Your Key to Spanish-language Soccer Slang. Sort Of.

Are you an American* watching fútbol in Mexico? Wishing you were watching football instead?

Perhaps procuring a little bit of Spanish slang will help you experience some of the excitement that defines this sport worldwide. It’s easy! You don’t have to lie to your wife and fly to Russia in order to be overwhelmed by the dedication and passion of soccer fans. This little starter chart is free!

During the World Cup this summer I decided to root for the opposing team because I was born in Germany. But mostly because watching any sport with rivalry is more fun. But German ancestry aside, since I don’t really have a dog in any soccer fight I wore one of my UO football shirts.

In an astounding opening to the 2018 World Cup Mexico beat Germany — the 2014 world champions. And the reaction around the country supposedly registered on the Richter scale. That is to say that Mexicans love soccer so much their enthusiasm is literally seismic. Or so we thought. The US Geological Survey isn’t so sure but the possibility is definitely amusing. But not as amusing as watching true soccer fans watch soccer.

Before we begin let’s get a quick list of basic soccer terms out of the way so we can focus on the good stuff: portero means goalie, penal is indeed a penalty, striker is delantero, cancha is…