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Football (Soccer) vocabulary · Match Commentary Phrases

Equaliser

Meaning in football (soccer), with examples

/ˈiːkwəlaɪzə/nounCommon term

In football (soccer), equaliser means: A goal that makes the score level, for example the goal that changes 1-0 to 1-1.

In Turkish: beraberlik golü, eşitlik golü

How it is used

Commentators say a team finds, grabs or snatches an equaliser, or pushes for one. A late equaliser can feel like a win for one side and a defeat for the other. The American spelling is equalizer, and the verb is equalise: "They equalised in the 90th minute."

Example sentences

  1. Just as we thought we'd won it, they snatched a late equaliser.

  2. The equaliser came from a set piece, again.

Common collocations

  • late equaliser
  • find an equaliser
  • push for an equaliser
  • deserved equaliser
  • goalA point scored when the whole ball crosses the goal line between the posts and under the crossbar; also the frame with a net that teams try to put the ball into.
  • drawA result in which both teams finish the match with the same number of goals. As a verb, to draw means to finish level.
  • stoppage timeMinutes the referee adds at the end of each half to make up for time lost through substitutions, injuries, VAR checks and other delays.
  • against the run of playDescribes a goal or result that comes when the other team has been playing better and looked more likely to score.

More terms: Match Commentary Phrases

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