Traditionally the knock-out stages of the World Cup are a more cagey or conservative affair as teams set out to avoid defeat rather than to attack but the first two matches at the 2018 tournament have provided us with amazing goals and excitement. There were also shocks as the two best players in the world – Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – both left the 2018 World Cup after Argentina and Portugal were dumped out of the tournament in the last 16. So, in this post we look back at the first two matches from the last 16: France versus Argentina and Portugal against Uruguay and explain some of the language that emerged from the two matches. The audio file, transcript and worksheet can be accessed by becoming a patron (through Patreon). If you have questions or comments, email us at: admin@languagecaster.com. * You can also find many more examples of soccer vocabulary by going to our football cliches page here and our huge football glossary here. Argentina vs France The first of the last 16 matches between 1998 winners France and Argentina, winners in 1978 and 1986, took place in Kazan and ended in a seven-goal thriller – the first time a 4-3 scoreline has ever featured at the World Cup. To read the rest of the transcript become a Languagecaster.com patron. Check out our glossary of footballing phrases here If you have any suggestions, contact us at admin@languagecaster.com