A few handy words for speaking ‘futebol’
RIO DE JANEIRO — To impress friends with your knowledge of futebol, here’s a few words and phrases Brazilians use to discuss their jogo bonito, the beautiful game:
Fominha — player who selfishly keeps or hogs ball. Derived from verb for hunger.
Article continues after this advertisementFrango — embarrassingly easy ball goalkeeper shouldn’t have let in. Derived from word for chicken, idea being that ball was as elusive as a running chicken. A bad goalkeeper is a “frangueiro,” roughly meaning “chicken taker.”
Gol de placa — extraordinarily beautiful goal.
Fregues — meaning customer, applied to teams that keep coming back for another whooping. They’re good customers.
Article continues after this advertisementDrible da vaca — literally “cow’s dribble,” when player kicks ball past opponent, runs round him and collects ball on other side.
Bola quadrada — bad pass, literally “square ball.”