Group of Death Day! Did everyone watch? We get up everyday at 5am and watch the games live (because we can) so I am a little more tired than usual. Ah, the hardships that football fans must endure.
We are big Portugal supporters so we weren't overly pleased with todays results. And if today is the template for the rest of the tournament, then Portugal will really have their work cut out for them. Because we lived in Spain, we know the team very well and do expect them to do wonderful things this Cup. But that won't remove the Portuguese flag from our car.
Today's selection of words used during matches by commentators include:
1) "some tall chaps" on the New Zealand team - "Chap" (and "fellow") is pretty much strictly used in Britain although you can get away with it in Canada (sometimes). The word used more commonly in North America is "guy" (or "tio" in Mexico) and it is a general word meaning "man". "Chap" or "guy" is a word used more often to describe someone, in a very general way, with whom you have little personal contact. It is very strange if used directly. You would say, "Do you know that chap that works at the bank? He's a pretty nice guy." You would sound strange saying, "How are you doing today
guy?" (unless his name is Guy). It would be much better to say "How are you doing today?" without any more personalization if you do not know the person well or if you have just met - like the bank teller or the UPS delivery man.
2) a "top-class finish" - For something to be "top-class" it has to be of very high quality. In this instance the announcer was describing a shot on goal by a player. The announcer thought that the play was good, but the finish (last moves of the play) was "top-class". You can also use "top-notch". You can say that "The meal we had last night was top-notch." or "She is a real top-class lady. I would love to have her work with me on a project."
3) "He's had his shins cracked a couple of times." - The shin is the front portion of the lower leg (below the knee) that is mostly skin stretched over bone. Football players use shin guards to protect this area during a match. To say he's had his shins "cracked" is to say that he has been hit or kicked in the shins and the touches were not gentle. When something actually "cracks" it usually means it has broken; like a glass that you dropped that gets a line in the glass but no pieces fall - this is a cracked glass. Crack is used many ways (as well as a common slang term for a certain drug): You can "crack a smile" - begin smiling, "crack the security code" - break the code, and "crack up" - start laughing. English is not easy to master so don't worry if you make a mistake or two on the words you choose. Keep trying.
4) "heavyweight" - The "heavyweight" is the "heavy favourite" to win because they have a strong record of winning games. They are the "stronger"or more experienced team. "Heavyweight" is a boxing term meant to describe the boxers that are literally in the weight class considered "heavy". These boxers, partly because of their weight, can hit harder and therefore make for a more interesting (in some fight fans' opinions) fight to watch. The opposite of "heavyweight" is "lightweight". You can use the terms in business. "Our company only deals with heavyweights." means that your company only works with companies that are known to be very successful and experienced.
5) "underdog" - The "underdog" is the team expected to lose either because of their own weak record or because they are playing against a much more experienced or stronger team. "Underdog" is generally only used to describe someone in a competition (sport or game commonly) and is very negative if used outside of this context. For example: "I often support the underdog in a match if I don't have a favourite team."
Let's see what Matchday #6 will provide in surprises and entertainment. Enjoy!
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