Learn English Through Football

On this week’s football-language podcast we look back at a wonderfully exciting set of World Cup qualifiers that took place over the past ten days. We also introduce two new football-language phrases connected to those World Cup qualifiers including ‘results go your way‘. We also look ahead to a new round of matches from the Premier League this weekend including the big game between Liverpool and Manchester United which of course will feature in our regular football predictions competition. For those who wish to practise their English, there is a transcript below to help with reading and listening (Damian = DF, Damon = DB).
Learn English Through Football Podcast: World Cup Qualifiers and Liverpool vs Man Utd


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Transcript of the show
DF: You are listening to Languagecaster’s football-language podcast. Hello everybody my name is Damian and I am here in a bright, sunny London and hopefully Damon is on the other end of the line in Tokyo? Damon, how are things there in Japan?
DB: Hi there Damian, they’re pretty grey, wet, rainy… yes, not so good weather wise but other than that pretty good. What have we got on the show today?
Line Up
DF: Well, today’s show has a big World Cup theme as we look back first at some of the good, the bad and the ugly from the football week, before explaining some football language that has emerged from the week, including the phrase ‘results go your way‘ – and then we’ll be looking ahead to the Liverpool-Manchester United clash in our weekly predictions.
DB: Come on Liverpool!
 
Good
DF: Now Damon before we look at the good, the bad and the ugly, did you manage to watch any of the World Cup football?
DB: Unfortunately, I found it very difficult over here in Japan to watch the games. How about you?
DF: Oh yes. I watched lots and lots of it. It was really, really great stuff and we might as well start off there with the good because it was such a fantastic week of international football! Nail-biting finishes, huge shocks, controversial ‘ghost goals’, terrific comebacks and some wonderful stories from all over the globe as teams tried to qualify for next summer’s World Cup finals in Russia.
In the European section it was a very good week for Iceland as they defeated Turkey away and then Kosovo at home to qualify top of a very tough group and make their first ever World Cup finals. Wasn’t it fantastic Iceland?
DB: Yes.
DF: Another team making its competitive bow is Panama…
DB: …brilliant.
DF: …from the CONCACAF region after an amazing night of football action in the North and Central American section. The United States were favourites to make it through the hex but they slipped up against Trinidad and Tobago allowing Panama to get through thanks to Román Torres’ late winner in their...