Learn English Through Football Podcast

You can poach an egg, but what does poach a player mean? Check out the latest Weekly English for Football phrase from languagecaster.com

On this week's football podcast for learners of English, as always, we have three sections. First, in the main report section, Damon looks back over the career of Jamie Carragher, Liverpool and England defender, who retires this week. After that, in our regular English for football section, we introduce the football phrase 'to cause an upset'

This week, we spotlight the Liverpool stalwart Jamie Carragher, who is hanging up his boots this Sunday in a final league game against Queens Park Rangers.

This week, languagecaster.com introduces the English for football phrase 'to cause an upset'.

On this week's football podcast for learners of English, as always, we have three sections. First, in the main report section, Damian spotlights five of the greatest FA Cup finals in recent English football history .

This week, we look at the phrase to be 'out of their hands'. If something is out of your hands it means that you do not have control over something,

On this week's football podcast for learners of English, Damon talks about the rivalry between the two teams from the city of Liverpool. In our regular English for football section, we introduce the football phrase 'to want it more'. In the last section of the show, we finish with our predictions battle, which this week includes big derbies from the Premier League, as well as the big game in Argentina between Boca and River.

This week's main report takes a look at one of the most famous rivalries in English football - the Merseyside Derby.

This week, languagecaster.com brings you a common football cliche - 'They wanted it more'.

This week's languagecaster podcast brings you more 'language of predictions' plus all our usual features.

This week's main report we look back at the 2013 Champions League semi-final first leg matches that saw the two German side come out on top against the best of Spain. We also ask whether they can hang on to make it to Wembley in May?

The Language of Predictions: On this report we feature some of the language Damian and Damon use when describing football predictions.

How many different kinds of shots are there in football - here we explain one of them - to lob

This week, languagecaster.com introduces the English football phrase and cliche 'Roy of the Rovers stuff'.

The language of referees, English for football and some great matches in our predictions section

This week's main report discusses some of the language of referees.

Do you know what the phrase 'on paper' refers to in football? Listen to our weekly football phrase to find out.

On this week's football podcast for learners of English, we look at the match ups in this year's Champions League quarter-final first legs, while in our English for football section Damon introduces the phrase 'to play off the park'.

This week sees the first legs of the Champions League quarter-finals taking place. This year sees three Spanish sides, two from Germany and one from France, Turkey and Italy - that's right, none from England - all battling to make the final that takes place at Wembley in May.

This week, languagecaster.com introduces the football phrase 'to play off the park'

On this week's football podcast for learners of English, we look at the language connected with footballing injuries

On this week's main report, we look at three of the common injuries footballers suffer and the language of injuries.

This week languagecaster.com introduces the football phrase 'to ship goals'.

On this week's football podcast for learners of English, we look at the language associated with setting up goals, while in our English for football section Damon introduces some phrases connected to football shots. We also continue our predictions battle...

Setting up goals: Last week, we looked at the language of scoring goals and this week we continue, but we focus on how to describe setting up the goal.

On this week's main report, look at some of last weekend's articles from the respected Guardian newspaper in the UK to show the ways journalists and fans describe how goals are scored.

On this week's football podcast for learners of English, Damian looks at what makes the North-London derby such a big game while Damon introduces the phrase 'to be in the running',

This weekend sees the second North London derby of the season - one of the biggest derbies in English football - between Tottenham and Arsenal. In this report we feature five important things about the North London derby.

This weeka€™s English for Football is to be in the running. If you say a team is in the running, you mean that they have a chance of winning...

On this week's football podcast for learners of English, Damian looks back at the English League Cup, while Damon introduces the phrase 'to hit form' before we finish up with our weekly predictions battle which this week includes the Milan derby, the League Cup final and another clasico.

It is the final of the League Cup this weekend so on this weeka€™s main report we take a look at the third trophy of English football: The League Cup.

What phrase often follows 'to hit form'? Find out with our Weekly Football Phrase.

On this week's football podcast for learners of English, Damon takes a look at the holding midfielder position in football, while Damian introduces the phrase 'bullet header'

[gss-content-box color="gray"] On this weeka€™s main report we continue our look at the various positions on the pitch by focusing on a specialist midfielder, called the holding midfielder. You can listen to the report by clicking on the link below, while vocabulary support (in bold) appears at the foot of the report.[/gss-content-box] Introduction The holding midfielder has now become a fixture of most teams around the world, with some teams even using two holding midfielders. A holding midfielder's position has several names: the screening role, the defensive midfielder, anchor, and sometimes 'destroyer'. Whatever their name, the holding midfielder plays just in front of the defensive line, in a central position and their job is primarily to strengthen the defense by breaking up the oppositions attacks before they reach the back line. But the best, can also act as a springboard for attack, using their position as the fulcrum of the team to play the ball forwards to the forwards and attacking midfielders. Below, we have chosen five of the best players in this position, past and present. Claude Makélélé For the past decade, people often call the defensive midfielder's role, the Makélélé role - as he was seen as the classic example of a defensive midfielder. The high point of his career was at Real Madrid and Chelsea in the first decade of the 21st century. His intelligent positioning , strong tackling and simple ball distribution allowed those in front of him be confident they could take risks. His teammate at Real Madrid, Zidane said when the Frenchman left Spain, 'Why put another layer of gold paint on the BentleyA when you are losing the entire engine?' Makélélé, like all good holding midfielders, certainly was the engine of the team. Sergio Busquets The Spanish and Barcelona player is arguably the best holding midfielder playing today, in probably the best team in the world over the last five year. He sits behind the creative midfielders like Hernandez and Iniesta, receiving the ball from them when they are put under pressure and playing quick, short balls to get the play moving again. His play is based on pressing the opposition and recycling the ball quickly when they make mistakes. He also knows how to slow the game down, often being accused of over-reacting to fouls in order to break up the opposition's rhythm. Patrick Viera From the late 90s to 2005, Frenchman, Patrick Viera of Arsenal was probably the best holding midfielder in the Premier League. Unusually tall for this position, he was a rugged tackler and broke the mold of a traditional defensive midfielder, because he was capable of barnstorming runs through the midfield into the opposition's half - because of this he was a box to box midfielder more than a purely defensive one. Graham Souness The Scottish international was an invaluable member of the Liverpool side of the 1970s and 80s that were dominant in England and successful in Europe. A traditional hard man midfielder, Souness was feared by opposition for his uncompromising tackling. His ability to intimidate the other team made his teammates raise their game. As well as his tackling, Souness could pass the ball with great accuracy and also score goals. Skillful and hard as nails. Lothar Matthäus Perhaps occupying a position a bit further forward than a traditional holding midfielder, nevertheless, Matthäus's roles included breaking up the oppositions attack, man marking the opposing team's most potent threat, and threading balls through to the front line. One of the best players of all time, Maradona, described Matthäus as the best rival he has ever faced after being neutralised in the 1986 world cup final. The German was a leader and the complete package. Vocabulary support a fixture: something that must always be included; an element that is always there (Note - a fixture can also mean, a match, a game) (to) break up: In this context) to stop; to halt a springboard: a launchpad; a place where you can start something; the beginning of something fulcrum: the centre; the heart; the middle; one of the most important elements distribution: (in football) passing; moving the ball between players the engine: (in this context) the heart; the centre; the fulcrum (to) sit: (in football) to position yourself; usually collocates with 'behind' or 'in front of' (to) recycle: to turn defensive play into attack rugged: tough; strong; rough break the mold: change a traditional way of doing something barnstorming: exciting; dynamic; entertaining box to box: moving between your team's box to the opposition box and back again; covering all of the midfield's central area. uncompromising: hard; tough; with no fear hard as nails: tough and aggressive (to) thread the ball through: to pass the ball accurately between opposing players; to pass the ball when there is little space available (from 'to put th

A bullet header: a powerful header that flies, like a bullet from a gun, towards the goal.

On this week's football podcast for learners of English, Damian looks ahead to the knock-out stages of the 2013 Champions League while Damon introduces the phrase 'Hang up your boots' before we finish up with our weekly predictions battle which this week includes the final from the African Nations Cup, as well as big games from the Premier League and La Liga.

The 2012-13 Champions League knock-out stage starts next week with 16 teams battling it out to try and reach the final that takes place on 25th May at Wembley Stadium. The two-legged ties promise to be mouth-watering affairs and so on this week's main football report the languagecaster team looks ahead to some top European club action.

What's the meaning of the phrase 'to hang up your boots'? This phrase is used when a player decides to stop playing the game...

On this week's football podcast for learners of English, Damian talks about the language of transfers and also introduces the phrase 'Transfer Window'

A transfer is when a footballer moves from one club to another and this can come about in two ways: either the club decides to sell the player or the player chooses to leave the club. On this week's main listening report we look at language related to football transfers.

This week, languagecaster.com introduces the football phrase 'transfer window'. You can understand more about this phrase by reading the accompanying transcript.

On this week's football podcast for learners of English, we focus on the 'romance of the cup' and look at some of the language associated with the English FA Cup. Damon also introduces the phrase 'to line up a bid for' before we finish up with our weekly predictions battle which this week includes games from the African Nations Cup, England and of course the FA Cup 4th round.

On this week's main listening report we look at some of the language of the FA Cup.

This week, languagecaster.com introduces the football phrase 'to line up a bid for'.

On this week's football podcast for learners of English, we cast our eye over the groups in the African Nations Cup

This weekend sees the start of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations that takes place in South Africa. On this week's main listening report the languagecaster team previews the four groups and even dares to make a prediction.

This week, languagecaster.com introduces the football phrase 'cup replay'

On this week's football podcast for learners of English, we take a look at what constitutes cheating in football.

Is it OK to 'bend the rules' in football; Is it ever OK to cheat? This week's main report discusses what cheating in football.

This week, languagecaster.com introduces the football phrase 'beyond the pale'.