Goalkeeping Most Fowl

By John Lyons
WSJ

Left: Robert Green -- At least the Brazilian papers didn’t refer to him as a Cornish hen.

As it was in most of the soccer speaking world, Clint Dempsey’s fortuitous goal to tie U.S. with England at 1-1 was big news in Brazil. Coverage of the goal also shed light on colorful sports terminology in the World Cup’s most successful nation.

When England’s goalie Robert Green fumbled Mr. Dempsey’s weak shot, he committed what Brazilians call a “frango,” Portuguese for chicken. Minutes after the goal, Brazilian soccer commentators were already talking about the “biggest chicken in World Cup history.” Today, the front-page headline in the Brazilian daily Folha de S. Paulo was simply “English Chicken.” In another usage, Mr. Green “swallowed a chicken.”

The Brazilian use of the word chicken shouldn’t be confused with American slang for cowardice. For Brazilians, chicken is a soccer metaphor reserved for shocking goaltending mistakes. It’s what happens when an armless animal like a chicken tries to defend the net.

(More here.)