Do you miss the days of the Group Stage when you could watch 3 or 4 games per day? Part of me does. But because "the stakes are higher" during the quarter, semi-final and final games doesn't that make them more thrilling to watch? I think so.
It's a little sad that Uruguay "lost heart"in the last portion of the second half because they really could have given Netherlands a "run for their money". As it was, the Netherlands seemed like they could "walk away with" the win because Uruguay looked "dead and buried". The last minutes proved that Uruguay still had "a little something in the tank" but their belief in themselves and shots on goal were "too little, too late".
1) to be "heading for" something - In football, we use the head to move and hit the ball. A shot on goal using the head is termed a "header". But this expression means that the person or group is moving towards a target. To be "heading for" something is to be looking at and/or moving in the direction of something. For example: "Where are you heading for your vacation this year?" "We are going to Paris." This expression is very general and can be used in business too. "Where is this company headed?" or "Where do you see yourself heading in this department?" Essentially we are asking for the direction expected or planned to be taken. A company could be heading for the Fortune 500 list or for bankruptcy depending on the sales figures.
2) "the stakes are high" - This reference is to gambling, like in poker, when the level of the bet ($5 or $50000) is high. The "stakes are high" when the level or degree of risk is high. In football, the stakes are higher at the quarter finals than at the group stages because only one result affects whether you get to stay in the competition or not. In business, day trading stocks is a much "higher stakes game" than working at a coffee house. The more you can lose, the higher the stakes.
3) to "lose heart" - This should have gone in our last blog regarding "heart" expressions. To "lose heart" is to give up or lose hope. Doctors don't want you to "lose heart" when you get a negative test result because there is still a strong chance that medicine can help you. We don't talk much about losing heart in business because it is a negative expression and we try to avoid these. Maybe you are watching a movie and the dog hero is trying to fight a bear and it looks like the dog is going to lose so you call out to the movie screen "Don't lose heart fighting dog! You can win." and all the people around you cheer. Or maybe you get removed from the theatre for talking too loud.
4) to "give someone a run for their money" and "walk away with" - To "give someone a run for their money" is to give them a good fight and/or strong competition. This expression is related to gambling again. This time we are referring to horse racing. Although you want your horse to win, you want to see a strong competition with the other horses. If your horse wins in a good fight between them and the other horses then the horse gave you a good run for your money. "I got the promotion at work. But my colleagues gave me a good run for my money." This means the competition was good.
The opposite is to let someone "walk away with" the competition. If your child comes home and tells you that they won their softball game by 22 to 1, you could say "Your team walked away with that game." The Netherlands scored two more goals than Uruguay and looked like they would have scored more easily because Uruguay wasn't trying as hard. The Netherlands almost "walked away with" the game. But...
5) to have "a little something left in the tank" - We are referring to a gas tank on a vehicle. If you have a "little something left in your tank" then you have another idea or a little more energy so you can continue on. We use this expression anytime someone looks like they are failing or at the end of their abilities but then they surprise us with another attempt to win or continue. Uruguay looked "dead and buried" (over, finished, without recourse) but then they started to really try again proving they had "a little something left in the tank".
6) "too little, too late" - Unfortunately, Uruguay's attempts to win in the last moments were "too little, too late". Anytime an effort comes at a time when no real positive influence can be made it is "too little, too late". For example: "After three years at my company, the boss finally offered me a 5% raise. I quit and told her that her offer was too little, too late." or "It was too little, too late when my friends offered to help me pack the day after I had moved."
Spain or Germany? Choose your favourite and good luck to your team. I know my choice.
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