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Hard: Take one for the team

Hard: Take one for the team

Premier Vocabulary is a mini-podcast for you to learn football English one word at a time. We have three different levels for you: easy, medium and hard.

This episode is hard so we’re looking at more difficult football phrases and idioms.

Summary

Learn more football vocabulary with Premier Skills English. Each lesson in our Premier Vocabulary section looks at one football word or phrase. This lesson looks at the phrase to take one for the team

You can find more lessons on the side of this page.

Transcript

Rich: Hello my name’s Rich and welcome to Premier Skills English - Premier Vocabulary.

Jack: Hi there! I’m Jack. We’re here to help you with your football English. Premier Vocabulary is a mini-podcast for you to learn football English one word at a time. 

Rich: We have three different levels for you: easy, medium and hard.

Jack: This episode is hard so we’re looking at more difficult football phrases and idioms. 


Rich: The phrase we are looking at in this episode is: take one for the team.

Jack: We’re going to look at how this idiom is used on the football pitch and outside of football.

Rich: It has the same meaning in both contexts but we’ll give you a couple of different examples.

Jack: OK, so to take one for the team is an informal phrase that basically means to do something unpleasant or give up something that is important to you for the benefit of friends or colleagues.

Rich: When we’re thinking about football the phrase is often used by commentators. I can think of one example that I hear quite frequently

Jack: What’s that then?

Rich: Well, when you see a tactical foul on the pitch.

Jack: You mean a deliberate foul.

Rich: OK, a deliberate foul but a tactical foul has a more positive meaning and the commentator often uses the phrase in a positive way because he or she thinks it was the logical thing to do.

Jack: What do you mean?

Rich: Well, sometimes the only way to stop a dangerous attack is by fouling an opponent. 

Jack: And the referee will show a yellow or even a red card.

Rich: Yes, it’s something unpleasant for the player but it benefitted the team because it stopped a possible goal.

Jack: So the player takes one for the team.


Rich: The phrase can be used more generally, too. Let’s imagine a few situations.

Jack: Right, there are five friends and only four spaces in the car. They have to go to training and it’s raining.

Rich: All right, all right. I’ll take one for the team. I’ll get the bus.

Jack: OK, there’s lots of work to do in the office but there is a party that everyone is going to.

Rich: It’s all right. I’ll take one for the team. I’ll finish up here and catch you up at the party later.

Jack: One final one, there are three tickets for the Liverpool Manchester United match …

Rich: No way! You can take one for the team for a change.


Jack: There is the final whistle!

Rich: We’ll be back soon with more Premier Vocabulary from Premier Skills English.

Jack: Bye for now and enjoy your football.

Comment

Discuss

Can you tell us a situation when you had to take one for the team?

Are tactical fouls a good or bad part of the game?

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Comentários

Michaelsun
27/02/2022
CN
738
points

Tactical fouls are good for the team which make the fouls.


Michaelsun
27/02/2022 11:49
China
Manchester United
738

Tactical fouls are good for the team which make the fouls.

Gabriel Amaral's picture
Gabriel Amaral
19/05/2021
BR
1512
points

I can tel what I'm living just now: some of my working colleagues have already returned to work at the company. But me and my assistant are still working from home...but we rather work by the company as well. So I think we are taking one for the team right now.
Tactical fouls can be disappointing for the team that receives it, but we can't despise that sometimes it can be very helpful stopping the opposite team to score goals and gain our team some time to regroup and organize.


Gabriel Amaral's picture
Gabriel Amaral
19/05/2021 15:09
Brazil
Arsenal
1512

I can tel what I'm living just now: some of my working colleagues have already returned to work at the company. But me and my assistant are still working from home...but we rather work by the company as well. So I think we are taking one for the team right now.
Tactical fouls can be disappointing for the team that receives it, but we can't despise that sometimes it can be very helpful stopping the opposite team to score goals and gain our team some time to regroup and organize.

hsn's picture
hsn
08/02/2021
TR
5525
points

1-It was eve of nine days festive holiday. We three auditor colleagues were on the business trip away from home . One of us had to stay at the city in which work-place was there during holiday. As a only unmarried member of the group, I took one for the team. Other members went to the their homes for holiday.

2-It’s unacceptable behavior and not innocent attitude even doer gets yellow or red card. Delibrate foul can not be part of the game. Tactic is a positive word and never be used with word foul. Players and managers always have to aim uninterrupted game even in the counter-attack position. Nobody wants unfair “A Pyrrhic victory”.


hsn's picture
hsn
08/02/2021 17:15
Turkey
Tottenham Hotspur
5525

1-It was eve of nine days festive holiday. We three auditor colleagues were on the business trip away from home . One of us had to stay at the city in which work-place was there during holiday. As a only unmarried member of the group, I took one for the team. Other members went to the their homes for holiday.

2-It’s unacceptable behavior and not innocent attitude even doer gets yellow or red card. Delibrate foul can not be part of the game. Tactic is a positive word and never be used with word foul. Players and managers always have to aim uninterrupted game even in the counter-attack position. Nobody wants unfair “A Pyrrhic victory”.

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
27/08/2020
UA
6278
points

Any fouls are the worst part of any game. I would definitely make one of the strictest referees.


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
27/08/2020 04:22
Ukraine
Liverpool
6278

Any fouls are the worst part of any game. I would definitely make one of the strictest referees.

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
27/08/2020
UA
6278
points

In any situation the first to offer to take one for the team would be me.


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
27/08/2020 04:20
Ukraine
Liverpool
6278

In any situation the first to offer to take one for the team would be me.

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
20/08/2020
TR
6510
points

Btw , I like Rich's passion for football in the last example even though it's only an example in an English lesson but his intonation shows how passionate he is :)
We share the same passion then but with rivalry and respect :)


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
20/08/2020 23:32
Turkey
Manchester United
6510

Btw , I like Rich's passion for football in the last example even though it's only an example in an English lesson but his intonation shows how passionate he is :)
We share the same passion then but with rivalry and respect :)

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
20/08/2020
TR
6510
points

When we go camping or for a trip as a family , I always take one for the team and lie in the boot to let other stay comfortably inside the car.

I don't think tactical fouls are a good part of the game especially when the striker is one to one with the GK as I think it's unfair to get a red card after you stop a player from scoring illegally then you win the game.
I saw that occasion last year when Valverde did it deliberately against Morata to stop him from scoring then Real Madrid won the cup.
It's such a shameful foul.


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
20/08/2020 23:29
Turkey
Manchester United
6510

When we go camping or for a trip as a family , I always take one for the team and lie in the boot to let other stay comfortably inside the car.

I don't think tactical fouls are a good part of the game especially when the striker is one to one with the GK as I think it's unfair to get a red card after you stop a player from scoring illegally then you win the game.
I saw that occasion last year when Valverde did it deliberately against Morata to stop him from scoring then Real Madrid won the cup.
It's such a shameful foul.

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Average: 5 (1 vote)

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Learn more football vocabulary.