Did everyone enjoy the first day of the knockout rounds? We certainly did.
Uruguay will meet Ghana in the quarter finals. With all the yellow cards in today's matches, the teams may not have their best and brightest able to play in the next game. Particularly Ghana will probably struggle. But their game was especially riveting today. I hope everybody who is allowed to play will rest and prepare for the next big game. We have a true fondness for Forlan as we lived in Spain for a time and were able to watch him play on Villareal and Atletico Madrid. But, I still want the Black Stars to try their best and make a proper show for Africa.
As I listen to commentators, it strikes me that they use alot of language that is more common in other sports. Perhaps because football is a unifying type of sport, it uses such a variety of language. For example:
1) from Basketball - "dribbling" the ball downfield - To "dribble" the ball in football is to move it down or up the field using a series of small touches (or short passes to yourself). It is akin to (like) dribbling the ball in basketball where you are bouncing the ball off the court to your hand as you move over the court. It is a legal way to move the ball while keeping control of it.
2) from Hockey - He tried to "slap" the ball into the goal. - "Slap" used here can be considered the short version of hockey's "slapshot". The "slapshot" in hockey is when the player with the puck takes a hard, fast shot (attempt on goal) at the net by hitting the puck with the full blade of the stick. The sound that the hockey stick's blade makes when it contacts the puck sounds like a slap (an open-handed hit often across the face). When he "tried to slap it in", the football player took a hard, fast attempt on goal by hitting the ball with the inside flat side of his foot. In this case, it did not work.
3) from Baseball - They haven't really "stepped up to the plate" yet. - "Stepping up to the plate" is used in baseball and literally means moving to your place at Home Plate so you can take your turn at bat. Once you have "stepped up to the plate" you are ready to attempt to hit the ball. We use this expression anywhere that you have to show your readiness to accomplish something. In the case of football, the commentator was referring to his opinion that the American team hadn't made a proper effort to win at that point in the game.
We can use this phrase anywhere to describe someone as not "giving their all", "putting their best foot forward" or making a strong effort when attempting anything. For example: "I was very disappointed when my team leader gave a poor sales pitch to the client. It was bad from beginning to end. He never really stepped up to bat." Another example that equates closer to not being given the opportunity to show readiness or ability is: "I knew I was ready to take over the new division at Head office but they never let me step up to bat."
4) from Rock Climbing - The U.S. is "looking for a toehold" in this game. - A "toehold" or a "handhold" in rock climbing is a place to put your foot or hand so that you can support your weight and move up or down the rock. While a "handhold" is something you can often see, depending on your position on the rock, a "toehold" you can rarely see. You have to feel for a "toehold" so it is considered harder to find but it is usually more important because you can often support more of your weight here.
In the case of this football game, the commentator was trying to describe his opinion that the U.S. team did not seem to have control of the game yet. You can also use the phrase "to get a footing" the same way. This phrase talks about having control or getting control of any situation. For example: "We have been trying for months to get a toehold in the market." In this last example the expression explains that our company has been trying to find some stable place or support for our business in this market. Another way to express this is, "We have been trying to get a footing in the market." It is another way to express a desire for or attempt at control.
Visit our website (www.yourenglishconnection.com) for more information on personal assistance for your projects written in English or presented to English speakers.
Tomorrow we get to watch Argentina vs. Mexico and England vs. Germany. In case you were not sure, vs. is a shortened version of the word versus which is equal to against or confronting. Who will be the next to move on? We'll find out tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment