Another sport that we don't follow much in the US but which is very popular in other parts of the world is cycling. July is the month of the biggest cycling competition in the world--the Tour de France--this year celebrating its one hundredth anniversary. This is a grueling 3-week course, twenty-one days of sprinting, climbing, teamwork, and dangerous crashes, with riders out on the road from four to six hours a day through all kinds of weather, on flat roads, high mountains, and ancient cobblestone streets. It is the world's most challenging sport. Many Hispanic cyclists participate and do well, like the legendary Spanish rider Miguel Indurain and the formidable Argentinean Juan Antonio Flecha. But this year the cyclist that everyone is talking about is the Colombian Nairo Quintana (in front in this photo from Colombia.com). This young rider has finished his first Tour de France in second place behind the British rider Chris Froome. Quintana has earned the white jersey for the Best Young Rider and the polka dot jersey for King of the Mountains (best climber). Colombians are understandably thrilled to see this young rider from a modest family do so well on the international stage. Colombia's cycling program had suffered and fizzled from the violence and chaos that occurred as a result of the drug war and the civil war. Now that the political situation in Colombia is more stable, they are investing once again in sports--and having great success! Read about Quintana and watch an interview with this humble rider. 

     While many sports are played throughout the Spanish-speaking world, the most popular by far is soccer (fútbol), the Beautiful Game. The US is only just beginning to learn about football (that's what the rest of the English-speaking world calls it), and is developing clubs, players, and a fan base. Every country has club teams. In the US and Canada we have the MLS (Major League Soccer), with teams like D.C. United, the L.A. Galaxy, or Toronto F.C. Many people around the world watch European soccer, where the English Premier League and the Bundesliga enjoy prestige and draw some of the best players in the world. However, the best players play for their clubs only part of the time, and for their national teams the rest of the time. Currently the US is participating in the Gold Cup, a tournament that includes the CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American, and Caribbean Association Football) teams, and has moved on to the quarter finals. In South America there is CONMEBOL (Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol), which is a viciously competitive league. And every four years (next time is 2014 in Brazil) we have the FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) World Cup. In fact, national teams spend the majority of those four years between World Cups trying to qualify for the next one, and things are heating up now because there is not much time left for teams that are unsure if they will qualify. It's getting exciting, so watch some fútbol!
     It's fun to watch in Spanish, not only because you learn terminology and hear the commentators speak at a hundred miles per hour, but also because when a goal is scored, you get to hear ¡GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLL! ¡GOL! ¡GOL! ¡GOLAZOOOOOOO! Below are some terms that might help you follow along, if you decide to watch in Spanish. And here is a link to a great National Geographic article about the Beautiful Game.
the ball..........la pelota/ el balón
the net..........la red
the goal..........el arco
the pitch..........la cancha
a goal..........un gol
to kick..........patear/ dar una patada
a header..........un cabezazo
to head the ball..........dar un cabezazo
to run..........correr
to win..........ganar
to lose..........perder
to tie..........empatar
a tie...........un empate
to beat..........derrotar/vencer
the player..........el jugador/ la jugadora
the goalie/ the keeper..........el arquero/ el portero
the forward..........el delantero
midfielder..........el centrocampista
the defense..........la defensa
the team..........el equipo
the coach..........el entrenador
the referee..........el árbitro/la árbitra
to pass..........pasar
the pass..........el pase
to block..........bloquear
the first half/ second half..........el primer tiempo/ segundo tiempo
a foul..........una falta
a free kick...........un tiro libre
the penalty box..........el área de meta
a penalty kick...........un tiro penal
a yellow card...........una tarjeta amarilla
a red card..........una tarjeta roja

Click here for a longer list of football terms.
Click here for a fun list of useful soccer terms (not always polite, but fun).

     It's time for summer vacation. Many of you go back to jobs, or are heading to internships. Others are getting ready for big adventures over the summer, while others plan to spend as much time as possible with family. Whether you have big plans or are hanging out at home, I hope you have the chance to get outside, enjoy nature, and replenish your batteries. 
     Whatever your plans, it's important not to let your language skills rust over the summer. Read in Spanish, watch TV in Spanish, talk to people you meet, check out movies in Spanish, listen to music in Spanish. In this blog I will regularly post tips or ideas for keeping your skills sharp over the break. Check back here for that.
     In the meantime, here are a few links that you might find helpful or interesting:

• El País, Spain's most widely-read newspaper: http://elpais.com/elpais/portada_america.html
• Univisión, a Spanish-language TV station based in Miami. They have news, sports, gossip, comedies, soap operas, and variety shows: http://www.univision.com/
• People en Español. Yes, it's trashy, but any reading in Spanish is better than none at all: http://www.peopleenespanol.com/

Also read my posts for previous summers. There are great links and good ideas for practicing your Spanish!

Si quieres practicar el español y aprender más sobre el deporte más popular en el mundo hispano, mira los partidos de la Copa América, que acaba esta semana en Argentina. Pueden mirar los partidos en español en Univisión o en Univisión.com. No sólo practican el español, sino que es más divertido en español cuando el anunciador grita, "¡GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLL!"
Pueden ir a esta página para buscar más información: http://www.ca2011.com/mobile/smart/index.php