Читать книгу Now You Know Big Book of Sports онлайн

130 страница из 137

On May 28, 1888, Celtic played their first official match, and it was against none other than Rangers — a club that had existed since 1872. Celtic won 5–2, fielding eight guest players from Hibernian FC.

What was the first non-U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS) team?

That would be the Toronto FC, which was formed in 2006 and plays at BMO Field on the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition. The team set an MLS record in season ticket sales, selling 14,000 before they’d even appeared in a game.

What does “bend it like Beckham” mean?

The phrase “bend it like Beckham” was popularized as the title of a British movie from 2002, starring Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley. The title refers to David Beckham’s ability to put spin on a ball from a free kick, causing it to curve — or “bend” — in trajectory around the defence and into the net. Nagra’s character in the film, Jess Bhamra, shows a similar aptitude for bending free kicks.

What does “bank it like Beckham” mean?

The term “to bend” a soccer ball means to put spin on a ball from a free kick to give it a curving trajectory around defenders. The phrase “bank it like Beckham” is a joke on this phrase, playing on the title of the feature film Bend it like Beckham, and referring to Beckham’s ability to land copious amounts of money in the bank upon signing a $250 million U.S. deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy.