Euro 24 Football Language Phrase Day 5: Snatch a last-gasp win – Learn English Through Football

Euro 24 Football Language Phrase (Day 5): Snatch a last-gasp win

In this football language post we look at the phrase, ‘Snatch a last-gasp win‘ from the Portugal versus Czech Republic match at the 2024 Euros. Don’t forget we have hundreds more explanations of football language in our football glossary and we also have a page full of football cliches. If you have questions or comments about this or any other phrase then email us at: admin@languagecaster.com.

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Snatch a last-gasp winner

One of the favourites for the tournament Portugal started their European Championship with a win over Group F rivals Czech Republic with a hard-fought 2-1 win. The Portuguese had to come from behind after conceding a goal in the 62nd minute but they then quickly equalised thanks to an own goal. Jut when it looked as if the Czech defence would hold out to earn a draw, two Portuguese substitutes combined to score the winner in the 92nd minute and give the Portuguese three points. Because this winning goal came in the 92nd minute it can be described as a last-gasp winner – goals that are scored at the very end of the game are called this as it suggests that there is no chance of a comeback. If we describe a goal as being ‘late’ then it probably means sometime after the 85th minute but a last-gasp goal suggests that the goal was very late (almost certainly in stoppage time) and that it was quite dramatic: maybe a late winner or a late equaliser. We can also hear the phrase ‘last-gasp equaliser’ if the late goal earns a point for example.

We sometimes can hear the phrase, ‘snatch victory from the jaws of defeat‘ which suggests that everyone thought that one team would lose as they were losing near the end of the game but in the end they turned the game around to come from behind and ran out winners. To snatch a win suggests that Portugal won the game at the last moment possible but sometimes it also suggests that a team was a little lucky to win (or draw) – though I do not think this was the case for the Portuguese team yesterday.

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