that’s the home team is currently leading with 28, tied with Nina, but you can still challenge your friends if you join together to see who can get the most points.
Right, let’s look at some games, and Damon has sent in some of his predictions. The first is for China vs Spain in the Women’s World Cup.
2019 Women’s World Cup: China vs Spain
DF: The final group games take place next week and in Group B China and Spain play to see which of them will qualify behind Germany. The Chinese have been tough and well organised but I think the short-passing game of the Spanish side along with their striker Jennifer Hermoso will be too much for the Chinese side. 2-1 to Spain for me.
DB: I agree with Damian, but I think it might be 2-0. And the next game is Japan versus England in the same competition. Here’s Damian.
2019 Women’s World Cup: Japan vs England
DF: Both sides will qualify for the last 16 but which of them will top the group and potentially provide an easier route to the final? Four years ago, Japan scored a last-minute winner – an own goal – to reach the final against the Lionesses so England will be looking for revenge. I think this one will be a draw… 1-1.
DB: This one should be a real battle, but I’ve got a feeling England are beginning to build confidence. I’m going for a 2-1 England win. And our final game.
2019 Copa America: Japan vs Chile
DF: Now as we mentioned earlier, the 2019 Copa America has kicked off in Brazil and on the 17th holders Chile face Japan in Group C. I think Chile will have too much experience for the Asian side and will win this one – maybe 2-0.
DB: I agree with Damian. 2-1 to Chile.
Football Language Quiz Answer
DB: OK, now for the answer to our football-language quiz question. We wanted to know which phrase would describe a save that stops the goal by making the ball go past the post. Was it
- Tip round the post
- Pass round the post
- Stretch around the post
- Guard the ball around the post
The answer is to tip round (or around) the post.
Bye
DB: And well done if you go that right and we’ll have another question next week. OK, that’s it for this week, we’ll be back with Damian next week when we’ll be discussing the knock-out stages of the Women’s World Cup, the group stages of the Copa America and look ahead to the African Cup of Nations. Ta-ra!
Check out our glossary of footballing phrases here If you have any suggestions, contact us at admin@languagecaster.com
Learn English Through Football Podcast: A show for football fans to improve their English language skills
