Language learning can be a tedious task at times, but there are also many occasions in which language learners can both have fun doing what they enjoy and learning a foreign language. At the final stages of the World Cup, here are some technical terms that learners of the Spanish language can practise when watching their favourite team. The following are the ones that are often used by commentators on television and radio.
Soccer Terminology in Spanish
Audience comes across these terms almost in every football game. As a result, having them in mind will help learners to understand the commentaries of the soccer game better. It is interesting to note that several words are adopted from English.
- campo de fútbol –soccer field
- el Mundial / La Copa Mundial – World Cup
- equipo – team
- jugadores – players
- la selección española – Spanish team
- árbitro / colegiado – referee
- asistente – linesman
- penalti – penalty (this is one instance of an adopted English word)
- saque de esquina / córner – corner kick
- saque de banda – throw-in
- saque de puerta – goal kick
- arquero / portero – goalie
- balón / cuero – football (sometimes the football is referred to as el cuero, which means "leather", the material that the ball is made of)
- gol – goal
- partido – game
- tarjeta amarilla / roja – yellow / red card
- entrenador – coach
- cambio de jugadores – changing players
- posición adelantada / fuera de juego – offside
- chutar el balón – to shoot the ball (chutar is taken from the English word "shoot")
- falta – foul
- medio campista – midfielder
- disparo – shot
- delantero / atacante – striker
- hincha – fan
- defensa – defense
- despejado – cleared
- ventaja – advantage
- descanso – which means "rest," but in this context "halftime"
Spanish Phrases on Soccer
Besides these terms, commentators use phrases to describe a specific move. When talking about an impressive kick, one exclaims: "¡Qué zapatazo!" – zapato means "shoe" – and in this case zapatazo literally means a "big shoe." Or, the phrase "el balón queda muerto," means "the ball is dead," to denote an unsuccessful attack.
Other words used to describe a player's different ways to manipulate the ball are:
- picando – means "picking," in this case it is to denote the player continues running and kicking the ball
- regateando – to describe the player dribbling trying to avoid players from the opposite team
- proteger el balón – to say that the player is protecting the ball
- robar el balón – to steal the ball
- tener el balón – simply means that the team or the player has the control of the ball
- sacar el balón – usually this is used to describe the goalie kicking from the goal, or any player resuming the game after a stop
- conduciendo atrás – to describe the player passing the ball backwards before attacking again
- buscar el gol – look for goal; which is sort of a cliché that when the commentator has nothing to say they start to be descriptive of the team's aim
- volver a la carga – coming back
When a team score, the commentator usually will announce it by shouting with furious passion "¡Gol!" and a variation of prolonging the vowel in different length "¡Gooooooooool!" for nothing less than a minute.
Learn Spanish Fast and With Fun
This list will give some ideas for those who have access to radio or television channels in Spanish. Learning a foreign language, as many know, is also learning a foreign culture. Being aware of its daily usage helps one learn a live language and have fun at the same time. The terms provided here introduce the usage of some common phrases that appear in soccer commentary.
For those who are interested in further readings on learning common Spanish expressions and Spanish culture, several Suite 101 articles cover the following topics: Barça Real Madrid – Culers Merengue, Learn Some Spanish Expressions Used Daily and Different Words in Spain and Latin America.
Join the Conversation