O Copo Mundial no Brasil 2014!

The World Cup is about to start in a just a couple of weeks in Brazil. All eyes are on this colourful and vivacious country. Most Brazilians are extremely passionate about football and so this World Cup is going to be something special: a season of football, caipirinhas, yellow and green painted faces and exciting emotions!

Here is some key vocabulary to help with this football season.

I would point out the most important expressions to remember are: “vai, vai vaiiiiiiiii” and “goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool!!”

Futebol= football

Seleção = The Brazilian national team

A Verde e Amarela/ O Verde e Amarelo = You will see this term in the masculine and feminine form depending on what it’s describing. You could say “a camisa verde e amarela” (the green and yellow shirt) or “o time verde e amarelo.” (the green and yellow team) This is a nickname for the Brazilian national team because their shirt is green and yellow like the Brazilian flag.

Futebol arte – This means great football.

Jogo bonito = futebol arte. A beautiful game.

Bola = ball

Jogo = game.

Jogar = to play

Jogão = a big or important game. You might also hear “ um jogaço,” for extra emphasis.

Jogar futebol = to play football

Jogar bola = (Literally, “to play ball”).

Campo = field

Pé = foot

Mão = hand

Peito = chest

Cabeça = head

Frente = forehead

Rosto / Cara = face

Cara = guy, man. Literally, “cara” means face.

Craque = a really good football player.

Um cai-cai = a diver, a faller, someone who fakes injuries, etc.

Bora = Let’s go. Come on. Bora comes from ´Vamos embora´ which literally means “We’re leaving.” Bora is short for embora, and Brazilians say or yell “bora” to say “come on” or “let’s go”.

Vai = go!

Gol = goal, usually screamed out for at least 10 seconds when your team scores, and not so long if it´s the opposition that scored.

Fazer um gol / marcar um gol = to score a goal.

Golaço = an excellent goal.

Golear = to score a lot of goals on an opposing team. This verb also exist in Spanish.

Goleada = Beating an opposing team by a bunch of goals. Scoring a ton of goals on an opposing team. 3-0, 4-0, etc.

Porrada = A “Porrada” is a really bad physical beating of any kind. Porrada means “a beat down” or “severe beating.” “Porrada” is technically a physical beating, but it also means to beat a team really badly.

Tiro = shot

Passar a bola = to pass the ball

Correr – to run

Perder – to lose

Vencer – to win

Errar = to miss

cartão amarelo = yellow card

cartão vermelho = red card

Cabeçada = header

Juiz (árbitro) = referee. Brazilians call the ref “juiz” which means “judge”.

Tempo normal = regular time

Prorrogação = extra time

Intervalo / meio-tempo = half time

Pontapé inicial = kick off

Uma cobrança de escanteio = corner kick

tiro de meta – goal kick

Uma cobrança de falta / tiro livre = free kick

Pênalti = penalty kick (PK)

Chute = shot / kick

Goleiro= goalkeeper

Defensor= defender

Lateral (plural: laterais) = outside

Meia = midfielder

Volante = defensive midfielder

Atacante = forward

Artilheiro = Top goal scorer