As the 2014 FIFA World Cup opens in Brazil and marks another historic event in world sporting history, here are some interesting Spanish football tidbits to chew on.
· The first recorded arrival of football in Spain is in the late 1900s. It was said to be imported from the British Isles by students who brought knowledge of the game, as well as by British immigrants and visiting seamen.
· The oldest football club is Recreativo de Huelva. It was formed in 1889 by a man named William Alexander Mackay together with British workers on the Rio Tinto Company. The first official match was played in Seville the year after at the Tablada Hippodrome.
· The top professional football association in Spain is called La Liga. The most popular clubs in La Liga are Barcelona and Real Madrid. According to UEFA’s league coefficient, it is one of Europe’s strongest clubs in the last five years. Not surprisingly, it is also one of the most popular sports leagues in the world. The current league champions are Atletico Madrid.
· The Spanish national football team has several nicknames: La Roja (The Red One), La Furia Roja (The Red Fury),La Furia Española (The Spanish Fury) or La Furia (The Fury). The current team captain is Iker Casillas who also plays for Real Madrid. The team finished off as champions in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
· The Spanish national team, and FC Barcelona, are known to favour a particular style of football play wherein short passing and movement are key characteristics. It is called tiki taka. While successful in winning titles for the team, tiki taka has also been criticized for its lack of offense and “endless passing.”
· Among those considered as the best Spanish football players are Andres Iniesta who won Spain’s first World Cup; Xavi Hernandez who is considered as one of the best passers in the sport; Raul Gonzales Blanco who once held the record for the most goals scored for the national team; and David Villa who is among the most impressive goal scorers of the team.
Spanish Translators in San Diego and Orange County
One way to get in on the football fever is to learn one of its dominant languages—Spanish.
The group offers expert and professional translation services for both organizations and individuals, covering a wide range of industries and subject matters.
The Spanish Group’s Spanish translators in San Diego and Orange County have passed rigorous tests and evaluations, and are all native level English and Spanish speakers, with industry-specific credentials.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain_national_football_team#FIFA_World_Cup
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiki_Taka#Criticism
http://www.capetownmagazine.com/spain
http://www.livestrong.com/article/345229-the-history-of-football-in-spain/
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1802623-spains-5-greatest-players-ever