You're listening to the Footglish Podcast. Love football, learn English.
How do Slovak fans feel after their shocking win over the world's number three team Belgium?
What did Gary Lineker tweet after the decision that led to the Belgian equalizer being disallowed?
Is this the biggest Slovakian win in their football history?
And what does the expression to sing someone's praises mean?
Hello everyone, welcome to another episode of the Footglish Podcast.
My name is Denik Lukas, I'm an English teacher and you're listening to this brand new podcast,
which you can use to help you improve your English.
And in today's episode, I would like to talk about Slovakia.
And that's because they did extremely well yesterday against Belgium.
And for this, I am joined by a Slovakian, Milan.
Hi Milan, how are you?
Hi Denik, I'm okay. And after yesterday, I'm maximum happy and yeah, it's happy.
You must be over the moon.
Yeah, this is yesterday, March. This is a big surprise because Belgium is a big favourite this match.
And Slovakia played this very, very cleverly.
Yeah, I have to say it was very impressive. I thoroughly enjoyed that.
Because of course, we are from a neighbouring country.
We used to be one country, Czechoslovakia.
So whenever the Slovakian team plays, I support you. I cheer for you.
I don't know if it's the other way around. I'm not so sure.
No, this is I'm usually if you are watching football.
Yeah, of course, this is my first favourite and I found this is my national team Slovakia.
And like second country because I'm living a long time in the UK is my second country is England.
In for in for France. Yeah. And I'm like if you little bit or a big surprise because this is like
like if you if you David and Goliath.
Goliath, yeah, David and Goliath. Absolutely.
Well, well, let's let's talk about this, man. So as you said before the game, Belgium,
the biggest favourite of the group, I think on paper your group isn't one of the toughest.
Your group is like I think everyone in your group thought they had a chance.
Right. Everyone every single team in that group said, OK, it's a nice group.
Romania, Ukraine, Slovakia and Belgium.
I think everybody tipped to be top of that group.
But now what happened? They lost to Slovakia.
Yes, of course, this is a Belgian this absolutely top favourite in the group and Romania,
Ukraine and Slovakia are very, very similar.
Power. Yeah. This is a good day.
You possible win for everybody.
I think this yesterday, this is before start is Belgian thing.
OK, easy match, easy win.
I think this first half Slovakia play play a little bit better than Belgium.
And of course, second half, this is Belgium.
This stronger team is play more better, more pushing and very important midfielder from Slovakia is Stanislav Lobotka.
You could eliminate Kevin De Bruyne.
Absolutely. Yesterday, I was watching the game and the Czech commentators on Czech TV,
they were singing his praises.
He was for the commentator.
He was the best player of the game.
And and you are totally right.
But honestly, I have to also mention that Belgium are in the third place of the FIFA ranking and Slovakia is in the 48th place.
So this is sports.
Yeah, this is football.
This is make start in zero zero.
Exactly.
It's football and happen is football.
And Slovakia is maybe yesterday a little bit lucky because Romero Lukaku is fired.
Two free clean chance.
He missed. He missed a lot of a lot of sitters, a lot of chances.
And he also scored two goals and he was celebrating those goals.
But then VAR interfered.
Yeah, this is first goal.
This is exactly this is VAR.
This is if you if you're looking looking only for a okay, maybe offside, no offside.
Now is technique and VAR tell offside.
Second goal.
Maybe maybe more people hating about this.
And my opinion, a handball is a handball.
Of course, I did not expect anything else.
So basically, Lukaku scored a lovely goal, a lovely finish from him.
But then the cameras caught a handball in the buildup of the play.
So maybe like 10 seconds before before the goal.
There was a handball and they were not sure.
Yeah.
So it went to VAR and then the proof they were showing on camera also included an audio
clip, which was amazing.
Did you see that audio clip?
It was very quickly, very quickly showing a handball.
Yeah, but that audio clip, that was so impressive, basically.
So it showed that how to describe it like a graph of the sound going up, right?
Up, like meaning there was a sound.
Basically, what they are saying is that there is a chip these days installed in the ball.
So when the ball touched the hand.
This is sound about touch in the ball.
This is technique.
This is started using in the World Cup before in the Qatar.
Of course, this is for me use.
I'm only today morning.
I'm reading about this.
This is the same technique you think in the Qatar.
I think similarly technique using if you remember if you Japanese score and everybody think,
okay, this is ball is out and after this technique, no.
Yeah, I have to say this is the first time I've noticed this technology and it's amazing.
And they also say there's some sort of vibration there and stuff like that.
I'm sure you are happy about it, the Slovakians, but you know, there were some not such nice
responses from certain players in the UK.
I don't know if you heard, for example, what's his name?
Gary Lineker, the former England striker and a famous pundit.
And he usually making a major today for BBC.
I respect him and still I think this is only his opinion.
He basically tweeted.
Let us let me say what he tweeted.
He tweeted bullshit decision.
That was his tweet.
Okay, this is I tell this is his opinion.
And still if you start goal technology for me, absolutely best technology in the football.
Watch in the referee score score.
No, everybody.
Yes.
No, yes.
No, no, this is this is technology.
This is must be must be the more more fair play in the football for me for me about football
and about this new technology is miss me if you're every coming putting putting sound
in the referee and the referee tell all of them supporters in the stadium.
What's happened?
Why this is reason because these people spend money pay ticket.
If you're watching in the TV, you know, if you're offside, you know, there is no offside
your handball and people in the stadium don't know nothing.
You must coming home and checking in the TV.
I think this is very incorrect for football fans.
This for example is American football is or hockey ice hockey.
This referee tell everybody yes, this for this is my reason and why I'm the ref.
The referee has to just justify the decision and in front of the people which is yeah.
Why why is the decision like this?
Yeah, absolutely.
It's it can be stressful, but I think this is where football hopefully is heading and
at some point it will be introduced as well.
You know what?
There are a lot of people complaining about everything.
That's my problem, right?
So these changes that were made, these changes that were made, VAR and Gold Line technology
and now we have a chip in the football.
It's making the game better.
The decisions are more correct.
Like I'm not saying they are perfect.
They're still mistakes being made because it's only human being beings that are sitting
there behind the cameras.
But still, the decisions are better overall, right?
And I don't understand what's what's Gary Lineker's problem, because in my opinion,
if this happened to England, he wouldn't speak like this.
You know, if you if you this technology or normal technology for World Cup in the Mexico
1986 Maradona no score in hand.
Yeah, this Gary Lineker played this much.
I think this is this is first man if you if you tell, OK, I'm happy about new technology.
Very good.
Very good point, Milan.
It's hypocrisy.
He's a hypocrite.
And the same with Frank Lampard scoring that goal against Germany that that was never saying
no goal because no camera, no gold technology.
I think the first England player must be happy about new technology.
I know hating.
Exactly.
I agree with you completely.
So if I'm sure I'm still if I'm sure I'm scored your only goal, that was it was quite early
in the game again.
This went to var because there was a possibility of an offside position, but he was not offside.
Good goal for you.
So if I'm sure I'm so how important was this goal?
This this of course important goal for Slovakia because Slovakia this goal only one goal in
the match in Vienna.
And I think this is very important goal for Ivan Schaaf for his future.
This is still play in Czech, Czech League.
I think Slavia Prague, yeah, Slavia Prague.
And now now I think open door for for better league than Czech League.
Yeah, this I'm sorry, this check lead.
No bet.
Of course, more better than Slovakia.
And still and still check lead like about rank about 15 leagues per year.
I'm not sure that the Czech coach, the Slavia Prague coach, Jensieh Trapezovsky is happy
about what you said, because he likes this player.
He wants to keep this player in his squad.
But I understand your position as well.
And as you said, excellent defensive performance, right?
It was sometimes it was heroics.
I heard on a podcast that basically the Slovak players were prepared to break their legs
in order to stop the Belgian offensive.
So if from that point of view, you deserve you deserve to win because it was a heroic
display from you.
Yeah, this is my opinion Slovakian player play more than 150 percent.
I'm scary like last 10 minutes because this is more Slovakia player don't play for good
and strong league.
Yeah, this is this league like special special Premier League has has more power.
This is people people.
This is this is this play like 100 percent all time are still still pushing more and
more.
And this quality league when you play Slovakia players, yeah, more more play in the Czech
League.
OK, this best player, this is Stanislav Lutka play for Italy League and captain Slovakia
Milan Skriniar play for Paris Saint-Germain and don't play long time, long time, don't
play much.
This Hansko, this is left back display for Feyenoord Rotterdam.
This is this is Holland League.
Petr Fekaryk play for Germany Bundesliga and still don't play too much.
You you know, you know, for start 11 for for this for his team.
This for me scary and play.
I think this is play this is more more than physical form.
Yeah.
OK, well, Milan, I want to ask you how significant is this win in the whole context of Slovakian
football?
Because I think correct me if I'm wrong, but your biggest victory so far was in the World
Cup in 2010 against Italy when you beat Italy 3-2 in the group stage.
And it meant it meant that you progressed from that group, whereas Italy were knocked
out.
And I think it was in South Africa.
Right.
Yeah.
And and it was I remember that game.
I think it's the biggest game of the Slovakian football in the Slovakian history.
So would you say that this game this this win over Belgium would be at a similar level
or where do you stand on?
OK, this is this this game is big surprise and still only one win.
Before, if you win in the Italy in the South Africa, we have qualification for last 16
and the world.
And this is like like a match.
Italy or Slovakia in Slovakia, Slovakia need win and Italy, Italy, if you draw still.
Qualification.
Yeah, this this for me.
This is this is for now bigger.
And still this this winner is good for mental for another match.
If you if you if you're using this advantage for another match and qualify more for last
16 or maybe maybe you have lucky or good opponent and everything and qualify later after after
we have tell.
OK, now this is really in the Belgian more important than in the Italian.
Now I understand.
I understand because it's still the first game.
And if you lose, if you lose the next two games, you you might still you might still
be out.
So you basically I think you need at least one point.
I think if you get one point from those two games, I think you're fine.
Based based on the previous years, four points are usually usually enough.
Yeah, yeah, normally four points enough.
And still this is only fair.
If you if you're so lucky, I don't qualify for another for last 16.
This is two weeks after after after you know, everybody forgot that.
Yeah, I understand.
So your next game is against in the Ukraine, I think.
Yeah.
OK.
I know exactly what I think is right.
And then Romania.
So I think it looks like Ukraine are more beatable than Romania at this point because
Romania played excellent and excellent, excellent.
And this is if you have chance, you're scoring Ukraine.
You have chance.
Don't score it.
So now this is a very, very pushing in the Ukraine for much for next match because this
is imperative.
If you if you lost another match, you go home.
Yeah.
It's all or nothing for them.
Yeah.
Which which means which which means maybe maybe you will be calmer in that game.
But we will see.
We will see what happens.
Well, we have we have a couch from Italy.
Yes.
Everybody everybody before hating because there's no manager.
No.
OK.
This from yesterday, this is very good performance and tactic.
What's his name?
Calsona.
This is this is a little bit too much.
This manager to say Napoli for for a Finnish season because Napoli has a very horrible,
horrible decision after after after his title.
And still, I think this is again, this is prepared good players.
We have now is advantage from Slovakia.
Yeah.
You don't need you only waiting.
What do you have you play Ukraine?
Exactly, good, good player quickly player like Contra attack.
If possible, this we have good to meet further.
This is too much experience.
Stanislav Lobotka and you like to play a long time in the IC Milan, Italy Premier League
in the world for this older player and too much experience.
And I think this is too personal in the in the midfield.
If you have good game, good day, you have very good.
OK, fantastic, Milan.
Thank you very much for talking to me about the Slovak team.
Good luck to you.
I will be cheering for you in the remaining matches and we will see where it takes you.
Take care, Milan.
Thank you so much.
Bye bye.
Bye.
All right, guys, welcome back to this part of the show, which deals with the English
language.
This is where I teach you something.
And today I'm going to keep it short and sweet.
I will take a look at two fixed phrases that are used in the English language.
The first one is an idiom.
I told Milan that he must be over the moon and that basically means happy.
So if you want to say that you're very happy, you can say I'm over the moon.
You can say I'm over the moon.
We have beaten the biggest favorites of the tournament.
I am absolutely buzzing.
Remember that one?
That one can be used to here.
And then I also spoke about Lobotka, the Slovakian midfielder.
And I said that the Czech commentators were singing his praises.
Now this is another idiom or fixed expression.
If you sing someone's praises, that means that you are basically celebrating this player
in a very enthusiastic way.
You're really, really praising this player.
You are speaking about this player in superlatives.
You are saying the best possible things, the best possible compliments about this player.
All right.
Well, I hope you guys will be singing the praises of this podcast.
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I still only have dozens of listeners.
That's not enough.
I need to grow this podcast as fast as possible.
And that's why I really need your help.
Please share this with your friends.
Thank you very much for your support.
And I will speak to you soon.
Take care.
Bye.