Learn English Through Football

In this football language podcast we look at the phrase ‘rattle the crossbar‘ or ‘rattle the woodwork‘ which we use to describe a shot hitting the frame of the goal. Don’t forget we have hundreds more explanations of football language in our football glossary and we also have a page full of football cliches. If you have questions or comments about this or any other phrase then email us at: admin@languagecaster.com.
 
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Learn English Through Football Language Podcast: November International Break & Rattle the Crossbar
DF: Hello again everyone and welcome to Languagecaster.com – the football-language podcast for learners and teachers of English. I’m Damian and I’m based here in London and…where the weather is a little chilly actually. And of course the other member of the Languagecaster team is Damon who is based in Tokyo in Japan. 
Now, this week was an international break and so we had European Championship qualifiers for next year’s finals in Germany, while the 2026 World Cup qualifiers were also being played in Africa, South America and Asia. So, on this week’s podcast, we will be looking at some of the language from the good, the bad and the ugly from some of those international matches, while we will also be looking at some language used when a ball hits the crossbar, including rattle; hit; shave; cannon and smack against the bar.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (from a Brazilian fan).
Yes, that was from a Brazilian fan and we will be featuring Brazil in the bad section of our good, bad and ugly part of the show as we look back at some of the language that emerged from the November international break. Before we take a look at the stories here are some of the words and phrases that you will hear:

* Respective histories: This means both countries’ histories. So, when we use ‘respective’ it refers to two separate things that share something. 
* To top the group: This means to lead or to win the group (see also the phrase to top the table)
* Standings: This refers to the position that a team finds itself in the league or division. 
* An ill-tempered match: And this is a bad-tempered game where both sides behaved badly 
* Seleção: This is the nickname of the Brazilian national team
* showpiece: This the main event; the game everyone was waiting for
* disciplinary proceedings: An investigation set up to find out why trouble has occurred. 

Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (from Vietnamese fans)
The Good