Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Football Match Commentary in Spanish

A friend of mine sent me an email this morning asking if I am going to write a blog post about Football. Usually I write a post or two during the FIFA matches. Here is the one I wrote in July 2014. World Cup Finals.
 
Being in California, I can hear Spanish conversation all the time outside of my home – be it office or mall or grocery store or movie theater or restaurant. I understand the basic words like Cerveza means beer. (I thought sarvesa means God in India.)
 
I watch as many matches as I can possibly watch. But English commentaries are no fun. If you want to get really excited during the match, listen to Spanish commentary. Even if you don’t understand the language, you will feel very excited.
 
New York Times sports writer Richard Sandomir wrote all soccer games should be broadcast in Spanish or Italian.
 
If you listen to a soccer match commentary in Spanish it is a sensation of belonging. Someone feels the way you feel. I always feel like someone giving the commentary in Tamil or any other Indian language. Here is a sample of Spanish commentary. (Note: When you hear the word “gul” they mean “goal”.)

Please listen to this less than 4 minute video before commenting. Thanks.
 

11 comments:

  1. GOAL!
    GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLL!
    GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL

    Regards,
    That Guy

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    1. Thanks for your comments That Guy. Very funny. But you are not impartial in your commentaries. You are a FCBarcelona supporter.

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  2. The commentator seems to be more 'passionate' and more 'patriotic' than certain news readers ;)

    Destination Infinity

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    1. Thanks for your comments Rajesh. Yes, Spanish commentators are very passionate.

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  3. I think doing a competent commentary is a very difficult job.You may know the game, know the teams, the strengths and weakness of star players, and even have past statistics. But all these will be of little avail especially when the ball is near the goal post and moving at lightning speed, as there is no time to think or pause and the commentator is expected to be continuously talking conveying to the viewers and listeners the scene as close to real as is happening.In the infectious electrifying mood and the delirious noise of the crowd all around, he also tends to scream or utter irrelevant words that may describe the mood and at best convey whether a goal has been scored or missed.
    In cricket he has lot of time to mix the real happening on the field with past history and anecdotes.Soccer does not allow that liberty except when the ball is in the middle or the play is suspended for a while to attend to an injured player. Imagine the added confusion if it is in foreign language.




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    1. Thanks for your comments Mr. KP. Spanish commentary, with their rapid delivery and passionate about the game, makes us excited to watch the match.

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  4. Omg the commentator’s voice is so passionate, loved the way he said gullll, gul gul gul... awesome :D

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    1. Thanks for your comments Shesha. The Spanish commentators are very passionate about football.

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  5. Wow! So much passion and excitement!! The commentator must be a TRUE football enthusiast!

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  6. As i was watching the video all i kept thinking was the commentator could become such a good Kabbadi player as they have to say Kabbadi non stop until they end the round.....kabbadi kabbadi kabbadi........ (Goal goal goallllll)

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  7. Coincidentally, I read this post just after listening to this short fun mashup -- the 169 gooooaaaaal cries by Telemundo's commentators of during this World Cup, put together by New York Times. (Telemundo is an American Spanish language TV network.)
    https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/07/15/sports/world-cup/hear-mashup-every-goooooool.html?smid=tw-share

    Arguably, Malayalam commentary comes close to Spanish enthusiasm. I don't know if you have heard about the famous Malayalam football commentator, Shaiju Damodaran. Here is a Newsminute article on him.

    https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/shaiju-damodaran-moment-malayalam-football-commentator-india-raving-about-83256

    A clip of Shaiju's commentary during this World Cup:
    https://twitter.com/chokartik/status/1008053090300223488

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