stepover

Fernando Amorebieta seemed to have checked him, but a stepover created a fraction of room that became significant as the defender slipped, giving Falcao just enough space to curl a superb finish into the top corner.


backhead

en-verb

backhead (third-person singular simple present backheads, present participle backheading, simple past and past participle backheaded)

backheads (present singular third-person)
backheading (participle present)
backheaded (participle past)
backheaded (past)

(soccer) To hit the ball with the back of the head


Rangers

(soccer) The team Rangers F.C., located in Glasgow.


FA Cup

(soccer) The most prestigious cup competition held every season between clubs in the English leagues.


Irons

(soccer) West Ham United F.C. (a football club based in London).


Süper Lig

From Turkish Süper Lig (“Super League”).

(soccer) The highest division of professional men's football in Turkey.


park the bus

park the bus (third-person singular simple present parks the bus, present participle parking the bus, simple past and past participle parked the bus)

parks the bus (present singular third-person)
parking the bus (participle present)
parked the bus (participle past)
parked the bus (past)

England goalkeeper Gordon Banks resisted everything Liverpool threw at him that day, as City parked the bus and banked on snatching the vital single goal and then holding on.

2011, John Williams, Red Men: Liverpool Football Club – The Biography:

Dan is Head Groundsman at Swansea, who in 2011/12 won plaudits For their positive, passing game - showing that you don't need to park the bus as a promoted side to retain top-flight status.

2012, The League Doesn't Lie: The 606 Book of Football Lists, page 311:

(soccer, idiomatic) To attempt to stop the opposition team from scoring a goal by playing extremely defensively and placing as many players as possible behind the ball.


ECWC

European Cup Winners Cup
w:European Cup Winners Cup

(soccer) Initialism of European Cup Winners Cup.


shot stopper

shot stoppers (plural)
shot-stopper (alternative)

(soccer, colloquial) A goalkeeper. More specifically refers to the ability to make saves, as opposed to other areas of goalkeeping like distribution and coming off the line.


JDT

(soccer, Malaysia) Initialism of Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C., a Malaysian football club.


scorpion volley

en-noun

scorpion volley (plural scorpion volleys)


tiki-taka

(soccer) A style of play characterised by short passing and movement, working the ball through various channels, and maintaining possession.


oggy

Phonetic reading of OG, or OG + -y (diminutive suffix).

A more recent City centre-half scored two 'oggies' in only 5 league appearances during the early 2000s.

2012 January 31, David Collins, Gareth Bennett, Never Mind the Bluebirds: The Ultimate Cardiff City Quiz Book, The History Press, →ISBN, page 2:

'Dad, there's been an oggy!' The own goal, prized as it is, is something of a rare species at training grounds.

2019 October 17, Peter Crouch, I, Robot: How to Be a Footballer 2, Random House, →ISBN:

Euro 2024 was one own goal short of the all-time record for the most "oggies" at a single European Championship!

2024 September 26, MATCH, Match Annual 2025: The UK's Best-selling Football Annual!, Pan Macmillan, →ISBN, page 82:


Confed

(soccer, informal) The Confederations Cup


West Brom

(informal, soccer) West Bromwich Albion Football Club


boot boy

boot boys (plural)
boot-boy (alternative)

Among Bryan Gunn's myriad incarnations, from Alex Ferguson's babysitter through Scotland goalkeeper to Norwich manager, boot boy to Alex McLeish was one of the less successful. Once, just before a Scottish Cup final, McLeish discovered his size 10s were still in Aberdeen.

2009 March 22, Phil Shaw, “Gunn peppers Birmingham's automatic promotion hopes”, in The Guardian:

(British, soccer) A boy who cares for a footballer's boots.


forward line

Now Hodgson just has to work out a makeshift forward line against a Ukraine team who warmed up for Tuesday by doling out the obligatory thrashing to San Marino, knocking in four goals by half-time and another five in the second half.

6 September 2013, Daniel Taylor, “Danny Welbeck leads England's rout of Moldova but hit by Ukraine ban”, in The Guardian:


Old Firm

(soccer) Collectively, the two Scottish football teams Rangers and Celtic, both based in Glasgow, which are the most successful teams in Scotland. They have a fierce and long-standing rivalry.


Le Classique

(soccer) a football match between Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille, known for its fierce rivalry


Dagger

(soccer) A player, supporter or other person connected with Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club.


Shrimp

(soccer) A player, supporter or other person connected with Morecambe Football Club.


Gull

In reference to the seagulls found in Torquay, a coastal town.

(soccer) A player, supporter or other person connected with Torquay United Football Club.


Cove

(Australia, soccer) The official active supporters' group of Sydney FC (an Australian soccer club based in Sydney).


Messian

Every game, every attempted dribble, every pass, every goal (all of which, together, create the Messian mode of jouissance), is an “experiment” in which Messi seeks to conserve himself at the highest possible level, with the greatest amount of integrity.

2019, Grant Farred, Entre Nous: Between the World Cup and Me, Durham, NC: Duke University Press, →ISBN, page unknown:

This week Lothar Matthaus compared him to Lionel Messi. […] His goal was typically Messian, he dribbled to the edge of the box before presenting the ball to a team-mate, and telegraphing with his run where he wanted the ball played back to him before sending an unerring shot at goal.

2022 October 29, “Bayern Munich 6-2 Mainz: Sadio Mane one of six different players to score as Julian Nagelsmann's team move top”, in Eurosport:

There is a kind of melancholy to the final from a Messian perspective. Argentina are favourites to win their first World Cup since 1986, reaching this point after playing some of the most impressive and effective football of the tournament.

2022 December 18, Samantha Lewis, “Argentina and France might be playing in the final but Qatar is the real winner of the FIFA World Cup”, in ABC News:

(soccer, rare) Of or pertaining to Lionel Messi (born 1987), Argentine professional footballer, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.


MCFC

Manchester City Football Club
w:Manchester City F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of Manchester City Football Club.

Melbourne City Football Club
w:Melbourne City FC

(soccer) Initialism of Melbourne City Football Club.


Citeh

Respelling of a local pronunciation of (Manchester) city.

(soccer, informal) Manchester City Football Club


FCUM

F.C. United of Manchester
w:F.C. United of Manchester

(UK, soccer) Initialism of F.C. United of Manchester.


Cup Final

(England and Wales, soccer) The last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup competition.


six-pointer

six-pointers (plural)
six pointer (alternative)

Sammy Lee has gone from Bolton and Fulham's Lawrie Sanchez is talking about six-pointers.

2007, Stuart Barnes, Sanchez's six-pointer stalemate, The Guardian

Manuel Pellegrini believes Arsenal are still in the title race but sees Saturday's clash as a six-pointer that could allow his side to open up a 12-point gap on Arsene Wenger's side.

2014, Arsenal match is a six-pointer, insists Pellegrini, ESPN

(soccer) A match between two teams on a similar number of points (in a league using the three points for a win system), such that the difference between a side winning and losing the match is a six-point swing relative to their opponents.


penalty mark

(soccer) a small white spot, painted on the grass, twelve yards in front of the centre of the goal line, from which all penalty kicks are taken


row Z

Victoria Park's diminutive stands may preclude launching the ball into Row Z, but Row A would have sufficed as Hartlepool's otherwise dependable defender Chris Westwood looked to clear his lines.

2002, Jason Mellor, “Hartlepool hopes go west after late slip-up”, in The Guardian:

1446: Bobby Zamora smashes a volley into row Z, which is very much appreciated by the West Ham fans.

2010, Caroline Cheese, “Premier League as it happened”, in BBC Sport:

Sturridge’s curling strike looked dull in comparison to this wonder throw, with the expertly folded flyer gliding from row z onto the pitch and straight into the Peruvian’s face, as the crowd at the Home of Football erupted.

2014, "Direct hit! Peru star hit by England fans' paper plane after INSANE row z throw", talkSPORT

(soccer, humorous) The back row or rows of the stands.


the handbags come out

Coined 2004, circa March 2nd, by Jeremy St. Louis on the radio show Fox Sports World Report. From women hitting each other with handbags during a catfight; compare earlier handbags, handbags at dawn.

"I'm ready to take the blame for all the problems of English football, if that is what he wants."
The handbags come out early doors when Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger responds to Ferguson's dig about the Gunners' foreign contingent.

2008, Chris Charles, BBC Sport, 12 May 2008, “Premier League quotes of the season”

The handbags have come out after a diplomatic argument between Israel and Brazil got, well, very personal.

2014, Oliver Wheaton, Metro, 26 Jul 2014, “Handbags: Israel has dig at Brazil’s 7-1 World Cup defeat after diplomatic row over Gaza bombing”

(UK, idiomatic, soccer, rare) A row intensifies; a dispute becomes heated.


lay back

en-verb

lay back (third-person singular simple present lays back, present participle laying back, simple past and past participle laid back)

lays back (present singular third-person)
laying back (participle present)
laid back (participle past)
laid back (past)

The ball ran loose to Sheringham and whereas less experienced players might have tried to score from a difficult angle he laid it back to Benayoun, whose shot was blocked by Curtis Davies.

2005 November 7, David Lacey, “Sheringham's veteran vision shows up the big problem with West Brom”, in The Guardian:

(soccer, transitive) To make a short backward pass to a teammate in an attacking position.


Panenka

Panenkas (plural)
panenka (alternative)
panenka kick (alternative)

Named after Antonín Panenka, a Czech football player who scored a softly-struck chipped penalty kick down the middle of the goal to win the penalty shootout in the UEFA Euro 1976 Final

Amazingly, in the most important football competition in the world, he had scored a penalty kick in the most risky and theatrical way possible, with what is called a panenka, after Antonín Panenka, a Czech footballer who in 1976 scored a vital penalty kick by chipping the ball over the goalkeeper into the center of the net.

2010, Laurent Dubois, Soccer Empire: The World Cup and the Future of France:

Up stepped Pirlo, who coolly took a Panenka as Hart dived to his right.

2015, Ben Lyttleton, Twelve Yards: The Art and Psychology of the Perfect Penalty Kick:

Best used for penalties that are scored in a tidy, unfussy manner – no impudent Panenkas or short runups welcome here, thanks.

2015, Adam Hurrey, Football Clichés: Decoding the Oddball Phrases, Colorful Gestures, and Unwritten Rules of Soccer Across the Pond:

He chipped a Panenka that was so bad it barely had enough power to bounce off the chest of Lukasz Fabianski.

2020 November 7, Paul MacInnes, “Soucek's late strike earns West Ham win as Lookman fluffs Fulham penalty”, in The Guardian, London:

(soccer) A softly-struck chipped penalty kick into the middle of the goal.


fox in the box

(soccer, UK, informal) A player with good finishing and movement inside the penalty area; a poacher.


18-yard line

Van Gaal used his third substitute, James Wilson, well before the hour, and Welbeck, allowed to drift across the MK 18-yard line, drove a right-foot shot only just wide, but Robinson’s side were always alert to the possibility of a break.

2014 August 26, Richard Rae, “Manchester United humbled by MK Dons after Will Grigg hits double”, in The Guardian:

(soccer) The line on the pitch, 18 yards from the goal line, marking the outside of the penalty box


Tartan Army

The widely predicted jeering of Aiden McGeady from the Tartan Army briefly turned to cheers when he was next to see a yellow card for a poor challenge on Fletcher.

2014 November 14, Stephen Halliday, “Scotland 1-0 Republic of Ireland: Maloney the hero”, in The Scotsman:

(soccer) The fans of the Scottish national football team


scissor tackle

Arsenal's Emmanuel Eboué has defended his scissor tackle on Liam Ridgewell by insisting that he "did not want to kill" the Birmingham player in Saturday's match at the Emirates.

2010, I did not want to kill Liam Ridgewell, says Emmanuel Eboué, The Guardian

As he looks to get a shot away, a clumsy, lunging scissor tackle by Ledley King drags him to the ground.

2013, Steve Mingle, From Balti Pies to the Biggest Prize: The Rebirth of Manchester City:

(soccer) A tackle where one player slides in and wraps their legs either side of an opponent's legs.


rabona

(soccer) A kick made with the kicking leg crossed behind the other leg.


target man

target men (plural)
targetman (alternative)

For Galaxy coach Bruce Arena, however, it was further evidence his decision to add the former San Jose Earthquakes target man was on the money. Despite the precision passing of Robbie Keane and the pace of Gyasi Zardes up front, Gordon can still come on late for LA to go route one and chuck it in the mixer, or at least make the most out of set-pieces like corners.

2015 March 16, Richard Whittall, Graham Parker, “Turf war escalates as New York City FC makes home debut in week two”, in The Guardian:


Kopite

From kop + -ite. In 1906, the banked stand at one end of the team's ground was formally named after Spion Kop, a hill in KwaZulu-Natal where many Liverpudlians were killed in the Second Boer War.

(informal, soccer) A fan of the English football team Liverpool F.C..

(informal, soccer, derogatory) A fan of Liverpool F.C. who exhibits loutish behaviour, football hooliganism, or poor sportsmanship.


EFC

(soccer) Initialism of Everton Football Club.


punt-out

(soccer, obsolete) A method of returning the ball into play, similar to a goal kick


high challenge

ANOTHER PENALTY: Frickson Erazo with a high challenge in the area on the onrushing Lizio and Aguilar blows up for a spot kick.

2015, (Please provide the book title or journal name):

In the ninth minute, Mile Jedinak was booked for a high challenge on Christian Cueva, who was looking to break in the middle of the park.

2018 June 26, “Guerrero, Carrillo Score as Peru Spoils Australia Knockout Stage Bid”, in Sports Illustrated:

Chris Duvall was handed a straight red for a high challenge on Andrea Pirlo.

2016 July 5, Ryan Brister, “MLS Week 17 Recap, Highlights: NYCFC take derby, more”, in Empire Of Soccer:

It occurred after Roldan mistakenly booked Cameroon's Sebastien Siani for a high challenge on Germany's Emre Can which had been committed by team-mate Ernest Mabouka.

2018 June 17, “Gareth Southgate's England squad arrive in Volgograd ahead of World Cup opener against Tunisia”, in Daily Mail:

Álvarez is deservedly booked for a high challenge on Neymar.

2018 July 2, “As it happened: Brazil v Mexico, World Cup last 16”, in The 42:

(soccer) A tackle that is high up the targeted player's shin/legs.


Maracanaço

/ˌmæɹəkəˈnɑːsəʊ/

Borrowed from Portuguese Maracanaço, from Maracanã, the stadium that hosted the match.

OK. But will you, Mr Scolari, be able to make the Brazilians forget about O Maracanaço defeat?

2014, Luca Caioli, Neymar: The Making of the World’s Greatest New Number 10, Icon Books, →ISBN, page 198:

(soccer) The final match (Uruguay 2 – Brazil 1) in the 1950 FIFA World Cup, remembered in Brazil as a painful defeat.


Atleti

(informal, soccer) Atlético Madrid, a soccer team from Madrid


Christmas tree formation

en-noun

Christmas tree formation (plural Christmas tree formations)

An overhead diagram of the formation has a pointed shape, like a Christmas tree.

(soccer) A formation consisting of four defenders, three central midfielders, two attacking midfielders, and one striker.


EPL

English Premier League
w:English Premier League

(soccer) Initialism of English Premier League.


chairmanager

Notoriously, Barry Fry spent nine years from 1996 to 2005 as chairmanager of Peterborough United, presiding over one promotion and two relegations.

2015 October 21, John Ashdown, “Football’s unbreakable records and the teams who can’t play each other”, in The Guardian:

(informal, soccer) A person who (temporarily) holds the position of both chairman and manager of a club


gegenpressing

From German, popularised by Ralf Rangnick (1958–), German football manager.

Not the kind of player you’d associate with the frenzied gegenpressing for which Jürgen Klopp’s name is a byword, the striker’s non-future with Liverpool is expected to be thrashed out by his agent Mino Raiola and Klopp in what the Rumour Mill imagines will be a fairly short conversation.

2015 October 26, Barry Glendenning, “Football transfer rumours: Pep Guardiola to manage Chelsea?”, in The Guardian:

(soccer) A tactic in which a team, after losing possession of the ball, immediately attempts to win back possession, rather than falling back to regroup.


technical area

It was a victory that clearly meant so much to Van Gaal as the normally impassive manager raced from his seat in the technical area to celebrate Lingard's winner.

2016 May 22, Phil McNulty, “Crystal Palace 1-2 Manchester United”, in BBC:

(soccer) A specified area by the pitch that the coach and technical staff should not leave during the game.


super cup

super cups (plural)
supercup (alternative)

(soccer) A competition featuring a single game between winners of different cups


Atlético

(informal, soccer) Atlético Madrid, a football team from Madrid


one-timer

(soccer, ice hockey) A shot, made from a teammate's pass, which is not stopped before shooting.


Ger

(soccer) A person associated with Rangers F.C., as a player, fan, coach etc.


asdet

(soccer) Acronym of after sudden death extra time.


false nine

(soccer) An unconventional lone striker or centre forward who drops deep into midfield.


lose the dressing room

en-verb

lose the dressing room (third-person singular simple present loses the dressing room, present participle losing the dressing room, simple past and past participle lost the dressing room)

loses the dressing room (present singular third-person)
losing the dressing room (participle present)
lost the dressing room (participle past)
lost the dressing room (past)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-lose the dressing room.wav

But it is very clear that (using football parlance) 'the management has lost the dressing room', following earlier misjudged decisions about reducing operating costs.

2023 May 31, 'Industry Insider', “DfT calls time on TPE”, in RAIL, number 984, page 68:

(soccer) Of a team manager: to lose the respect and trust of one's players.


Sky Blues

(soccer) Sydney FC (a soccer club from Sydney, Australia)


Tillies

(soccer) the Matildas (the Australia women's national soccer team)


Livi

Fernandez helped Livi towards a Uefa Cup place in their first-ever campaign in the top flight after joining from Airdrie in March last year.

2002 May 31, “Celtic close in on Fernandez”, in The Guardian:

A win and two draws for Livi against Hearts this season is a good indication of the job being done by Martindale.

2023 January 30, Iain Collin, “Managers content to share the points after frenetic encounter”, in The National, page 39:


Toffee

In reference to two toffee shops that were located in Everton village at the time the club was founded.

(informal, UK, soccer) A fan or member of Everton F.C..


Forest

en-proper noun

Forest (countable and uncountable, plural Forests)


Hearts

(soccer) Heart of Midlothian F.C., a football club from Edinburgh.


El Clásico

El Clásicos (plural)
El Clasico (alternative)

Borrowed from Spanish el Clásico (literally “the Classic one”). See more at classic and classical.

bor

Yesterday's El Clásico went to the history as the first where one ever played outside Spain.

The next El Clásico wil be the first in a long time with neither Messi or Ronaldo playing.

Having secured his place in the spotlight, when Barcelona visited the Bernabéu to contest one of the most hotly anticipated El Clásicos in history, the pressure was on for the star man to shine.

2014, Geoff Hurst, Geoff Hurst's 50 Greatest Footballers of All Time, London: Icon Books, →ISBN, page 209:

Other than the UEFA Champions League Final, El Clásicos are the most-watched soccer matches in the world.

2016, Ryan Nagelhout, 20 Fun Facts About Soccer, New York: Gareth Stevens, →ISBN, page 25:

Lionel Messi and Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo (who plays forward for Real Madrid, FC Barcelona's main Spanish league rival) have long fought for the title of best soccer player in the public's eye. Here, the rival players are shown in an El Clásico match in Barcelona on October 26, 2013.

2016, Karen Burshtein, Lionel Messi: Soccer's Top Scorer, New York: Britannica Educational Publishing, →ISBN, page 27:

(soccer) Any match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, the two leading teams in Spain.

اَلْكْلَاسِيكُو

any match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid


Oranjeleeuwin

From Dutch Oranjeleeuwin (“Orange Lionesses”).

(soccer) the Netherlands women's national football team


nutmegger

[…] Archie Thompson, our five goal Grand Final hero, back from dancing the nutmegger suite three days earlier.

2008, Andrew O'Keefe, Steve Vizard, The Best Australian Humorous Writing, page 216:

This makes the victim look so foolish that a foul inevitably follows, as the nutmegger is promptly clogged.

2012, Stephen Wade, Passion for the Park: A Leeds Education:


second-guarder

From second + guarder. Used at Stonyhurst College in the United Kingdom.


third-guarder

From third + guarder. Used at Stonyhurst College in the United Kingdom.


offside rule

The computer-programming sense was coined by British computer scientist Peter Landin in 1966 and named after the rule in football (soccer).

coin

For the time the Etonians had their way, and it was not until 1867 that the Association adopted its present off-side rule, which provides that no man can be ' off-side ' unless there are less than three players of the opposite side in front of him when the ball is passed.

1889, Badminton Library of Sports and Pastimes - Volume 20, page 277:

To the unintelligent or careless, the great stumbling-block is Law 6, known as the off-side rule. It is of itself a reflection on the bulk of young players that this particular provision is so little understood, or rather so misunderstood. The rule provides that when a player kicks the ball, or throws it in from touch, any one of the same side who at such moment of playing or throwing is nearer to the opponents' goal-line, is out of play, and may neither touch the ball himself, nor in any way whatever prevent other players from doing so, until the ball as been played, unless there are at such moment of kicking or throwing, at least three of his opponents nearer their own goal-line.

1897, Hoffmann, Every Boy's Book of Sport and Pastime, page 429:

The off-side rule in football states that no player may be closer to his opponents' goal than his last two opponents (usually a defender and the goalkeeper) and the ball at the time the ball is kicked forwards towards him.

2010, Will Rollason, We Are Playing Football, →ISBN:

(various team sports) The rule determining whether a player is in an offside position; that is, an illegal position ahead of the ball, puck, etc.

(soccer) The prohibition of teammates closer to the opponents' goal than the person kicking or throwing the ball unless there are two (originally three) opponents at least as close to their goal line.


Juve

(informal, soccer) Juventus Football Club, a football team from Turin, Italy


Young Lions

(soccer) The members of an England national football youth team, such as the under-21, under-20, under-17 etc.


second yellow card

en-noun

second yellow card (plural second yellow cards)

Another fortuitous event - the suspension of Garre after receiving a second yellow card - removed a classic left back from the scene and permitted the entry of Julio Jorge Olarticoechea, a prototypical defender with the ability to play as a midfielder and even an attacker.

1996, Andrés Cantor, Daniel Arcucci, Goooal!: A Celebration of Soccer:

He will miss the Joburg game after collecting a stupid second yellow card. Just what was he thinking, deliberately handling the ball in the opponent's half?

2005, Drum: A Magazine of Africa for Africa, page 106:

If McCall had been incensed about Varga escaping a second yellow card in the first half, he was much quieter when Billy Dodds got involved in an off-the-ball incident with Henrik Larsson early in the second half.

2012, Krys Kujawa, From Seville To Sevilla, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 130:

Some managers may instruct players to ‘earn’ a second yellow card and miss a relatively unimportant group game rather than risk missing important semi-finals or finals.

2021, Deepak Dhayanithy, Strategy Huddle: Management Lessons from Sports, SAGE Publishing India, →ISBN:

(soccer) The dismissal from the game of a player who has already been booked and would receive another yellow card, indicated by the referee by showing the player the yellow immediately followed by the red card, distinct from and less grave than a straight red card.


Three Lions

the Three Lions (canonical plural)
3 Lions (alternative)

A reference to the crest or badge of the team, which depicts three lions.

The Three Lions are in the last four for only the third time. They went on to win their home tournament in 1966 but lost to West Germany on penalties in 1990.

2018 July 7, Phil McNulty, “Sweden 0-2 England”, in BBC Sport:

(soccer) The England national football team.


video assistant referee

video assistant referee (plural video assistant referees)

(soccer) A football assistant referee who reviews decisions made by the head referee with the use of video footage and a headset for communication, officially introduced in 2018.


Ajax Amsterdam

(soccer) AFC Ajax (a football club from Amsterdam)


bore draw

bore draws (plural)
bore-draw (alternative)

From the notion that a scoreless draw is boring to watch.

"ROB GREEN was the hero as his penalty save allowed returning Eden Hazard to settle this bore draw in a shootout."

2018 August 7, Tom Barclay, “KANTE BELIEVE IT Chelsea 0 Lyon 0 (5-4 pens): Eden Hazard and N’Golo Kante return as Rob Green makes Blues debut in goal”, in The Sun:

(soccer) A draw in which neither team scores, i.e. the game ends 0–0.

(soccer, rarely) A draw in which both teams score but it is considered a boring game to watch.


score draw

score draws (plural)
score-draw (alternative)

"The former Liverpool captain, renowned for his reputation in the past as a no-nonsense midfield-enforcer, put Thierry Henry firmly in his place on Sunday afternoon after Arsenal's score draw with Tottenham."

2015 November 9, Callum Davis, “Graeme Souness shouting at Thierry Henry is frightening and awkward”, in The Telegraph:

(soccer) A draw in which both teams score, i.e. the game ends 1–1, 2–2, 3–3, etc.


outswinging

en-adj

outswinging (comparative more outswinging, superlative most outswinging)

more outswinging (comparative)
most outswinging (superlative)

(soccer) Moving so as to curve away from the goal or centre


Nations League

(soccer) A biennial European football tournament pitting similarly-ranked teams against each other, serving as qualification for the European Championship


super-sub

Toone, who has gone from super-sub to starter since the Euros, also took her opportunity to cement her place in midfield in the absence of injured Chelsea star Fran Kirby and got a goal to show for her efforts.

2023 April 6, Emma Sanders, “Women's Finalissima:England beat Brazil in dramatic shhotout”, in BBC Sport:


YNWA

you'll never walk alone
w:you'll never walk alone

(soccer) Initialism of you'll never walk alone, an anthem commonly used by Liverpool football club Liverpool F.C. and the Scottish club Celtic F.C.

you'll never walk alone

(soccer, offensive) Initialism of you'll never walk again, used as a taunt in reference to the Hillsborough Disaster.


CFM

(soccer) Initialism of Club de Foot Montréal, a Canadian team playing in Major League Soccer.


no-score draw

(soccer) a goalless draw, the result of a match in which neither side scores a goal.


UEFAlona

UEFAlona win again, having been awarded two penalties in the last 20 minutes. Yeah, I don't smell corruption at all...

(humorous, derogatory, soccer) The football club F.C. Barcelona (viewed as being unrightfully favored by UEFA in terms of refereeing or other aspects).


kickout

This is the style of kick made by goal keepers in soccer in a kickout and by players in the Rugby type of game in the kick-off .

1917, Wilbur Pardon Bowen, Applied anatomy and kinesiology, the mechanism of muscular movement, page 292:

(soccer) A kick made by the goalkeeper from the goal area.


Whites

1996, S. Greenfield, "When the Whites Go Marching In? Racism and Resistances in English Football", Marquette Sports Law Review, Vol. 6, No. 2, Art. 7, p. 315: #*: "When the Whites go Marching In" is a version of the hymn "When the Saints Go Marching In" and has been sung by football fans whilst attending "away" matches in other countries... In this context the reference is to English supporters indicating their disapproval of black players.

When the Whites go marching in, oh, when the Whites go marching in, oh, I wanna be in that number when the Whites go marching in!

(sports, historical) Any of several sports teams whose uniform is predominantly white, particularly

(soccer, UK) The away team during international matches.


stand on one's head

en-verb

stand on one's head (third-person singular simple present stands on one's head, present participle standing on one's head, simple past and past participle stood on one's head)

stands on one's head (present singular third-person)
standing on one's head (participle present)
stood on one's head (participle past)
stood on one's head (past)

(idiomatic, ice hockey, soccer) Of a goalie: to make exceptional saves.


Lioness

(soccer) A player for England women's national football team


Red Star

(soccer) Red Star Belgrade (a professional football club from Belgrade, Serbia)


chest down

chest down (third-person singular simple present chests down, present participle chesting down, simple past and past participle chested down)

chests down (present singular third-person)
chesting down (participle present)
chested down (participle past)
chested down (past)

(ball games, especially soccer) to control a high ball with the chest (for example, in order to shoot, dribble, or pass it)

mit der Brust annehmen (cf. Brustannahme)


COYBIG

(soccer) Acronym of come on you boys in green, a chant in support of Celtic F.C. and the Republic of Ireland national football team.


Ammie

From amateur + -ie, from the club's former name, the Salford Amateurs.

(soccer) Someone associated with Salford City F.C., as a fan, player, coach etc.


ABU

(UK, soccer, slang) Initialism of anyone but United: a fan who dislikes Manchester United and will support any team that is playing against them.


falling leaf

So called from the gradual "drifting" motion like a leaf falling from a tree.

(soccer) A dated kicking technique used to put the ball into a swaying movement that makes it harder to estimate its trajectory.


Chel

(UK, slang, soccer) A supporter of the English football club Chelsea F.C..


USSF

U.S.S.F. (alternative)
U. S. S. F. (alternative)
U.S. SF (alternative)
U. S. SF (alternative)
US S.F. (alternative)
US S. F. (alternative)
U.S. Soccer (alternative)
United States Soccer Federation (alternative)

United States Soccer Federation
United States Soccer Federation#English

(US, soccer, sports) Initialism of United States Soccer Federation.


false number 9

From the traditional use of the number 9 for centre-forwards, and the difference from a traditional centre-forward, who would stay near the line of defenders until an opportunity arose to move past them toward goal.

not in his favoured midfield role, either but as a false No 9: the sort of role Guardiola only hands to his chosen, crystalline few: Mario Götze at Bayern Munich (less successfully), Lionel Messi at Barcelona (a little more so).

2020 August 7, Jonathan Liew, “Phil Foden stars to offer Manchester City glimpse of multiple futures”, in The Guardian:

(soccer) An unconventional lone striker or centre-forward who drops deep into midfield.


WSL

Women's Super League
w:Women's Super League

(soccer) Initialism of Women's Super League.


backheader

(soccer) A hit of the ball with the back of the head


right-half

He had grown up admiring his United predecessor Eddie Colman, a right-half of greater natural gifts, who died in the Munich air disaster of 1958. By that time Stiles had already represented England schoolboys as a right-half, displaying attacking talents that would be somewhat inhibited in his later career.

2020 October 30, Brian Glanville, “Nobby Stiles obituary”, in The Guardian:

(soccer, dated) A player who plays wide on the right side of midfield


inside-forward

He had grown up admiring his United predecessor Eddie Colman, a right-half of greater natural gifts, who died in the Munich air disaster of 1958. By that time Stiles had already represented England schoolboys as a right-half, displaying attacking talents that would be somewhat inhibited in his later career.
He made his debut for United, in fact, as an inside-forward in the 1960-61 season, playing 26 league matches and scoring twice.

(soccer, dated) A forward playing on one side of the centre forward, but not as wide as the outside-forward


outside-forward

(soccer, dated) A forward playing on the wing, wider than the inside-forward


left-half

(soccer, dated) A player who plays wide on the left side of midfield


Hammarby

(sports) Hammarby IF.
(soccer) Hammarby IF Fotboll.


Man Utd

Manchester United Football Club
w:Manchester United Football Club

(soccer) Abbreviation of Manchester United Football Club.


NWSL

National Women's Soccer League
w:National Women's Soccer League

(soccer) Initialism of National Women's Soccer League - the top league of women's soccer in the US.


Lions

(soccer) Singapore national football team


DPR Korea

Democratic People's Republic of Korea#English

(especially soccer) Initialism of Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

CHDCND Triều Tiên

Democratic People's Republic of Korea — see also DPRK, North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea


top bin

(soccer, slang) The upper left- or right-hand corner of the goal.


El Tri

El Tri have just defeated Japan in a 3-1 victory

(soccer) Nickname for Mexico's National Football Team


Lionesses

The Lionesses were given their biggest test of the year by a talented, albeit injury-hit, Brazilian side but delivered more silverware as their momentum continues to gather pace before this summer's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

2023 April 6, Emma Sanders, “Women's Finalissima:England beat Brazil in dramatic shootout”, in BBC Sport:

Weakened by a string of injuries and the retirement of star players, the Euro 2022-winning Lionesses will need luck on their side to stop the USA lifting their third successive title[.]

2023 July 15, Suzanne Wrack, “Can the England women’s football team pull off the World Cup dream?”, in The Observer, →ISSN:

(soccer, informal) England women's national football team


bulge in the onion bag

en-noun

bulge in the onion bag (plural bulges in the onion bag)


match ball

(soccer) The ball used in a particular match. It is often given to the man of the match after the game.


onion bag

From the resemblance to the net bags in which onions are sold.

You ponce, you slag, pop it in the onion bag.

2002, Fat Les (band), Who Invented Fish and Chips? (song)


wondersave

You can hear Allan McGregor attempt to persuade the referee that he never made a wondersave from Leigh Griffiths' first half effort, and you can also hear him give his defenders an earful.

2021 January 4, Mark McDougall, “Unique Rangers vs Celtic insight given by SPFL highlights package as every word caught on camera”, in Glasgow Live:

(soccer) A first-rate save; an exceptional save


two-legged tie

(sports, soccer) A competition between two teams which comprises two matches or “legs”, with each team as the home team in one leg. The winning team is usually determined by aggregate score, the sum of the scores of the two legs.


Cedars

(soccer) The Lebanon national football team.


Dépor

From Galician Dépor (short for Deportivo).

(soccer) Deportivo La Coruña, a football club from A Coruña


center-back

(soccer) Alternative spelling of centre-back.


second leg

(sports, soccer) The second of the two matches or “legs” which are played between two teams in a two-legged tie. The winning team is usually determined by aggregate.


first leg

(sports, soccer) The first of the two matches or “legs” which are played between two teams in a two-legged tie. The winning team is usually determined by aggregate score, the sum of the scores of the two legs.


Bengal Tigers

(soccer) The Bangladesh national football team.


Blue Tigers

(soccer) The India national football team.


white card

(soccer) A card similar to the red card and yellow card, but used to acknowledge sportmanship or fair play.


nod-back

Haaland was having his shirt pulled as he advanced onto Phil Foden's curling cross for his opener. He was part of a fantastic one-touch passing move for the second which ended with the loose ball from a slide tackle on Foden presenting him with a tap-in. He shrugged opponents out of the way to make sure he was in the right place to head home John Stones' nod-back for his third.

2022 August 31, Simon Stone, “Manchester City 6-0 Nottingham Forest”, in BBC Sport:

(soccer) A soft header played away from the opponent's goal


hoofball

Blend of hoof (“to kick, especially a long way downfield with little accuracy”) + football.

blend

Wimbledon continued to hold their own under Joe Kinnear. They played with passion and no little skill. It certainly wasn't just 'hoofball' as their detractors, such as Gary Lineker, claimed.

2012 July 2, Tim Quelch, Underdog!, eBook Partnership, →ISBN:

By the 1980s Italian football was also showing distinct signs of virility as it built up to its great moment in the sun with the 1990 World Cup. It had glamour and skill, just as British football was deep into its cul-de-sac of hoofball tactics and off-pitch thuggery.

2015 January 9, Nicholas Walton, Genoa, 'La Superba': The Rise and Fall of a Merchant Pirate Superpower, Oxford University Press, →ISBN:

'We're Leeds United, we're passing the ball,' sang delighted supporters, exhilarated at being rid of Warnock's despised hoofball.

2019 October 10, Dave Tomlinson, Leeds, Money, and Misery Me: Twenty Years of Hurt, 23 Mistakes and the Tale of Toma ..., AuthorHouse, →ISBN:

(soccer, derogatory) A style of play characterised by many long balls and few short passes.


Marseille turn

(soccer) A specialized form of dribbling by which the ball is dragged backward.


La Roja

(soccer) The Spain national football team.

(soccer) The Chile national football team.


USMNT

w:United States men's national soccer team

(soccer) Initialism of United States men's national team.


gegenpress

(soccer) The use of the gegenpressing tactic.


LiVARpool

Blend of Liverpool + VAR (“video assistant referee”), implying that Liverpool F.C. is unfairly favoured in judgements made by VAR.

The ability of Jürgen Klopp’s team to win even when the opposition bring their A-game has been a feature of the season. A simple explanation, beyond luck and “LiVARpool” conspiracy theory, is that their base levels are just so high.

2019 December 11, Barney Ronay, “Champions League’s full English another staging post in march of the superclubs”, in The Guardian:

[…] and amid calls of 'LiVARpool' coming into the equation again by the Chelsea faithful, Silva himself has had a say on what he thinks of the last two aforementioned VAR decisions […]

2022 March 7, Danyal Khan, “Thiago Silva sends Liverpool blunt message as West Ham and Chelsea VAR decisions go their way”, in football.london:

Someone else said: "I honestly think this FA cup is already rigged for LiVArpool There's been a lot of them red ribbons around it."

2022 May 14, Nick Murphy, “Chelsea fans have FA Cup conspiracy theory and say 'Pep and Tuchel were right all along'”, in The Daily Star:

(soccer, derogatory, slang) Liverpool F.C.


England went even further, playing 1-1-8 (eight forwards), but crowded goalmouths saw the game end 0-0.

2010, Clive Gifford, “Formations”, in The Kingfisher Football Encyclopedia, 2nd edition, →ISBN, page 60:

Both teams employed what could be considered attacking formations—Scotland (2-2-6), and England (1-1-8) […]

2011, Jaime Orejan, Football/Soccer: History and Tactics, →ISBN, page 31:

United made a scintillating start against Leicester […] but they seem to be sticking to a 1-1-8 formation, with Evans and then Chris Smalling playing as a sweeper-left-centre-right-back. This is why United have a defence as secure as a paper-tissue truss.

2014 September 22, Des Kelly, “Chelsea fans add a touch of dignity and class to a world of football excess”, in Evening Standard:

(soccer, historical or derogatory) A football formation with 1 defender, 1 midfielder and 8 strikers sometimes played in the 19th and early 20th centuries, now a derogatory reference to a team with poor defence.


St Totteringham's Day

By analogy with Christian feast days, with a blend of Tottenham + tottering.

After their 3-1 win at Hull, it is now mathematically impossible for Tottenham to finish above their neighbours in this season's Premier League. […] That means today is "St Totteringham's Day".

2015 May 4, Richard Innes, “St Totteringham's Day: Arsenal fans celebrate finishing above Tottenham AGAIN by trolling their big rivals”, in Daily Mirror:

TOTTENHAM'S 2-0 defeat of great rivals Arsenal today ensured they will finish above the Gunners in the Premier League for the first time since 1995. And in turn it has ended the curse of "St Totteringham's Day" […]

2017 April 30, John Hutchinson, “St Totteringham’s Day: Twitter reacts as Tottenham ensure they will finish above Arsenal in the Premier League and end the curse of ‘St Totteringham’s Day’”, in The Sun:

2022 October 4, Edwin Yeo, “Arsenal 3 Spurs 1 - It feels like St Totteringham's Day already”, in Yahoo News Singapore:

(soccer, humorous, colloquial) The day in an English Premier League football season on which it becomes mathematically impossible for Tottenham Hotspur F.C. to finish above Arsenal F.C. in the final rankings.


Spuds

Robbie Keane makes it Liverpool 1-2 Spuds.

2005 April 16, Roo, “Quick update...”, in uk.sport.football.clubs.liverpool (Usenet):

The Spuds and Man Utd posters (with the exception of Jenkins) are all keeping their heads down on account of their respective teams poor form.

2013 December 5, Baldoni, “heh heh heh”, in alt.sports.soccer.arsenal (Usenet):

@DanColly added: "Think the Spuds fans enjoyed the Saliba song last week. But they sing it for Bissouma after clipping a cross straight out of play."

2022 October 8, Ryan Tailor, “Arsenal and Tottenham fans argue as Spurs accused of 'stealing William Saliba chant'”, in Daily Express:

(soccer, derogatory) Tottenham Hotspur F.C.


counterpressing

Teams that are skilled in counterpressing are teams that attack with many of the players in close proximity to the ball carrier.

2017, Steffen Siebert, A League Of Their Own: The Secrets Of Club Soccer Champions, page 70:


PMSA

Port Moresby Soccer Association#Tok_Pisin

(soccer) initialism of Port Moresby Soccer Association


goal machine

He [Robbie Fowler]would become one of Liverpool's finest – a goal machine – and, most importantly, he was one of our own. A real character who combined a touch of genius with a sense of mischief.

2021, Brian Barwick, Sixty Years a Red... and Counting!:


RUFC

Ramsbottom United F.C.
w:Ramsbottom United F.C.

(soccer)
Initialism of Ramsbottom United F.C..

Retford United F.C.
w:Retford United F.C.

(soccer)
Initialism of Retford United F.C..

Rochester United F.C.
w:Rochester United F.C.

(soccer)
Initialism of Rochester United F.C..

Rossendale United F.C.
w:Rossendale United F.C.

(soccer)
Initialism of Rossendale United F.C..

Rotherham United F.C.
w:Rotherham United F.C.

(soccer)
Initialism of Rotherham United F.C..


FFC

(soccer) Initialism of Fulham Football Club.


CAF Champions League

(soccer) An annual African football (soccer) competition.


nod in

en-verb

nod in (third-person singular simple present nods in, present participle nodding in, simple past and past participle nodded in)

nods in (present singular third-person)
nodding in (participle present)
nodded in (participle past)
nodded in (past)

Davies, captain in the absence of the injured Aaron Ramsey, scored the opener as, completely unmarked just three yards out, he nodded in Broadhead's 22nd-minute corner.

2023 October 11, Dafydd Pritchard, “Wales 4-0 Gibraltar”, in BBC Sport:

(soccer, ambitransitive) To score with a header


Busby Babe

Named after Matt Busby, the manager of Manchester United Football Club.

Manchester United Football Club
Matt Busby


flip throw

(soccer) An unusual throw-in in which the player, during the run-up, plants the ball on the ground, flips over it, and uses the momentum gained from the flip to increase the velocity of the ball.


bulge the onion bag

bulge the onion bag (third-person singular simple present bulges the onion bag, present participle bulging the onion bag, simple past and past participle bulged the onion bag)

bulges the onion bag (present singular third-person)
bulging the onion bag (participle present)
bulged the onion bag (participle past)
bulged the onion bag (past)

[…] such as Provan or McAvennie scoring at Hampden or Larsson bulging the onion bag twice in Seville.

2012, Paul Larkin, Poles 'N' Goals and Hesselink, page 139:

[…] bulged the onion bag for the Blades, and Downes and Prendergast replied for the Owls.


Vardrid

(humorous, derogatory, soccer) La Liga club Real Madrid, regarded as being unfairly favoured by VAR.


A-League

the A-League (canonical)
A-Leagues (plural)

(soccer) the top professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand

(soccer) any of the three leagues that fall under the A-Leagues banner (the men's, women's and youth leagues)


W-League

(soccer) the A-League Women (the top professional women's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand; equivalent to the A-League for men)


dragback

(soccer) The act of drawing the ball backward with one's sole.


Seleção

(soccer) the Brazil national football team


Vuck

Shortened form of "Victory". Popularised by a Melbourne Victory fan podcast, For Vuck's Sake (derived from the vulgar expression "for fuck's sake").

(informal, Australia, soccer) A supporter of Melbourne Victory (an Australian soccer club based in Melbourne)


BVB

(soccer) Initialism of Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund.


Série A

(soccer) the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (the highest division of professional football in Brazil)


Brasileirão

Borrowed from Brazilian Portuguese Brasileirão (“Big Brazilian”).


Championship

(soccer) the EFL Championship (the second-highest division of English football)

(soccer) the Scottish Championship (the second-highest division of Scottish football)


League One

(soccer) the EFL League One (the third-highest division of English football)


League Two

(soccer) the EFL League Two (the fourth-highest division of English football)


farmers' league

en-noun

farmers' league (plural farmers' leagues)

Derived from the humorous perception that players in a league referred to as a "farmers' league" are part-time footballers, and who also have other jobs unrelated to sports such as farming.

(informal, humorous, soccer, sometimes derogatory) a league with a perceived lack of talent and good players

farmarliga

football league with a perceived lack of talent


Burger League

In reference to American fast food chains.

(neologism, soccer, informal, humorous, sometimes derogatory) Major League Soccer (the MLS); the national professional soccer league in the United States


Camel League

Blend of (offensive) camel (“Middle Eastern person”) + Saudi Pro League

blend

(soccer, offensive) Saudi Pro League (the highest division of football in Saudi Arabia).


open play

We've struggled to score goals in open play since early March which contributed to our promotion hopes falling away last season.

2010 November 2, Phil Merrick, Bleed White: The fall and rise of Leeds United... to be continued, AuthorHouse, →ISBN:

A dropped goal is a kick at goal in open play and can be taken from anywhere on the pitch and by any player within the team.

2015 August 27, Gavin Hickie, Eilidh Donaldson, Rugby Revealed: Reaching Your Rugby Potential, Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN, page 222:

Orient's tended to result from set pieces, whilst Ebbsfleet's came from open play.

2020 August 6, Steve Leach, Twenty Football Towns, Saraband, →ISBN:

(sports, especially soccer and rugby) The period of play outside set pieces; the phase where possession can change by passing and tackling.


sweeper-keeper

sweeper-keepers (plural)
sweeper keeper (alternative)

With teams playing in a more compact fashion and defenders pushing up without the safety of a sweeper behind them, the keeper's role has evolved to that of a sweeper-keeper. Gone are the days when a keeper could remain in his sixyard box and just play his line.

2004 03, Jacob Daniel, The Complete Guide to Coaching Soccer Systems and Tactics, Reedswain Inc., →ISBN:

Sweeper keepers have high “soccer IQs” and know how to “read” the game brilliantly. They are able to play with their feet and head with equal skill to any defender.

2017 July 15, Paul Challen, What Does a Goalkeeper Do?, The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc, →ISBN, page 22:

It was a rule that made all keepers potential sweeper-keepers, and van der Sar was one of the very best around.

2021 February 18, Leo Moynihan, Thou Shall Not Pass: The Anatomy of Football’s Centre-Half, Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN, page 104:

(soccer) A hybrid of goalkeeper and sweeper roles – a goalkeeper who leaves the penalty area to start attacks.


rush goalie

association football
association football

(sports, soccer) A variation of association football where the goalkeeper's role is more flexible than usual.


USWNT

w:United States women's national soccer team

(soccer) Initialism of United States women's national team.


Red Flames

(soccer) the Belgium women's national football team


Albiceleste

(soccer) the Argentina national football team


block tackle

Caoimhín Kelleher saved but Gordon recycled the move, crossing low for Kane, who was stopped by Nathan Collins’s block tackle.

2024 September 7, David Hytner, “Rice and Grealish start new England era with Nations League victory in Ireland”, in The Guardian:

(soccer) A defensive technique used to regain possession of the ball from an opponent by positioning the body in front of the ball and using the legs to obstruct the opponent's path, preventing them from advancing.


Both teams employed what could be considered attacking formations—Scotland (2-2-6), and England (1-1-8) […]

2011, Jaime Orejan, Football/Soccer: History and Tactics, →ISBN, page 31:

(soccer) A soccer formation with 2 defenders, 2 midfielders and 6 strikers.


woso

(Internet, soccer, US, Canada, Australia) women's soccer


Spursy

en-adj

Spursy (comparative more Spursy, superlative most Spursy)

more Spursy (comparative)
most Spursy (superlative)

From Spurs + -y. Tottenham Hotspur consistently finish near the top of the Premier League but have won no trophies in recent years.

In the 1978-79 season, Chelsea, who had come up the year before, finished dead last in the first division and were relegated again. But no worries, I still had my Robins in the top flight. But then they did something more Spursy than anything the Spurs could ever dream of. They were relegated in successive seasons between 1980 and 1982[…]

2018 May 15, Roger Bennett, Michael Davies, Men in Blazers Present Encyclopedia Blazertannica: A Suboptimal Guide to Soccer, America's "Sport of the Future" Since 1972, Knopf, →ISBN, page 27:

Rice has a solid tournament for England. He is excellent in the quarter-final against France, until it all goes a bit Spursy for Harry Kane who uncharacteristically misses a penalty in the 2-1 defeat.

2024 January 30, Pete May, Massive: The Miracle of Prague, Biteback Publishing, →ISBN:

Then came the hammer blow as Pennant stated: "England are Spursy."

2024 March 26, Joe Brophy, quoting Jermaine Pennant, “Gareth Southgate’s record and ‘Spursy’ England worry me – we may have to play Italy, France and Spain to win Euros”, in talkSPORT:

(UK, soccer, humorous, informal) Having a promising team, but losing in an embarrassing way.

(UK, soccer, humorous, informal) Unpredictable.


GGMU

w:Glory Glory (football chant)#Manchester United

(soccer) Initialism of Glory Glory Man United.


COY-

(soccer) Initialism of come on you (used by supporters of football clubs, especially English football clubs).


COYS

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Spurs (used by supporters of Tottenham Hotspur F.C.)

come on you Spurs

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Seagulls (used by supporters of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.)


COYG

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Gunners (used by supporters of Arsenal F.C.)


COYP

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Palace (used by supporters of Crystal Palace F.C.)

come on you Palace

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Pompey (used by supporters of Portsmouth F.C.)


COYI

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Irons (used by supporters of West Ham United F.C.)


COYL

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Lions (used by supporters of Millwall F.C.)


COYT

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Toffees (used by supporters of Everton F.C.)


COYB

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Blues (used by supporters of Chelsea F.C. and Everton F.C.)

come on you Blues

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Brentford (used by supporters of Brentford F.C.)


COYH

From COY- + Hatters, COY- + Hammers or COY- + Hornets.

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Hatters (used by supporters of Luton Town F.C.)

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Hammers (used by supporters of West Ham United F.C.)

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Hornets (used by supporters of Watford F.C.)


COYRs

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Rs (used by supporters of Queens Park Rangers F.C.)


COYR

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Reds (used by supporters of Liverpool F.C., Manchester United F.C., Nottingham Forest F.C. and Southampton F.C.)

come on you Reds

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Rams (used by supporters of Derby County F.C.)


COYM

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Magpies (used by supporters of Newcastle United F.C.)

come on you Magpies

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Mauves (used by supporters of R.S.C. Anderlecht)


COYW

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Whites (used by supporters of Fulham F.C., Leeds United F.C. and Preston North End F.C.)

come on you Whites

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Wolves (used by supporters of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.)


rainbow kick

(soccer) A trick in which the player makes the ball arc over the opponent's head using both feet.


Ardiles flick

From the Argentine football player Osvaldo Ardiles, who performs the trick in a famous scene as a character in the 1981 film Escape to Victory.


Owl

Named from the Owlerton stadium where they used to play.

(soccer, slang) A player or fan of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club.


Emptyhad

empty + Etihad, implying that there are few Manchester City fans and the ones that exist are supposedly silent or do not attend games.

(soccer, slang) City of Manchester Stadium (known as Etihad Stadium for sponsorship reasons), the home ground of Manchester City F.C.


Etihad

Deprived from the name of Etihad Airways.

(soccer) City of Manchester Stadium (known as Etihad Stadium for sponsorship reasons), the home ground of Manchester City


Al-Gharafa

bor

Arabic الغرافة

(soccer) Al-Gharafa Sports Club, a football club from Doha, Qatar (named after the Al-Gharrafa district)


Al-Hilal

Arabic الهلال

(soccer) Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club, a football club from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia


Al-Ittihad

A name given to several football clubs in the Arab world

(soccer) Ittihad Club, a football club from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia


Al-Nassr

(soccer) Al-Nassr Football Club, a football club from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia


Ballon d'Or

From French Ballon d'Or (“Golden Ball”).

(soccer) A prestigious award in football, presented annually by the France Football magazine and given to the player deemed to be the best of the previous season.


From Cristiano Ronaldo's initials (CR) and his playing number (7).

(soccer) Cristiano Ronaldo (a Portuguese footballer)


From Ronaldo's initial (R) and his playing number (9).

(soccer) Ronaldo (a Brazilian footballer)


Mantildas

2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
Australia men's national soccer team
Australia women's national soccer team
Matildas fever

Blend of man + Matildas (derived from the fact that the Australia women's national soccer team has become more popular than the Australia men's national soccer team due to the success of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, held in Australia and New Zealand).

(Australia, humorous, soccer) The Socceroos (the Australia men's national soccer team).


Mantilda

(Australia, humorous, soccer) A Socceroo (someone who plays for the Australia men's national soccer team).


THFC

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club
w:Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.


WHUFC

West Ham United Football Club
w:West Ham United F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of West Ham United Football Club.


BHAFC

Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club
w:Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club.


CPFC

Crystal Palace Football Club
w:Crystal Palace F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of Crystal Palace Football Club.


NFFC

Nottingham Forest Football Club
w:Nottingham Forest F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of Nottingham Forest Football Club.


AVFC

Aston Villa Football Club
w:Aston Villa F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of Aston Villa Football Club.


ITFC

Ipswich Town Football Club
w:Ipswich Town F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of Ipswich Town Football Club.


LCFC

Leicester City Football Club
w:Leicester City F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of Leicester City Football Club.


NUFC

Newcastle United Football Club
w:Newcastle United F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of Newcastle United Football Club.


WWFC

Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club
w:Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club.


AWFC

Arsenal Women Football Club
w:Arsenal W.F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of Arsenal Women Football Club.


AVWFC

Aston Villa Women Football Club
w:Aston Villa W.F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of Aston Villa Women Football Club.


BHAWFC

(soccer) Initialism of Brighton & Hove Albion Women Football Club.


CFCW

Chelsea Football Club Women
w:Chelsea F.C. Women

(soccer) Initialism of Chelsea Football Club Women.


CPFCW

Crystal Palace Football Club Women
w:Crystal Palace F.C. (Women)

(soccer) Initialism of Crystal Palace Football Club Women.


LCWFC

Leicester City Women Football Club
w:Leicester City W.F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of Leicester City Women Football Club.


LFCW

Liverpool Football Club Women
w:Liverpool F.C. Women

(soccer) Initialism of Liverpool Football Club Women.


MCWFC

Manchester City Women Football Club
w:Manchester City W.F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of Manchester City Women Football Club.


MUWFC

Manchester United Women Football Club
w:Manchester United W.F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of Manchester United Women Football Club.


THFCW

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club Women
w:Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Women

(soccer) Initialism of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club Women.


WHUFCW

West Ham Football Club Women
w:West Ham United F.C. Women

(soccer) Initialism of West Ham Football Club Women.


FCSB

(soccer) Initialism of Fotbal Club Steaua Bucharest.


Aslanlar

(sports, chiefly soccer) Galatasaray S.K.


the D

(soccer) Synonym of semicircle (“an arc whose center is the penalty spot, extending from the top of the penalty area”).


Brokelona

Blend of broke + Barcelona, in reference to the club's financial situation.

(soccer, slang, humorous) Barcelona F.C.


low block

Lukas Jensen replaced Roberts. The game restarted with an empty feeling around the ground.[…]So much for planning. A man down, Millwall sank back into a low block. Palace had all of the ball and all of the grass, generating a series of close-range scuffles and last-line wrestling matches.

2025 January 3, Barney Ronay, “Crystal Palace through after Millwall keeper’s red for head-high tackle on Mateta”, in The Guardian:


bend it like Beckham

en-verb

bend it like Beckham (third-person singular simple present bends it like Beckham, present participle bending it like Beckham, simple past and past participle bent it like Beckham)

bends it like Beckham (present singular third-person)
bending it like Beckham (participle present)
bent it like Beckham (participle past)
bent it like Beckham (past)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-bend it like Beckham.wav

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-bend it like Beckham.wav

From bend + it + like + Beckham, referring to the skill of the English footballer David Beckham (born 1975) in kicking a football with a curling shot. The term was popularized by the title of the film Bend It Like Beckham (2002).

Bud [a dog] harried the ball across the garden. He dribbled it with his nose, bending it like Beckham.

2002, Jenny Oldfield, “Saturday, May 26th”, in My Little Life: When Shah Went Weird, London: Hodder Children’s Books, Hodder Headline, →ISBN, page 37:

The whole of England held its breath as [David] Beckham stepped back, looked up, paused, and, well, bent it like Beckham into the top corner. The nation's roofs lifted off. […] I too leapt into the air and jumped for joy when Beckham's shot hit the back of the net.

2002, John [Peter] Sugden, “Five Past One, September 2001”, in Scum Airways: Inside Football’s Underground Economy, Edinburgh; London: Mainstream Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 177:

David Beckham, for example, is known for his free kicks. After team training, he practices free kick after free kick after free kick—just him, the ball, goal, and a movable wall. He practices well after his teammates have showered and left the ground. Like the movie title says, "Nobody bends it like Beckham" (though the Brazilians might debate that statement). That kind of skill is not genetic; it is from deliberate practice and a lot of it.

2007, Donald T. Kirkendall, William E. Garrett Jr., “Introduction”, in The Complete Guide to Soccer Fitness & Injury Prevention: A Handbook for Players, Parents, and Coaches, Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press, →ISBN, page 18:

How Kieran Trippier bent it like Beckham to score England's brilliant World Cup opener against Croatia [title] […] That was an old school free-kick from Kieran Trippier, straight out of the David Beckham playbook. His aim is to get as much whip and dip on the ball as possible. Trippier addresses the side of the ball, plants his left foot alongside it and his right takes care of the rest. The way he wraps his foot around the ball generates a top-spin effect, like a sweetly struck forehand from Rafael Nadal.

2018 July 12, Jamie Redknapp, “How Kieran Trippier bent it like Beckham to score England’s brilliant World Cup opener against Croatia”, in Daily Mail, London: DMG Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2025-03-31:

Not even a Chinese philosopher can meditate endlessly on gravel so we get the ball next. After a spell of bending it like Beckham, dribbling around two hot Pyreneans who have seen it all before, we take position at opposite sides of a plastic sunlounger, tilted to optimal ball-slide angle.

2021, Jean Gill, “Examining Gravel and Live-heading Roses”, in True Colours: Six Books Drawn from Life […], [United States]: The 13th Sign, →ISBN:

England's David Beckham and Brazil's Roberto Carlos were purveoyrs of the so-called ‘banana kick’ – where the ball curves outrageously to deceive the goalkeeper. Being able to ‘bend it like Beckham’ is a case of adding rotation to the ball as it moves, which can be done by kicking it off-centre.

2024 April 7, Jonathan Chadwick, “How to bend it like Beckham: Scientists reveal the formula for a winning football match – and why players should NEVER aim for the centre in penalties”, in Daily Mail, London: DMG Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2025-03-04:

Reece James bends it like Beckham to help England break down Latvia [title] […] There had been a lovely moment towards the end of the first half, Reece James curling home a stunning 25-yard free-kick. It was his first start for England since September 2022, and his first international goal, too.

2025 March 24, David Hytner, “World Cup 2026 qualifiers: Reece James bends it like Beckham to help England break down Latvia”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2025-03-25:

(intransitive, soccer) To kick a football (soccer ball), especially during a free kick, in a manner which causes it to move in a curve rather than in a straight line.

potkaista kierteellä

to kick a football (soccer ball) in a manner which causes it to move in a curve rather than in a straight line


yo-yo club

From the image of the club moving and down between leagues like a yo-yo.

A yo-yo club usually found bouncing between the top flight and the second tier, Leicester had spent the majority of the Premier League era outside of the Premier League.

2018 December 12, Jonathan Clegg, Joshua Robinson, The Club: How the Premier League Became the Richest, Most Disruptive Business in Sport, Hachette UK, →ISBN:

The late 1970s and early '80s were notable for three clubs that had a particular notoriety as 'yo-yo clubs': they were Leicester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Birmingham City

2020 July 24, Richard Cox, Dave Russell, Wray Vamplew, Encyclopedia of British Football, Routledge, →ISBN:

It would do nothing, however, to increase those clubs' chances of surviving in that top division as their financial resources would be diminished compared to the existing yo-yo clubs and would be likely to result in more 'one-season wonder' clubs.

2023 January 24, Stephen Morrow, The People's Game?: Football, Finance and Society, Springer Nature, →ISBN, page 25:

(soccer) A club that experiences a run of alternating promotions and relegations in quick succession.


Olimpico

From Spanish and Portuguese gol olímpico. Ultimately from Cesáreo Onzari's goal against reigning Olympic champions Uruguay in 1924, the first goal known to have been scored directly from a corner kick in professional play.

(soccer) A goal scored directly from a corner kick without being touched by another player.


push-and-run

This is Tottenham, the club of Arthur Rowe and Bill Nicholson, the masters of push-and-run, and they won a major final with a 61% pass completion rate. They completed just 115 passes in the entire game, none of them key.

2025 May 21, Jonathan Wilson, “Spurs prevail with Mourinho blueprint and ultra pragmatism in baffling final”, in The Guardian: