If you want to get more into English Premier League Soccer, well, the first thing you have to do is call it not soccer, but football. From there, this quick primer will get up to speed as the World Cup approaches. Here are 15 English football terms followed by their American sports translations.
pitch = field
side = team
clean sheet = shutout
nil = zero
transfer gossip = trade rumors
relegation = American sports don’t have this, but imagine if the Cubs got demoted to AAA for finishing in last place
supporters = fans
kit = uniform
friendly = exhibition game
fixture = regular-season game
derby (prounounced “darby”) = local rivalry game
cap = national team appearance
club = franchise
caretaker manager = interim coach
table = standings
Paul M. Banks owns thesportsbank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. A frequent analyst on national talk radio, Banks is a former contributor to NBC Chicago and the Washington Times. @paulmbanks
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