What do the words in bold means in football (soccer) context?
Southampton on the ball, not a lot of hustle from the United midfield. Sofiane Boufal has a shot blocked, Sam McQueen screams an ambitious effort wide.
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can you guess from context? – James K Apr 6 '18 at 19:44
On the ball should be easy to guess - it means in possession of the ball, dribbling it or passing between team members.
A screamer is something exceptionally good. In football it means a powerful shot (wiktionary). Screams is a back-formation of the verb "to kick a powerful shot".
Now why you don't need to ask: Have you ever seen a football match? If you have you know that the aim is to kick the ball into the goal.
Sofiane Boufal has a shot blocked, Sam McQueen screams an ambitious effort wide.
So what could have happen here? Boufal kicked at goal. But it was blocked. You know that McQueen is another Southampton player. He did something that went wide..... What could it be except another shot at goal. Do you think that "scream" suggests a gentle tap or a powerful kick?
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Thanks James K. I think "scream" suggests a powerful kick. In the noun "effort", does it mean shot? Effort (shot). The word "shot" is dropped. – whitekrystal Apr 6 '18 at 20:12
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I basically agree but would be more specific, on the ball refers to a moment in time when a player is controlling the ball, and has not yet passed it on. – Lambie Apr 6 '18 at 20:51
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@Lambie no not in the context of "Southampton on the ball". Southampton are a team name, not a player name. So it must mean that the team are in possession, which can be dribbling and passing. – James K Apr 6 '18 at 21:07
