Learn English Through Football Podcast

This week on languagecaster.com's football podcast we focus on the Champions League and who will win it, but also which team's are dark horses. Remember you can also: Listen only to the main report here - complete with transcript and vocabulary Check out a new football expression in English for Football Learners of English can review the footballing news from around the world in our good, the bad and the ugly section of the show For learners of English check out our Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts from previous podcasts Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking here //

[print_link] | Subscribe: Main Listening Report | Complete List Here Each week on languagecaster's podcast we feature a main listening report and on this week's show we look at the Champions League and ask some football fans which team they think might be winners next May in London. You can listen to the report by clicking the link below and can also read the transcript. Explanations of vocabulary in bold appear at the foot of the post. Listen to the main listening report here Transcript Introduction The second round of matches in the group stage of the Champions League are to be played next week, so on this week's main report we thought we'd ask some football fans their opinions on the team they thought are favourites to win it and which side might be a dark horse. John DF: So, which team do you think is going to win this season's Champions League, John? John: I think Chelsea are going to win it this season. The reason I think they're going to win is because as a team they've grown over the last few years and at club level they're absolutely fantastic and they seem to be taking the same form with them to the European level. DF: How about a dark horse or a non-favoured team? John: Well this year I think another team that could do really well is... Arsenal. The reason is that they've been together for quite a long time and they've made some good signings in the summer, particularly Chamakh. I think if they can keep their midfield fit, particularly Fabregas and Arshavin they should do rather well. Steve DF: So which team do you think might be the Champions League winners this season Steve? Steve: I'm going to go for Chelsea, they're such a strong team, they've got bags of experience having done really well in the Champions League in recent years. They've still got their best players like Drogba, Terry and so on and they've got young players coming through. And of course they've got Michael Essien back who's like a great new signing for them. DF: Now how about a dark horse or a team that maybe is not so well fancied to win the Champions League? Steve: Ok, there's a few I suppose but one I would pick is ... maybe Valencia who haven't done so well in recent years in the Champions League but are doing pretty well this year, they're riding high in their Champions League group, I think they're top of that at the moment and also they're second in the Spanish League as we speak, which is obviously one of the hardest leagues in the world. So, I think they can do pretty well this year, don't know if they can win it but they're a good candidate as a dark horse. Chris DF: So, Chris who do you think is going to win the Champions League this year? Chris: It's got to be Barcelona, Damian. DF: And why do you think that? Chris: I just think they've got the best team and I can't see anyone else beating them. DF: Well, you said you can't see anyone else beating them but if you were to see maybe a dark horse challenging them, which team do you think that might be? Chris: It's got to be Tottenham Hotspur, I think... they've been out of European football for a long time and I just think this is their moment. // Vocabulary they've grown: The team has improved bags of experience: Lots of experience; a very experienced side well fancied: Tipped to do well they're riding high: Doing very well, in a high position in the table

To stick it in the net: This week we explin the expression a€˜to stick it in the neta€˜, which means to score a goal.

On this week's podcast we focus on one of the most interesting and progressive teams in Germany: FC St Pauli.

We feature a main listening report for learners of English and on this week's show we feature one of the most interesting club sides in the world, the Bundesliga's St Pauli.

This week's English phrase for football is 'to pull something out of the bag

On this week's free podcast Hans, our German correspondent, introduces some of the main talking points in the Bundesliga this season. We also look at some of the footballing stories from last week and try to predict some of the big games this week in our predictions battle. Remember you can also: Check out a new football expression in English for Football For learners of English check out our Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts from previous podcasts Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking here

[print_link] | Subscribe: Main Listening Report | Complete List Here Each week on languagecaster's podcast we feature a main listening report and on this week's show Hans, our German football expert previews the upcoming Bundesliga season. You can listen to the report by clicking the link below and can also read the transcript. Explanations of vocabulary in bold appear at the foot of the post. Listen here to the Main Report on The Bundesliga Transcript 1. Bayern Munchen for the title This season Bayern are the favorites to win the Bundesliga again. This is despite the fact that they havena€™t added a single player to their roster. Coach van Gaal is oozing confidence in his second year in charge, and the players seem to be at their peaks right now. So who can, or will challenge them for the title? The usual teams have been mentioned: Bremen, Schalke, Hamburg and Leverkusen, but it is hard to see any of them being as consistent as Bayern. Perhaps the biggest threats to Bayern are their own success, meaning a heavy schedule and over confidence. 2. Transfers The return of Ballack to Leverkusen, Raul and Huntelaar to Schalke, Diego to Wolfsburg, there are many new names in the Bundesliga this season. But the transfers that everyone is talking about are the two German stars of the World Cup, Mezmut Ozil and Sami Khedira to Real Madrid. Both are young and need time, but the feeling is that they have left too early in their careers and will waste away on the Madrid bench. 3. Ballack Will he return to the national team? Will he retain the captaina€™s armband? Or has the injury that cost him his place at the World cup also cost him his international career? For now, when asked if there is a future for Ballack in the national team, coach Low answered a€œJeina€, a mix of a€˜Jaa€™ (yes) and a€˜neina€™ (no). Time will tell. 4. Excitement This season is again shaping up as an open and unpredictable one. Seven away wins in round two, a Bayern loss at newly-promoted Kaiserslautern, a 6-3 away victory for Moenchengladbach and Mainz beating Wolfsburg 4-3, after trailing 0-3 prove this point. So, enjoy the games and fingers crossed for S.C. Freiburg (my team!) // Vocabulary roster: The squad, the group of players connected to the club at their peaks: To be in their best condition - they cannot play any better oozing confidence : He is so confident that it appears to be dripping out of him; extremely confident of winning will waste away: The two players will not figure much in the first team but will be substitutes a lot is again shaping up : Once more the season looks like it will be exciting fingers crossed : A sign of hoping for good luck

This weeka€™s English for Football phrase is a€˜to spare your blushesa€˜.

On this week's podcast we ask two England fans what they think about Fabio Capello and England. Remember you can also: Check out a new football expression in English for Football Learners of English can review the footballing news from around the world in our good, the bad and the ugly section of the show

[print_link] | Subscribe: Main Listening Report | Complete List Here Each week on languagecaster's podcast we feature a main listening report and on this week's show we ask a couple of football fans what they think of the 'new look' Fabio Capello's England team. You can listen to the report by clicking the link below and can also read the transcript. Explanations of vocabulary in bold appear at the foot of the post. Listen here to the Main Report on Capello and England Transcript Damian: Right, it doesn't seem so long ago since we were watching the World Cup, now, of course, we've got a new tournament, the European Championships kicking off and England are playing Bulgaria and Switzerland. There's been a real movement in the English press at the moment about the manager Fabio Capello, so we've asked a couple of England fans their thoughts on the manager. Jonathan, how are you doing? Jonthan: Very well Damian thank you. Damian: OK, the European Championships are about to start this weekend, what's your feeling on the new England? Jonathan: The new England? Well, hopefully they will have bounced back from their World Cup - not a very successful World Cup I guess for a number of reasons ... and my opinion of Capello as manager? Well, I think it would be foolish to get rid of him now but I think there was a point when most English fans were quite disappointed by the fact that he was... seemed to be quite stubborn, especially in selecting formations and players. Damian: Are you hopeful of this campaign? Jonathan: Yes, I think we tend to do quite well in qualifying... tend to. So, yes, I am sure we'll get through to the Championship itself. Damian: So this weekend England play Bulgaria and then Switzerland on Tuesday, confident of six points? Jonathan: Definitely, yes. Matt: To be honest, I've not really very much confidence in Capello anymore. I think he should have left after the World Cup, he should have resigned but the FA, foolishly in my opinion, kept him on. Since then the press have crucified him, especially the tabloid press, so he's going the way of England managers of the past. Maybe his reason for staying on is the money - A£6 million a year is a lot but actually I don't think so, I think he does actually believe he has a point to prove and can try and win it. But I really don't see how he's going to win it with the players he's got available and with his position essentially being undermined. Vocabulary kicking off Starting, beginning (a competition) they will have bounced back from : England will have recovered from the World Cup, they will play better this time around to get rid of him: To sack or fire Capello quite stubborn: To be inflexible, refuse to change an opinion, hard-headed he should have resigned: He should have left, Capello should not be the current manager foolishly: Stupidly, ridiculously the press have crucified him: The media in the UK have attacked Capello in a strong, aggressive manner his position essentially being undermined: His position as manager has been weakened

This week's English for Football phrase is 'first-choice keeper'.

On this week's podcast we spotlight the sides that have been newly promoted to La Liga. We also look at some of the footballing stories from last week and try to predict some of the big games this week in our predictions battle. Remember you can also: Check out a new football expression in English for Football For learners of English check out our Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts from previous podcasts Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking here

[print_link] | Subscribe: Main Listening Report Each week on languagecaster's podcast we feature a main listening report and on this week's show we spotlight the newly promoted sides in La Liga. You can listen to the report by clicking below and can read the transcript below. Explanations of vocabulary in bold appear at the foot of the post. Listen here to the main report Transcript As with most of the big leagues in Europe, there are three newly promoted teams in the top division in Spain this season. The three teams are Real Sociedad, who came top of the second division last season, and Hércules and Levante, who finished second and third respectively. Antoine Griezmann - New Sociedad star? Let's start with Real Sociedad. The team is based in the Basque town of San Sebastian and have spent most of their history in the top flight, and were champions in 1981 and 1982, but relegated in 2007. Traditionally they only recruited Basque footballers, this policy changed in the late eighties, although they still try to keep a backbone of Basque players.A Coached by Uruguayan Martin Lascarte, Real Sociedad will be hoping to stay in La Liga after their two seasons in the second division. They have a tough opener against Villarreal, but playing at home will help them. Big things are expected of teenager, Antoine Griezmann. The French left winger has come through the youth set up to impress in pre-season friendlies with four goals in two games, so keep an eye on him. Predictions? A draw to open their campaign and a mid table finish. Next, Hércules. Based in Alicante, on the coast in the west of Spain, Hércules have been in the second division for most of their history. Although they have had spells in the top league their highest ever finish was fifth. More normally, they tend to hover around the relegation zone when they make it to La Liga. Before a ball has been kicked this season, the team is involved in a scandal that threatens to upset their early season, with a major shareholder, Enrique Ortiz, and their captain, López, alleged to have bribed teams to lose against their team last season. Predictions? Hércules open with a home game with Athletic Bilbao. Expect a loss and relegation this season. Lastly, Levante. This club, based in Valencia, has been somewhat of a yo-yo club, regularly being promoted and relegated between the second division and the top flight over the past decade. They were only just promoted for this season on goal difference and it won't be a surprise if they go straight back down again. Indeed, they lack a proven goal scorer and may struggle to find the net. They have also brought in a raft of new signings, which may mean they struggle to gel. All these facts point to relegation this season, which is what I predict. Their first game is againstA Sevilla at home, and I expect a loss and a long season for los Granotes - the frogs. Vocabulary the top flight: the top division, the highest level be relegated: be sent down a league, drop down a level backbone: (in this context) the players that make a team stable and strong, the main part, the important players to keep an eye on: watch carefully (because good things are expected) spell (of time): a period of time, often used in the phrase a short spell to hover around: to stay close to one position, to not move far from alleged (to have done): accused of having done, thought to have done - but not yet proved a yo-yo club: a club that often gets promoted and then relegated (eg. West Bromich Albion in the Premier League) a raft of: a large number of, many to gel: to work together, to fit together, form a team

Weekly free football phrase for learners of English - gaffer

On this week's podcast we take a look into the crystal ball and try and predict how Damon's Liverpool and Damian's Tottenham will finish this season. Remember you can also: Check out a new football expression in English for Football For learners of English check out our Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts from previous podcasts Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking here

[print_link] | Subscribe: Main Listening Report Each week on languagecaster's podcast we feature a main listening report and on this week's show we look ahead to the 2010-11 season for our two teams: Damon will talk about Liverpool while Damian discusses Spurs' chances. You can listen to the report by clicking below and can read the transcript below. Explanations of vocabulary in bold appears at the foot of the post. Listen here to the Main Report Transcript Damon: Well, Liverpool had a dreadful season last year, no trophies again and finishing seventh in the league. Awful! Can we do better this year? I hope so. And hope is something that Liverpool fans have again after their new manager, Roy Hodgson, has introduced a new confidence with three wins and a draw in his first competitive games - three victories in the Europa League and a battling draw with 10 men against Arsenal. So there is hope around Anfield, and this hope stems from his sensible signings. The latest, the experienced, combative Christian Poulson, will replace Mascherano as a holding midfielder - but coming in for a modest 4.5 million pounds, Liverpool can hope to make some money with Mascherano valued at over 20 million probably on the move according to the press. Hodgson has also bought in Joe Cole on a free transfer, an experienced striker in Jovanovic as well as a youthful defender in Danny Wilson. All, on paper, strengthening the squad. Concerns still persist with the full back positions, left and right, but with Gerrard, Kuyt, Lucas, Carragher, Agger, Reina and of course Torres providing an experienced spine, the team looks strong. There are worries about its depth, however, and the manager will have to make some more signings before the end of the transfer window. Hopefully, the speculation about the sale of the club will also be over in the next few weeks and there will be some stability behind the scenes. Predictions? A good cup run in the Europa League - semi final, and the FA Cup - perhaps as far as the final. As for the League, top four finish and I'm hoping for third - that or financial meltdown. Damian Despite a 4th place finish and a semi-final appearance in the FA Cup last season, there are still many football pundits who feel that Spurs will not feature in the top echelons of the Premier League next May. This could be due to our inconsistent form and the fact that we are still perceived as having a soft-centre. New signing William Gallas should have something to say about that and though there are some fans who disagree with him coming to the club thanks to his Arsenal connections, this is the type of signing the team needs, someone with Champions League experience and a Premier League winning mentality. The Champions League is going to be crucial for Spurs - if we qualify for the group stages then what effect will it have on our domestic performances? If we don't make it, then how will we react? Surprisingly for Harry Rednapp, the club has only moved for Gallas during the transfer window who joins along with Brazilian midfield star, Sandro who was signed in March. The feeling is that we are one or two big signings away from a real push for success so next week's Champions League qualifier takes on an even more important role as players may decide to come to a club in rather than out of the top European club competition. Predictions? Well, the top 2 will be there again while Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City will also be in contention. The irony is that we may have a stronger team than last season yet finish 6th. However, I am going for a repeat of 4th and hopefully a fun run in the Champions League. Vocabulary dreadful: very bad, awful, terrible stem from: originate from, come from, start from combative: aggressive, strong, hard tackling on paper: theoretically, assumed before knowing the facts behind the scenes: used to refer to the owners of the club, the financial deals, the management financial meltdown: big economic problem, a situation in which the club has huge money problems and may go out of business football pundits: Football experts top echelons: The top positions in the league perceived: Seen to be; appear crucial: Vital, really important

Football Phrase of the Week - A Pulsating Game:

Football, like life, is full of cliches and on today's post we are going to be talking about a classic - one that everyone in the game knows about: To be as sick as a parrot.

Each week, languagecaster's podcast will have four sections. 1. The good, the bad and the ugly - a review of the footballing news 2. A main report - an interview, spotlight, fans' opinions etc. There is also a separate post with transcript and vocabulary support 3. An English for Football phrase - we explain a word from that week's news, or a phrase that is important if you want to talk about football 4. Predictions - a look at 4 or 5 games from around the world. Damon and Damian battle it out against each other and guests to guess the match results in a predictions competition For teachers there is more information and ideas here. Also, check out our - Football Language Resources page Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and teaching ideas from previous podcasts

Football, like life, is full of cliches and on today's post we are going to be talking about a classic - one that everyone in the game knows about: To be over the moon.

World Cup Podcast 10 - The good and bad from 2010

World Cup Phrase of the Day: Littered with fouls: Every day during the World Cup, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase ...

2010 World Cup Podcast 9: Final Preview - Game 64 of the World Cup and Damon and Damian preview the final in this podcast for English language learners

To go for it

Today's World Cup phrase of the day is the phrase 'to not take lightly'

Today's World Cup phrase of the day is the expression rout which means a heavy defeat.

2010 World Cup Quarter-finals Preview: The World Cup quarter-finals take place this weekend and we have some mouth-watering ties to look forward to. In today's podcast Damon and Damian cast their eyes over the four match ups.

Kick out: Every day during the World Cup, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase or cliché connected to this summer's tournament.

Today's World Cup phrase of the day is the expression to step down which means to resign or to quit a job.

2010 World Cup Second Round: The second round of the World Cup is now over and what an amazing four days it has been. On today's podcast we take a look back at those 8 games, which had a little bit of everything from penalty shootouts to disputed goals, red cards and some wonder strikes.

Today's World Cup phrase of the day is the expression to pull the strings which is used...

World Cup Phrase of the Day: Scapegoat

Today's World Cup phrase of the day is the expression consolation goal which is a goal that...

Today's World Cup phrase of the day is the expression to see off which in football means to defeat or beat an opponent.

[print_link] | Subscribe: Predictions Current Score: DB 25 | DF 49 It's here! The knockout stage, the last 16, squeaky bum time! In the two games today, we have the Republic of Korea taking on the first World Cup winners Uruguay and the USA up against Ghana , the only African side to make it through the group stage.A Join our predictions competition here, where there's a chance to win an original languagecaster.com T-shirt! [TABLE=197] Join our predictions competition by clicking here

On today's show, languagecaster.com dissects France's miserable performance at the World Cup. We also salute the four teams that have qualified for the knockout stages from Groups C and D and look ahead at today's games.

Today's World Cup phrase of the day is actually a collection of phrases and vocabulary to describe the process of qualifying for...

This podcast looks at the 2010 World Cup last set of matches from Groups C and D and asks four football fans what they think will happen. There is a transcript for this show which may help you to improve your language skills by reading as you listen, or if you are a teacher of English you can use the transcript to make different kinds of activities for your learners. If you have any questions, suggestions or comments then please email us at: [email protected]. http://gty.im/102216247 The eyes of fans of teams in Groups C and D will be turned on today's fixtures and in this show we focus on England v Slovenia and Germany v Ghana: a win for any of these teams will guarantee a play-off spot so it's all to play for. England have been trying to copy France in terms of dismal displays on the pitch and players speaking out about the coach - John Terry you naughty boy. As for Germany, they are a bit Jekyll and Hyde, winning plaudits for their opening win and causing disbelief by being beaten by Serbia. So, all to play for, but what do fans think? We asked four fans their predictions, to describe England and Germany's campaigns so far and for their highlights this week. Also: Check out a new football expression in World Cup English for Football Follow the predictions battle between Damon and Damian in the Predictions competition For learners of English check out our Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts from previous podcasts

Implode is a word used to describe a team, or team performance that is so bad it damages the chances of the team...

Every day during the World Cup, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase or cliché connected to this summer's tournament - today we look at 'turn on the style'. Click on the link below to hear the word or phrase and you can also read the transcript. You can find many more examples by going to our football phrase page here football clichés here and our huge football glossary here. http://gty.im/102256115 Listen Here | See the complete list here Today's World Cup Phrase is 'to turn on the style'. Style in this phrase is from the adjective 'stylish', meaning sophisticated, cool, classy - basically very good. To turn on, means to start, as in to turn on the tap (for water) or to turn on the light. So, to turn on the style means to put on a classy performance, usually a game with good passing, exciting attacking play and effective defending. Last night, Brazil turned on the style against Ivory Coast beating the African side 3-1 to qualify for the next round and to kick start their campaign. Tonight, can Spain turn on the style against Honduras when the two sides meet in the second round of games in Group H?

'Maybe it's the pressure?' suggested England manager Fabio Cappello after England's dismal draw with Algeria, so on this World Cup podcast we take a look at the pressure of playing in the most important sporting event in the world. 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 - we have lots of World Cup resources too. If you have any suggestions or questions then you can contact us at [email protected]. Contact UsA Forum Glossary World Cup Resources http://gty.im/102461785 Transcript Damon: Well, obviously bad for England, terrible in fact but worse for Rooney. He was out of the game completely and at the end of the match ranted at the England fans sarcastically saying 'it's nice to hear your fans booing'. It was a miracle that the booing hadn't started earlier, England's performance definitely deserved it and up until the end the England fans could be heard supporting their team above the din of the vuvuzela - at least they did their bit. Poor play and an even worse attitude from Wayne Rooney. Damian: Well, that was Damon's take on the Algeria - England scoreless draw, which left fans here in the UK scratching their heads and wondering why players such as Rooney, Gerrard and Lampard have not performed for the country like they do for their clubs. Manager Fabio Capello puts it all down to pressure - the inability to cope with it is causing the team to malfunction. Surely, these well-paid players are used to it - they play in the Champions League and are under close scrutiny from the media throughout their regular domestic season and therein lies the crux of the matter. The World Cup is simply not a regular tournament. Fans who may not have watched any games during the year - or even know what football is - become experts over night fuelled by the media's agenda. Suddenly everyone has an opinion and, thanks to the wall-to-wall coverage here, is also a master tactician. Rooney has since apologised for his outburst, something which French striker Nicolas Anelka refused to do to his manager, Raymond Domenech after a half-time tirade in the defeat against Mexico. The French Sports minister, Roselyne Bachelot reckoned that, "The very high pressure weighing on Les Bleus does not authorise any form of slip-up.' A bit late for that then as the rest of the French team will be following Anelka home very shortly. Another team going home early is Cameroon, many people's tips as the dark horses of the tournament but with reports of in-fighting among players and huge pressure on manager Paul Le Guen the Indomitable Lions have been well beaten and are out of the competition. Other teams that will have to face up to huge pressure over the next few days are Spain who lost their first game to Switzerland, Germany who unthinkably face elimination after losing and missing a penalty against Serbia and Brazil manager Dunga who is not only expected to win the World Cup but to do so in style. Now, that's pressure.

Jabulani

To be out of their depth

Today's World Cup phrase of the day is the expression to be out of their hands.

World Cup phrase of the day is 'to blow wide open'

Good and Bad from Week 1: The 2010 World Cup is a week old and we look at some of the highs and lows of the tournament by...

Every day during the World Cup, the languagecaster team will be explaining a football phrase or cliché connected to this summer's tournament. Click on the link below to hear the word or phrase and you can also read the transcript. You can find many more examples by going to our football clichés here and our huge football glossary here. If you have any questions, suggestions or comments then please email us at: [email protected]. Contact UsA Forum Glossary World Cup Resources http://gty.im/102146686 Listen Here Today's World Cup phrase of the day is delivery which in football means a pass that usually comes from a set-piece. You will often hear commentators or fans talking about a side needing to have good delivery from set-plays in order to trouble an opponent, while the opposite of this is poor delivery. In today's Group A game between hosts South Africa and Uruguay the South American striker Diego Forlán gave an excellent display, scoring two goals and producing high-quality deliveries that troubled the 'Bafana Bafana' defence throughout the match. Delivery.

World Cup Phrase of the Day: Group of Death

World Cup Phrase of the Day: To Take the Game to