Learn English Through Football Podcast

On this week's show we ask, 'why hasn't football taken off in India, the second most populous nation on Earth?'. Remember you can also: Read our football news review in the good, the bad and the ugly Check out a new football expression in English for Football Follow the weekly 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 Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking here

[print_link] | Subscribe: Main Report Last week, I visited Mumbai, India. Mumbai is arguably the most cosmopolitan city in India, the business centre, and home to 12 million Mumbaikers. While I was there I saw people walking around sporting Manchester United and AC Milan fake tops, Beckham T-shirts, and in the shop windows there are Chelsea, Man United, and Real Madrid school bags. Despite this, I hardly saw anybody playing football in the streets or in the many parks and beaches in the city. And there was nothing about local football in the newspapers. Why don't most Indians play or follow football? The current India squad is ranked 132nd in the world by FIFA but has not been successful in any major footballing tournament for nearly 50 years. While there is a national league, the I-League, most people I asked didn't know any of the teams or players. This is contrast to their huge Asian neighbour, China with a comparable population and even less tradition in the sport. China has a thriving national league, despite all the scandals that we've talked about on languagecaster, and they are now the reigning East Asian champions, winning the crown ahead of Japan and South Korea, teams that have qualified for the World Cup on several occasions. The reason football is such a minor sport here is simple - cricket. Brought by the British, this sport is so huge hear there is no room for football. Here are the views from some young teenagers playing beach cricket. Damon: OK I'm at Juhu beach with some Indian men Boys: Yeah. Yeah. Damon: And they're playing cricket. Now, which is best? Cricket or football? Boys: (All) Cricket! Damon: Why? Why? Boy 1: Because I like it. Damon: You like it? Boy 2: Most playing game cricket. Boy 3: But, most important ... is football because many countries play that... Damon: OK. Do you have a favourite football team? Boys: Yeah I have / Manchester United / Man U Damon: Man U? Boys: yeah. Damon: What about Liverpool. Boy 3: Yeah, it's good, but we like Man U. Damon: Man United? OK. What about Barcelona? Boys: (All) laughing / (One) I don't know. Damon: You don't know? Boy 3: We know about AC Milan Boy 4: Barcelona, AC Milan and Real Madrid. Damon: Big teams. Boy 3: Yeah big teams Boy 5: ... Beckham! Damon: Beckham? OK! He's wearing a David Beckham shirt. OK, what about Indian football teams? Boy 5: No. Boy 3: It is not so famous... Damon: Mumbai's football team? Boys: No. Damon. Nothing. OK. Today, India vs South Africa in cricket. Who will win? Boys: (All) India! Football is on their radar but for most kids it is simply a brand to wear, just like Adidas and Nike clothes, and for the older generation, it's a new, foreign sport they know about but don't connect to. However, on one early evening I sat watching one of many impromptu cricket games when a group of fifteen or so five- and six-year olds, scrambling after a ball while being watched by their teacher, kicked the ball into the area where a cricket game was going on. The kids' teacher and the cricketers argued about where the boundaries of each game were and finally withdrew back to their games - the young children in Man U, Liverpool and Chelsea tops on one side and the men in jeans and polo shirts to their side. I wonder what will happen when those six-year olds grow up. Will they move on to cricket or continue playing football? Vocabulary mumbaiker: a resident of Mumbai (Londoner - London, Scouser - Liverpool, Manc - Macnhester) to sport: to wear, display thriving: if something is thriving, it is doing well reigning: current champions, holders of a title on the radar: be aware of, know about impromptu: casual, started with little planning, spontaneous to scramble: to run (chaotically)

English Football Phrase: To give the ball away cheaply

Weekly football podcast for learners of English which focuses this week on football derbies

This week's football phrase or cliche for learners of English is run riot

Gerd Muller: Our fourth spotlight on World Cup Stars looks at one of Germany's finest - der bomber!

On this week's show we have another in our series on World cup stars. We also review the footballing week, introduce another English for Football phrase and look ahead at some of the big games coming up in the next week. Remember you can also: Read our football news review in the good, the bad and the ugly Check out a new football expression in English for Football Follow the weekly 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 Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking here

This week's English for football expression is the phrase 'prove to be a handful' which means that something or someone is difficult to handle or control.

On this week's show we feature the Champions League knock-out stages as 16 teams battle it out to make the final in Madrid come May. Remember you can also: Read our football news review in the good, the bad and the ugly Check out a new football expression in English for Football Follow the weekly 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 Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking here

[print_link] | Subscribe: Main Report The Champions League is back after a two-month break with the first-leg matches from the last 16 taking place this week. On this week's main report we preview these games and predict which teams should make it to the quarter-finals. You can listen to the report by clicking above while vocabulary support can be found for the words in bold at the foot of the post. Barcelona and Beckham The Champions League returns this week after a two-month break with the knock-out stage involving 16 teams from 8 different countries. This season UEFA has decided to have the 8 ties played over two different weeks, so there are 4 games this week and four next in an obvious attempt to maximise the competition's advertising power. This means that holders and favourites Barcelona do not play until next week when they face Bundesliga side Stuttgart in what should be a fairly straightforward tie. The Germans scraped out of a weak group though their form has improved recently in the domestic league. Barca's big rivals, however, Real Madrid face a tough trip to France where they will play Lyon. The French side are not as strong as they have been in recent years but Madrid will be under pressure to make it past the second round for the first time in 5 seasons, particularly after spending so much money on new players this year. Now, despite the pressure and this tricky away first leg I am tipping them to progress. On the same night, English champions Manchester United travel to AC Milan where they received a thrashing on their last visit three years ago. Few predict a similar scoreline this time in what should be an intriguing battle, especially as it will see David Beckham face his former club for the first time since he left. Despite the brouha surrounding David Beckham's return to Old Trafford for the second leg I don't think Milan will have enough and Manchester United will qualify. Dark Horses? Another English club in action this week is Arsenal who will play away in Portugal against FC Porto, who are playing in the Champions league for the 13th consecutive year and gave Chelsea a scare in the group stages to prove that they will be no pushovers. In fact, I am predicting that they will knock-out Arsene Wenger's side. The other match to be played this week sees Italian side Fiorentina going to Germany where they will play a resurgent Bayern Munich team that is challenging for the Bundesliga title as well. The Germans have hit form at the right time and will comfortably make it to the next round where they will no doubt make things uncomfortable for whoever they face - a dark horse to win the title maybe? Jose and Chelsea Now, next week sees Russian side CSKA Moscow take on Sevilla from La Liga. The Russians are still in their pre-season, while Sevilla have been inconsistent in recent weeks - dropping out of contention for La Liga title but making it to the Copa del Rey final. A Spanish victory here then. Many people's dark horses, Bordeaux travel to Athens to play Olympiacos in what should be a hostile atmosphere but the French team had the best qualifying record - 5 wins and a draw - and should have too much for the Greek side. The final game to take place next week sees Jose Mourinho return to his former club Chelsea with his current side Inter Milan. Jose is under pressure there, for despite looking as if the club will retain the Italian title he was brought in to win the top European prize for the first time since 1965. Now, Chelsea do not need motivation after coming so close in the past three seasons but I think they are going to get a shock here with Jose's team making the last 8. Vocabulary to maximise : To make as much as possible (here it refers to money fairly straightforward tie: The game should be fairly easy; few difficulties scraped out of a weak group: Just about made it; were not so convincing a tricky away first leg: A difficult match away from home in the first of two games they received a thrashing : They were well beaten (On this occasion 0-3) an intriguing battle: A very interesting game brouha: A media circus (one that always seems to follow David Beckham) no pushovers: The team will not be easy to defeat a resurgent: The team is playing well again after not performing well for some time a dark horse: A team that not is one of the favourites but could win (surprisingly) dropping out of contention: Not in the race for the title anymore

[print_link] | Subscribe: Main Report Not long to go now in the Premier League, so it's a good chance to check out where the runners and riders are - who's on their way up and who's on their way down. Vocabulary support can be found for the words in bold at the foot of the post. Click above to listen! Twelve games remain in the Premier League and it now looks as if it is a two-horse race between Chelsea and holders Manchester United for the title. The London side currently lead by two points but they have just been held to a draw by relegation-threatened Hull City and of course the allegations over their captain John Terry may undermine them further. United have suddenly hit form and with players returning after injury and Wayne Rooney in their side they will feel that they have the experience to win the title yet again. If they were to do so it would be their fourth in a row - a feat that has never been done before - it would also give the club a record 19th league title which would upset their Lancashire rivals Liverpool no end. What of Liverpool? Well, they currently lie in 5th place, 14 points behind the leaders but it is not the title they are challenging for but rather the much-coveted 4th spot, which would guarantee Champions League football next season. If the Reds were not to make it then the financial repercussions could be extremely damaging indeed, something which would not affect one of their rivals for that Champions League spot Manchester City. Mega-rich City don't need to be in the Champions League for the cash, they just want to be able to play with the big boys and be taken seriously next year. They lie in 6th place 1 point behind my team Tottenham who are in 4th with 42 points. This time last year Spurs were flirting with relegation so the turnaround has been nothing short of remarkable. Most fans still don't think they can maintain their challenge but rather than worry about the chasing pack - including Aston Villa - it might be worth focusing on the third place currently filled by rivals Arsenal. Yes, they are 7 points clear but they have just received a thumping from Manchester United, face leaders Chelsea this weekend, are struggling in front of goal and have lost confidence in defence. So, who is going to win it? I am going for Manchester United first, Chelsea second, Manchester City third and Tottenham to finish in theA top four. Now that would throw the cat amongst the pigeons! It would indeed! But what about at the foot of the table? Which teams are struggling and in danger of the drop? It looks as the south-coast side, Portsmouth, FA Cup winners in 2008 but financial car crash this year, have already booked their place on next year's Championship, the second division of English football, as they have been stuck at the bottom since , well, pretty much the start of the season. They have 15 points and only four wins and despite new owners, - their fourth this season - you could put your house on them being relegated. But they may be able to salvage something as they are in the 5th round of the FA Cup where they take on rivals Southampton. But who will join them? Burnley sit 5 points above them in 19th and there are five teams within two points. Any kind of win in the remaining games is going to be like gold for Burnley, Hull, Wolves, Bolton, West Ham and Wigan. These look the likely candidates to fill the final two relegation spots. Two of those came up last year, Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers and my feeling is that Wolves will be going straight back down. While Burnley have been poor recently they have the faint hope that their form at Turf Moor may return to see them safe a€“ theya€™ve only lost twice in 11 games. That leaves one more team to join Pompey and Wolves. West Ham seem to have steadied the ship with new money and new players and Bolton have shown in their 3-3 draw against Manchester City and even the 4-2 loss against Arsenal that they have a side that should do enough. So Wigan or Hull. For me, ita€™s Hull City, who escaped relegation last season by the skin of their teeth. Phil Browna€™s side are often hard to beat, but with no win in 10 they may find it hard to pick up enough points to save themselves. Portsmouth, Wolves and Hull to go down. Vocabulary a two-horse race: a competition between two teams, only these two teams are likely to win thumping: thrashing, hammering, beating feat: achievement, accomplishment, triumph much coveted: prized, wanted a lot flirting with relegation: being dangerously close to dropping down a division, being close to the bottom of the table throw (put) the cat among the pigeons: cause a big upset/surprise, shock people, cause chaos financial car crash: financial disaster, a team whose finances are in a terrible condition salvage: save, rescue put your house on: bet a lot of money, gamble a large sum of cash faint: small, unlikely but possible steady the ship: resolve problems, make things less chaotic

On this week's show we focus on the premier League in England. There are 12 games to go and it's becoming clearer who are title contenders and who are looking at the drop. Remember you can also: Read our football news review in the good, the bad and the ugly Check out a new football expression in English for Football Follow the weekly 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 Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking here

[print_link] | Subscribe: Main Report The Spanish League has reached the half way stage of the season - la primera vuelta - and so the languagecaster team thought it would be a good time to review what has been happening in La Liga and also to predict how it may all end in May. Vocabulary support can be found for the words in bold at the foot of the post. Listen to the report here Let's start at the top where the usual suspects can be found. Barcelona lead Real Madrid by 5 points and Valencia by 10 so they look odds-on to retain the title they won so impressively last year. Indeed, the Catalan side have not lost a game so far this season and though they are not as free scoring they still play with the swagger of champions. Ibrahimovic has settled in well with 11 goals but he trails the league's top scorer, his team mate Leo Messi who has 15. Of course any team that boasts Ronaldo, Kaka and Benzema cannot be written off from any title race but in recent weeks Madrid and in particular their coach Pellegrini have been under pressure: they have dropped points away from home and there have been questions over Kaka's performances and Ronaldo's temperament. If Madrid fail to win La Liga then the coach will almost certainly leave but what of the president Florentino Pérez who promised that this second generation of galácticos would be better than the first version? Expect some fireworks in Chamartin if the 'merengues' have not made up any ground on their fierce rivals by the time the Champions League knock-out stage begins in February. As for the Champions League places a revitalised Valencia team under coach Emery look clear favourites to take one of the remaining two spots but the final place is between Deportivo La Coruña, Sevilla and surprise package of the season Mallorca who under the astute managership of Gregorio Manzano have also made it to the Copa del Rey semi-finals. Lack of experience could be their downfall so expect Sevilla to clinch the remaining Champions League spot. Down at the bottom, apart from Xerez who have only won once all season and are already nine points adrift of safety, it is a tight affair with six points separating six clubs. One of those clubs is my favourite Málaga who currently lie in 16th place but have started to play much better leaving their boquerón fans feeling hopeful of survival, something that supporters of Zaragoza, Tenerife and Valladolid cannot share. So, Barcelona to win the league again, Mallorca to take the Copa del Rey and Zaragoza to be relegated along with Xerez and Valladolid - you heard it first on languagecaster.

On this weeka€™s main report, Hans, our German correspondent, takes a look at the Bundesliga. The German league takes a long break in winter - over three weeks - and last week they were back in action, so it's a good time to see what's going on in one of Europe's biggest leagues.

On this week's show Hans, our German correspondent talks about the runners and riders in the Bundesligaa. Remember you can also: Read our football news review in the good, the bad and the ugly Check out a new football expression in English for Football Follow the weekly 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 Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking here

On this week's show Damian takes a look at one of the African sides that has made it to South Africa - Algeria.

[print_link] | Subscribe: Main Report On this weeka€™s main report, we continue our look at some of the countries who have qualified for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa. This week we feature one of the teams that made it through from the African section and who are also currently taking part in the Africa Cup of Nations, Algeria. Vocabulary support can be found for the words in bold at the foot of the post. Listen to the report here Transcript In qualifying for the South Africa World Cup, Les Fennecs or the Desert Foxes, came through a very tough group which included Zambia and huge rivals Egypt. In fact, they finished joint top of the table with the Egyptians and since they both had an identical record, including head-to-head, a play-off was needed to decide which of the two sides would play in South Africa. The tie-breaking game was held in neutral Sudan and the tension was enormous as there is no love lost between these two nations when it comes to football. The Algerians won thanks to a goal from Yahia which meant they would be appearing in their third ever World Cup finals. They were drawn to play in Group C where their opponents will be England, the USA and Slovenia meaning that the African side feels they have a good chance of making it to the knock-out stage for the first time in their history. Of course, this could have been completely different had it not been for a shameful conspiracy that took place between Austria and West Germany in the 1982 World Cup in Spain when Algeria won two of their three group matches a€“ including a famous 2-1 victory over the West Germans a€“ but still did not make it through. The team returned to the World Cup again in 1986 but once more failed to make it out of the group. Those sides had real quality in them a€“ Belloumi, who scored against the Germans was an African player of the Year, while Rabeh Madjar scored the famous European Cup winning goal in 1987 against Bayern Munich. But what about this yeara€™s squad? Unfortunately for the Algerians there is no stand-out player this time round but they do have many players plying their trade in many of the top leagues in Europe. From the Premier League, Kamel Ghilas plays for Hull City, while Nadir Belhadj and Hassan Yebda both play with Portsmouth. Midfielder Karim Ziani was an important part of the 2009 Bundesliga champions side Wolfsburg, while another export to the Bundesliga, Karim Matmour of Borussia Moenchengladbach, will probably line up with him in the centre of the pitch. Though their playing style is similar to that of Egypt, where they differ from their North African rivals is in attack as they struggle to score goals a€“ they will be relying heavily on 35-year old veteran Rafik Saïfi to help them out. Now their current FIFA ranking is a highly-respectable 26th so they will certainly be no pushovers in the finals and if they get off to a good start against Slovenia on the 13th June then who knows they may well turn into one of the surprise packages of the tournament. Vocabulary identical: Exactly the same, no differences at all there is no love lost: The teams hate each other! head-to-head: When the two teams faced/played each other a shameful conspiracy: The two teams (Austria and West germany seemed to agree on a result before they met in their group match. After the Germans went ahead both sides sat back and did nothing knowing that the result would allow both teams to qualify) Read more here. stand-out player: A star player, a top player plying their trade: Working, playing football pushovers: Easy to beat

2010 African Cup of Nations:

On this week's show Damian and Damon take a look at one of the biggest football competitions in the world - The African Cup of Nations. Remember you can also: Read our football news review in the good, the bad and the ugly Check out a new football expression in English for Football Follow the weekly 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 Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking here

FA Cup 3rd Round: Damon and Damian take a look back at some of the FA Cup memories of their teams: Liverpool and Tottenham.

On this week's show Damian and Damon look back at some of their FA Cup memories - the highs and the lows of supporting Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool in the FA Cup. Remember you can also: Read our football news review in the good, the bad and the ugly Check out a new football expression in English for Football Follow the weekly 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 Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking here Transcript Liverpool have a good history in the FA Cup although, strangely they didn't have much success during their Golden Age from the mid-seventies to the mid-eighties. For me, one of the best FA Cup moments was when Ian Rush's second sealed a 3-1 win over Everton - a beautiful sweeping move which was started by Rush in his own half and finished in clinical style. The whole atmosphere of that game was great, too. Both sets of fans from Liverpool, a city going through a lot of problems in the 80s with Margaret Thatcher's government in power, seemed to take the opportunity to make a statement for the city their teams both play in - obviously better for Liverpool who won, but still a great FA Cup afternoon. But the best is the fantastic 2006 final against West Ham, when Liverpool again came from behind to seal a memorable victory with echoes of the Champions League win against AC Milan the year before. I watched it in an empty bar in Tokyo in the early hours of the morning with one other football fan - a West Ham supporter. We both went through the mill watching as each goal went in, 3-3, then extra time, then penalties. Fantastic drama, own goals, smashed volleys, flukes, last-gasp equalisers, cracking saves - it had it all at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff. One of the best FA Cup Finals ever. Bad? Take your pick from the last few years - comfortably beaten by Arsenal 1-3 in 2007 in the third round - followed by a trouncing in the League Cup by the same side; out to Barnsley in 2008 after struggling throughout the competition; losing to cross-town rivals Everton in 2009. Fingers crossed this year in Liverpool's tie against Reading! Like Liverpool, Tottenham have a pretty impressive Cup tradition though they have not been in the final since 1991 when they beat Nottingham Forest in a real topsy-turvey battle that is best known for Paul Gascoigne's tackle and subsequent serious injury but also featured a missed penalty, an own goal, extra time and a come from behind 2-1 win for us. Like Damon watching Liverpool in 2006 I also saw the game in a bar but not in Japan but rather in Spain alongside two former England captains, Terry Butcher and Mick Mills. A great day indeed. The following year saw one of my lowest moments in the Cup when local rivals Arsenal beat us in the semi-finals. They did so again in 2001 despite us going 1-0 up early on and since then Tottenham have not really come near getting to the final. But perhaps my greatest FA Cup memory is the 1981 replay that saw Spurs beat Manchester City 3-2 with a wonder goal from Argentinian star Ricardo Villa. His mazy run and finish possibly ranking as the greatest ever winning cup final goal. How about this year? Well, it depends what our manager wants to do - we are currently in a Champions League position and he may want to rest senior players rather than risk injury and fatigue by playing them in the Cup. I hope not because the glory of the FA Cup is still important to all Spurs fans. This year we play Championship side Peterborough at home and hopefully a victory can be the start of another enjoyable cup run.

[print_link] | Subscribe: Main Report Damon and Damian take a look back at the fortunes of their teams. The transcripts can be found below. Damian 2009 for the most part has been a good year for Tottenham. This time last year we were languishing in 15th place in the Premier League having had the club's worst start in its history and very much in a relegation dog fight. New manager Harry Rednapp had steadied the ship somewhat but there were still worries about the character of the team - particularly away from home as defeats at Wigan, Middlesbrough and Newcastle were to testify. Dumped out of the UEFA and FA Cups with weakened sides early on in the year, Spurs fans were worried that maybe Harry was somewhat out of his depth but he made some good signings, players that were big personalities both on and off the pitch. Back came Robbie Keane to captain the side, Jermaine Defoe to lead the attack and Wilson Palacios to bolster the midfield. In March, Spurs went to Wembley again, this time losing to Manchester United on penalties in the Carling Cup final. Tottenham finished 8th in the league which was almost perfect for Harry as he had lifted the club out of the drop zone but did not quite make it into the European places. No distractions then for the current season. Of course the club was busy during the summer transfer window - we always are - but yet again good quality was brought in, Krancjar and Crouch coming from Portsmouth. Darren Bent was transferred to Sunderland while players deemed to be lacking in character, that word again, will be on their way soon - Bentley, Pavylunchenko and Hutton for example. Currently the club lie in 5th place, two points behind the Champions League positions. They have had some notable victories already this season, 9-1 against a hapless Wigan side, good home wins against Man City and Liverpool and some very impressive attacking performances throughout. Defoe is scoring goals, Aaron Lennon is fulfilling promise, Gomes has calmed down in goal and we still have our best player to return in Luka Modric. However, they have been outclassed in three matches this season: Chelsea, Manchester United and loathe though I am to say it, Arsenal. There is still a long way to go but Tottenham have come a long way in 2009 and with strong character all around the club there is real optimism that this could be our year to make the breakthrough. Damon Well the second half of 2009 has been much much worse than the first. Liverpool are out of the Champions League, where much of their and Rafa Benitez's reputation has been made, and they are slipping away from the all important top four spots in the League - currently they lie in eighth place. Last season they finished strongly, including a glorious purple patch which included thrashing Real Madrid, real aristocrats of European football, 4-0 over two legs, arch-rivals Manchester United 4-1 at Old Trafford, ensuring the double over them, and 5-0 against Aston Villa. Compare that with losing 2-0 to bottom club Portsmouth in their last game and losing seven games before Christmas - famously last season they only lost two and still finished second! There is real pressure on Benitez and his players to turn things around. This was the season that they were meant to continue, if not build, on there second place finish and quarter-final finish in the Champions League. Oh how badly things have gone. Most people point to the fact that Xabi Alonso left for Real Madrid after becoming disenchanted with his manager, others talk about the injuries suffered by Torres and Gerrard amongst others that have meant there has been no fluency, a red beach ball scoring against us has played its bizarre part, but it does look as though Liverpool's squad is just not good enough - particularly as big signings Glen Johnson at right back and Alberto Aquilani in midfield have not lived up to their price tags - the former because question marks still remain over his defensive strength, and the latter because, well, we haven't seen him play yet. A£20 million is a lot to spend on an injury prone player, especially when you don't use him. So, not good around the Fields of Anfield Road at the moment. But lets not despair, my highlights in 2009 have been the wins over Manchester United at Old Trafford and this season at Anfield - both games saw the Reds at their best as they absolutely terrorised Man United's Nemanja Vidic who was also sent off in those games. Let's just say I've seen those highlights a few times this year. No matter how many times I remember those good times, it is very worrying to see the club struggling on the pitch, and in my opinion the main problem lies off it and in the board room, where Gillet and Hicks continue to bicker and load the club with debt. No new stadium means the future is uncertain, not goodA for attracting high profile players. Liverpool fans have often been accused off living off past glories, I think pe

On this week's show Damian and Damon take a look back at 2009 and how their team's - Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool did - the highs and the lows and a look forwards. Remember you can also: Read our football news review in the good, the bad and the ugly Check out a new football expression in English for Football Follow the weekly 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 Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking here

On this week's show we feature this season's FIFA Club World Cup that is taking place in the UAE this weekend. Remember you can also: Read our football news review in the good, the bad and the ugly Check out a new football expression in English for Football Follow the weekly 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

This week's main report takes a look at the FIFA Club World Cup and wonders does anyone really care?

Fans voices: On this week's show we ask five fans what they think of their teams' chances at the World Cup next year and to comment on their groups.

World Cup Draw Reaction: This week's main report takes a look back at the World Cup draw that took place in Cape Town last week and asks...

Leo Messi and the World Cup draw dominate this week's show as we congratulate the Argentinian forward and look forward to the finals in South Africa next summer. You can also: Read our football news review in the good, the bad and the ugly Check out a new football expression in English for Football Follow the weekly 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

This week's main report looks at the newly-crowned Ballon D'or winner, Leo Messi.

This week's main report looks at the World Cup newcomers, Slovakia. Independent since 1993, this small central-eastern European country is hoping to cause some surprises next year in South Africa. The transcript can be found below, while vocabulary support can be found for the words in bold at the foot of the post. Listen to the report here Slovakia, from Eastern Europe, was part of Czechoslovakia from 1918 until 1993, when it and and the Czech Republic became two countries in 1993. This is their first visit to the World Cup although Czechoslovakia qualified eight times making the finals twice, the last time in 1962. For this qualification they were drawn in the same group as their former countrymen, the Czech Republic who finished third and didn't qualify, while Slovakia topped their group with 22 points. At 49,000 square kilometers in area, Slovakia is slightly bigger than Switzerland and Denmark, but less than half the size of Honduras. It's capital is Bratislava on the famous Danube river. The city itself borders Austria and Hungary, the only capital in the world to do so. The country has a population of about five and a half million, making it one of the smallest countries in terms of population at the World Cup - the smallest is Slovenia with just over two million. How about club football in Slovakia? Well, there are twelve teams in the top flight Super Liga, and it is not really a surprise that the most successful and most popular team historically is based in the capital. The biggest and richest club, Slovan Bratislava FC, can even boast wining the UEFA cup - they beat Barcelona in 1969 3-2 to secure the cup. The sky blues biggest rivals were FK Inter Bratislava until they merged with FK Senica, from the fourth division this season. Expect the name to change next season back to Inter - this year the name change documents were submitted too late. In the era of the new Slovakian top league, however, MŠK Žilina perhaps have the edge over Slovan with four Championships in the last ten years. What can we expect of Slovakia in the World Cup? Well, as winners of their group they should not be taken lightly, particularly when you think about the quality of most European teams. In that campaign they beat arch rivals and neighbours, the Czech Republic away 1-2 and held them to a draw, 2-2, at home. FIFA ranks them 34th, ahead of Honduras but behind Paraguay. A recent win in a friendly over The US team 1-0 shows that they will prove difficult to beat, but they were then beaten by form South American team, Chile, 2-1. I predict they will get a victory in the group stages but won't get further. Watch out for these names in their line up: defenders, Martin Škrtel of Liverpool, Peter Pekarik of Wolsburg; midfielder and captain and still only 22 Marek Hamšík of Napoli; and striker, Róbert Vittek, originally of Slovan Bratislava but now of Lille. So, plenty of top club level experience for the Slovakian team and they could be contenders for dark horse quarter finalists. Congratulations Slovakia on qualifying for the 2010 World Cup! Vocabulary be drawn: be put into a group, have your name chosen for a group to top: to win, to finihs ahead of everyone else in terms of: using one measure, thinking about, taking into consideration boast: be proud of, show off about have the edge over: be a little bit stronger, be a little better take lightly: underestimate. believe someone or a team is not strong arch rivals: big rivals contender: someone who has a chance, someone who can compete

This week we continue our look at the qualifiers for next year's World Cup. And this podcast is all about Slovakia, who have qualified for the first time in their history. Read our football news review in the good, the bad and the ugly Check out a new football expression in English for Football Follow the weekly 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 Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking on the icon

[print_link] | Subscribe: Main Report The World Cup qualifiers have finished and we interview two English fans, Simon and Tim, and ask them for their World Cup predictions. Listen to the report here You can also try our online listening quiz: Click here to listen to the report and answer listening comprehension questions. Before you listen, check that you understand these words: dark horse: outsider, not favourite, but may have a chance, may surprise unusual: not usual, strange, not expected something missing: not complete, not perfect, can't be relied on to fancy: to expect to do well fancied team: a team people expect to do well form: recent history of results, good form = winning a lot of recent games a quote: famous words, well known words

The World Cup dominates this week's show as we take a look back at the dramatic play-offs and we also have two England fans looking forward to the finals in South Africa next summer. You can also: Read our football news review in the good, the bad and the ugly Check out a new football expression in English for Football Follow the weekly 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 Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking on the icon

World cup play-offs take place this weekend and fans around the world will be crossing their fingers hoping for the result to go their way. On this week's show we listen to an Irish fan give his opinion on what might happen when Ireland play France over two legs. You can also: VS Read our football news review in the good, the bad and the ugly Check out a new football expression in English for Football Follow the weekly 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 Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking on the icon

2010 World Cup Qualifier Ireland vs France: This week's main report looks at the World Cup play-off match between Ireland and France. Listen to our Irish football correspondent, Brendan, discussing whether Ireland can cause a huge upset and make it to South Africa 2010.

On this week's show we take a look at Folk Football and discuss its influence on the Beautiful Game. In addition: Read our football news review in the good, the bad and the ugly Check out a new football expression in English for Football Follow the weekly 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 Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking on the icon

[print_link] | Subscribe: Main Report This week's main report looks at the earliest version of the Beautiful Game, Folk Football, which emerged during the Middle Ages in England. The transcript can be found below, while vocabulary support can be found for the words in bold at the foot of the post. Listen to the report here Introduction Football has often been described as the peoplea€™s game it is, after all, the most popular sport in the world with millions playing each week. But what are the origins of the sport? In this weeka€™s main report we take a look at Folk Football and note that it is still alive and well. History Though reports of ball games during the Roman occupation of England do exist, it was not until the Middle Ages that it started to become popular a€“ indeed, there are records from the 13th Century that describe groups of men using their feet to play with a ball. Its popularity became so great that King Edward II banned the sport on a€˜pain of imprisonmenta€™ in 1314. He was not the only monarch to do so, however, as over the next 300 years more than 30 royal decrees were issued to try and stop the sport a€“ though not Henry VIII who is credited with having bought the first ever pair of football boots! But what kind of sport was it? Mob Football It was definitely not for the faint-hearted! Generally, the game involved a large number of people, often pitting neighbouring towns and villages against each other, who punched, kicked and fought over a blown-up piga€™s bladder in order to score a goal, indeed, one goal was normally enough to win a game. The match was played over a huge area a€“ often the length of the village or in the surrounding fields and as there were few rules to follow anything could, and often did, happen. Many of these matches would take place on Shrove Tuesday which is the day before the Christian fasting period known as Lent. Legends Scholars are not so certain of the reasons behind the existence of folk football but some of the theories are quite interesting indeed. It was thought that the ball (a€˜baaa€™) in the folk football match played in Kirkwall, Scotland represented the head of a tyrant that had been killed by a local hero, while there are also suggestions that the ball acted as a symbol of the sun and was connected to a good harvest. Present Day Of course, since the Football Association drew up the first set of rules for football in 1863, the popularity of the folk or mob variation has declined quite dramatically. However, some villages in the UK still honour its tradition. Kirkwall in Scotland plays every New Year, while the Royal Shrovetide Football game takes place annually at Ashbourne in Derbyshire with the whole village closing down for the day as the a€˜Up'Ardsa€™ and the a€˜Down'Ardsa€™ fight for glory. It might not be seen as the Beautiful Game but folk football is an important part of its history. Vocabulary Roman occupation of England: The Romans arrived in AD 43 and stayed until the end of the fourth century royal decrees:Laws made by the Monarch faint-hearted:the weak - implied that folk football was for strong, brave or violent people! bladder: An internal organ that contains urine a tyrant: An evil leader of people harvest: The time of year to gather in crops drew up: To formulate or to introduce a set of rules honour its tradition: To continue with the tradition, to celebrate it a€˜Up'Ardsa€™ and the a€˜Down'Ardsa€™: The names of the two teams in Ashbourne (Up the Town and Down the Town)

[print_link] | Subscribe: Main Report On this main report, languagecaster takes a look at a team from the CONCACAF region that has qualified for the 2010 World Cup - Honduras. The transcript of the report is below. Listen to the main report here Transcript First a few facts and stats about Honduras. The capital is Tegucigalpa and the country has a population of roughly eight million people. Conquered by Spain in the early 16th century, who found large deposits of gold and silver, Honduras had previously had a rich Mayan culture. It became fully independent in 1938. The country sits just north of the equator and is bordered by Guatemala on the west, El Salvador to the southwest, and by Nicaragua to the southeast. At 112,000 square kilometers, Honduras is a little larger than Portugal, but half the size of the UK. Infamously, Honduras was involved in the football war of 1969. Border tensionsA had been growing between Honduras and El Salvador, fueled by the Honduran government blaming El Salvadorean immigrants for economic problems. This continued until rioting at a world cup qualification match between the two countries triggered a border incident, which saw El Salvador troops cross into Honduras and the two armies and air forces bomb each others' territories. Over 2,000 people died in the conflict and hundreds of thousands were displaced. The two countries met in the fourth round CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, Honduras winning both ties 1-0 and securing third place and an automatic berth in the finals - with a little help from the USA who beat Costa Rica allowing Honduras to sneak in on goal difference on the last day of matches. It will be their second visit to the World Cup and they'll be hoping to do better than last time in 1982, where they finished bottom of their group. This month FIFA has ranked them 35th in the world along with the likes of the Republic of Ireland, Romania, Norway and Nigeria - so they won't be push-overs by any means. As for club football, many clubs were founded in the early 20th century, but the first fully professional league started in 1948 and is now known as the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional de Honduras. This is divided into an opening and closing season, along the lines of the apertura and clausura formats common in South America, and one team is relegated from and promoted to the top division each year. Ten teams take part in the top division, all from the western half of the country, with Club Deportivo Olimpia (1912) and Club Deportivo Motagua (1928) from the capital Tegucigalpa traditional powerhouses, along with Real España (1929), whose fans are known as the Mega Locos (the super crazies) and Marathón (1925) from the second largest city, San Pedro Sula. the match between Olimpia and Real España, el Clasico Moderno, is the biggestA and most fiercely contested match of the season. But how about the World Cup in 2010? Who are the players to look out for? Well, the finals will be a fitting end to Carlos Pavon's career. The 36-year old striker is a real rock for the Honduran team and his eye for goal, 56 goals in 93 matches makes him Honduras' top scorer, will be vital. Look out also for Amado Guevara, another veteran, and of course Wilson Roberto Palacios Suazo, the Spurs midfielder who is making such an impact in the Premier League. Congratulations Honduras on qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa! Vocabulary roughly: about infamously: famously - for a bad reason fueled by: encouraged by, make more intense, make feelings stronger triggered: started berth: place, spot in a competition push over: easy to beat, a weak team relegated from: send down, go down from a higher league, lose your position fiercely contested: played with a lot of passion, taken very seriously a (real) rock: someone to rely on, someone who brings confidence and stability

On this week's show we put the spotlight on Honduran football as we continue to take a look at the countries that will be competing in next year's World Cup. Read our football news review in the good, the bad and the ugly Check out a new football expression in English for Football Follow the weekly 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 Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking on the icon

On this week's main report we take a look at the world football governing body FIFA.

On this week's show we take a look at the world governing body of football FIFA Read our football news review in the good, the bad and the ugly Check out a new football expression in English for Football Follow the weekly 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 Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking on the icon

World Cup Stars: Lev Yashin - In this podcast we look at another World Cup star - former Soviet Union goalkeeper Lev Yashin.

Lev Yashin

Listen to the report here Transcript Footballing superstars Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have much in common: known throughout the world as skillful players that can win a game single-handedly. Yet they also share the possibility that they may not appear in next year's World Cup finals. In addition, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Andre Arshavin, Luca Modric, Thierry Henry, Karim Benzema, Michael Ballack, Samuel Eto'o and Kun Aguero may not be playing in South Africa in June 2010. In this week's main report we are going to look at some of those teams that still have quite a lot to do in order to qualify. The biggest story is of course Argentina. They currently lie in 5th position in the South American qualifying zone which would mean a play-off against a team from the North and Central American region. However, The teams lying in 6th, 7th and 8th are only 1 and 2 points behind meaning that Argentina need at least 4 points from their final two matches to make it to the finals next year. One of those games is against Uruguay who are only one point behind the albiceleste. Coach Maradona is under real pressure and he will almost certainly lose his job if they do not make it. But I think they will get through and the whole of the country will breath a sigh of relief. As for Ronaldo's Portugal side they have struggled all the way thrugh this qualifying section and are standing in third place - almost certainly they cannot catch leaders Denmark. However, they will hope to overtake Zlatan Ibrahimovic' Sweden over the final two matches but they will need to score some goals something that the Portuguese have not done with much success recently - only 10 goals in 8 games from a group that includes Hungary, Albania and, with all due respect, Malta. The best that they can hope for is a play-off spot and with FIFA's u-turn on seedings they will feel they can make it. I am not so sure they will though. Sweden to go through in second and the end of the Golden Generation. Surely Michael Ballack will be there with Germany? After all, they are always at the World Cup, right? Well, yes but despite the fact that they have 22 points from 24 they are still nervous because they face Russia in Moscow this weekend. That's an in-form Russia lead by World Cup master Guus Hiddink, playing on artificial turf meaning the cards are stacked against the German side who have struggled to score goals of late. A draw will do, however, I think they will win. It's Germany, remember. But what about France? The World Cup finalists of 2006 have a stellar line-up yet have struggled throughout the qualifying campaign. How can a team that boasts Henry, Benzema, Nasri, Gourcuff, Ribery not make it to South Africa? The easy answer is probably the coach Raymond Domenech who seems to have lost all respect among fans, the media and even the players. France will make the play-offs but their lack of team spirit will mean I don't think they will make it to 2010. 18 months ago Turkey and Croatia were the surprise packages of the European Championships but this time round the Turkish side have been poor and will not even make it to the play-offs - losing out to this year's surprises, Bosnia. Croatia still have a chance but they have to win away in their last game and hope England do them a favour by preventing a Ukrainian win this Saturday. This might happen but I am not so sure the Croats have enough to get through a play-off in November. The African qualifiers continue this weekend and the remaining 4 qualifying spots could be filled if results go a certain way. Cameroon are top of their group but they need to win to make sure that Togo do not catch them. That means either Inter Milan striker Eto'o or Manchester City star Adebayor will miss out. Other sides in trouble include the Super Eagles from Nigeia who need to win their last two games to stand a chance of progressing to next year's tournament and Egypt who are the African champions but who will not be going to next year's tournament. Yes, Egypt will be missed, it would be a pity if Croatia or Russia didn't make it but Argentina? That's unthinkable isn't it? Vocabulary single-handedly: On their own, without any help albiceleste: The nickname of the Argentinian national side (light blue and white) with all due respect: Respectfully; this phrase is often used when someone criticises someone else but does not wish to insult them (can be patronising) u-turn: To compete change your opinion the Golden Generation: A group of players that have come through the ranks together (here it represents the great Portugal side of the past 15 years) in-form: To be playing very well at the moment cards are stacked: To be up against it stellar line-up: A team full of stars boasts : Includes very good players Super Eagles: Nickname of the Nigerian national team

The final set of World Cup qualifiers takes place in Europe, South America and Africa this week and so on this week's podcast we feature some of the major stars who might not make it to the finals in South Africa next June. Read our football news review in the good, the bad and the ugly Check out a new football expression in English for Football Follow the weekly 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

This week's main report looks at one of the countries that has already qualified for the 2010 World Cup - Paraguay. The transcript of the report is below. Try our onlineA listening quiz. Listen to the report here Transcript Bigger than Japan but smaller than Spain, a population slightly larger than Denmark, but smaller than Hong Kong, and looking forward to their eighth appearance in the World Cup Finals, more than Portugal but fewer than Hungary - which country am I talking about? South Americans, Paraguay, qualified for the 2010 World Cup on the 9th of September, just after England and Spain. They booked their tickets after being guaranteed a top four spot in the South America group and on the way beat Argentina and Brazil. This is also their fourth appearance in a row. But what else can we say about football in Paraguay? Well, it starts with a Dutchman, William Paats, and the team he founded, Olimpia Football Club, now Club Olimpia. That was back in 1902, and four years later the Paraguayan Football League was founded, 13 years after the first league to be established in South America, the Argentine league. The power base of football in Paraguay is in Ascuncion, with nine of the 12 top-flight teams playing here. Teams which play outside Ascunsion, like 2 (segundo) de Mayo and 3 (tercero) de Febrero, seem to be banished to the border areas with Brazil and Brazil and Argentina, respectively. The most successful team in ParaguayA is Olimpia followed by Cerro Porteno, "el club del pueblo" - the people's club. Olimpia, as mentioned are the oldest club, but Cerros Porteno are the most popular. Olimpia play in black and white stripes, have won the title a record 38 times, 10 more than Porteno, and are currently third in the Clausura season after 10 games. Cerro Porteno, also from Asuncion have , play in blue and red stripes, representing two political parties that were rivals when the club was formed - the strip is a symbol of how all Paraguayans should unite in friendship. So far this season, they could do with some friendly results, as they are in the bottom half of the table. When these two teams meet it is the biggest match of the season - Paraguay's El Clásico. But back to the national team. they are ranked 23rd in the world by FIFA, and will be hoping to repeat and perhaps better their run in 1998, where they got to the last 16 only to be defeated by France with the first 'Golden Goal' in world cup history. Players to look out for include their experienced captain, who came out of retirement to join the side again, Denis Caniza; Roque Santa Cruz, playing in the premier League for Manchester City, although not a regular in the qualifying campaign so far, should have an impact along with his strike partner, Nelson Haedo Valdez. All that remains is to congratulate Paraguay on their qualification. Now try the online quiz.

During the build up to the World Cup in South Africa, languagecaster will take a look at some of the countries taking part as well as taking a look back at some of the great players in World Cup history. This week we turn the spotlight on one of the less famous South American countries, Paraguay. It's also your last chance to sign up to our newsletter and have a chance of winning a Brazilian shirt! Read our football news review in the good, the bad and the ugly Check out a new football expression in English for Football Follow the weekly 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

Football Cliché: To run your socks off

This week's main report looks at the Bundesliga with Hans guiding us through the German league. The transcript of the report is below and includes vocabulary in bold which is explained at the foot of the post. Listen to the report here Transcript Hans: Hello and welcome to the Bundesliga. My name is Hans and I'm delighted this season because my team SC Freiburg are back in the top flight after several seasons in the second league. However, as always with the Bundesliga, everybody is talking about Bayern München. Other leagues in Europe have two or three contenders for the title but it seems in the Bundesliga there is only one team at the beginning of the year. And who can argue, Bayern München have loads of money, they've bought great players: Mario Gomes, Robben, they have Franck Ribery, a new coach Van Gaal and they seem to be finding their stride; after six games they're sitting in third and slowly coming to grips with each other's play. So what makes the Bundesliga so exciting? It's when Bayern München don't win. When they fall other teams have a chance to pick up the scraps. Last year it was Wolfsburg, a few years ago Stuttgart and this year, Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen are the two teams tipped to be right on their heels at the end of the season. At the moment Hamburg is playing beautifully and sit on top of the table. Bayer Leverkusen are sitting in second. But there are many other teams in the league that people don't talk about. Hoffenheim, last year's dream team, are sitting in fourth and are playing extraordinarily well. Mainz, just promoted, have already performed above what people expected of them. And my team Freiburg sit in 11th having beaten Schalke away from home and that's right, in the Bundesliga the big teams are finding it hard at the moment: Schalke, Moenchengladbach, Dortmund, Stuttgart, Köln have all started very slowly. Of course, Bayern München will be there at the end but all the neutrals, myself included, will hope they fall so that we see another champion of the Bundesliga come July 2010. Vocabulary top flight : the top division to be finding their stride: To get into a rhythm; to start playing well they're sitting in third: They are in 3rd position in the league coming to grips with: getting used to scraps: pieces to be right on their heels: To be chasing them; to push them all the way