Ciao a tutti! 

I had written last year about my experience at an Italian soccer game, Parma vs Udinese to be exact. It was exciting, but it certainly pales in comparison to the current atmosphere in Italy given that gli azzurri (the blues¹nickname for Italy’s national soccer team) have now made it to the final game of the UEFA European Championship, after having beat Spain 4-2 during the semi-final.

On Sunday, July 11 at 3 pm EST Italy will face England for the Henri Delaunay Trophy.

l’Italia, alla ricerca del secondo trionfo agli Europei dopo quello di 53 anni fa, e l’Inghilterra, che non ha mai vinto il titolo.

Italy, in search of the second triumph at the European Championships after that of 53 years ago, and England, which has never won the title.

If you plan on watching on Sunday, you will hear the national anthem below:

Here is some more recreation related vocabulary:

basketball – la pallacanestro
checkers – la dama
biking – andare in bicicletta
boat – la barca
camping – andare in campeggio
boating – andare in barca
cards – le carte
chess – gli scacchi
baseball – il baseball
American football – il football americano
bicycle – la bicicletta
ball – il pallone
bat – la mazza
billiards – il biliardo
canoe – la canoa

ice hockey – l’hockey
diving – praticare le immersioni subacquee
opera – l’opera
mountain climbing – l’alpinismo
ice skating – il pattinaggio su ghiaccio
horseback riding – l’equitazione
fishing – la pesca
jogging – il jogging
hiking – l’escursionismo
dancing – la danza
exercise – l’esercizio fisico
game – il gioco
picnic – il picnic
ice skates – i pattini
golf – il golf
park – il parco

sailing – la navigazione
rowboat – la barca a remi
racquet – la racchetta
skiing – lo sci
rugby – il rugby
swimming pool – la piscina
soccer – il calcio
tent – la tenda
team – la squadra
sailboat – la barca a vela
running – la corsa
volleyball – la pallavolo
tennis – il tennis
walking – il camminare
river – il fiume
swimming – il nuoto
recreation – lo svago

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  nickname for Italy’s national soccer team