2026-01-10 09:00

You know, I was watching a volleyball match the other day – the one where ZUS Coffee lost to Cignal – and the commentator said something that made me smile. He declared, "And with that result, PLDT is through to the 2025 PVL Invitational championship game." Simple, right? But it got me thinking about how we talk about scores, especially in football, where a single phrase can paint a whole picture of drama, surprise, or dominance. Getting it right isn't just about being accurate; it's about sharing the story of the match clearly with anyone listening, whether they saw the game or not. Let's walk through how to do that, and I'll share a few of my own pet peeves and preferences along the way.

First things first, the basic structure. In English, we almost always say the winning team's score first. It's just the convention. So if Manchester United beats Liverpool 2-1, you say "Manchester United two, Liverpool one." It sounds trivial, but reversing it can cause a moment of confusion, making your listener mentally flip the result. Now, for a draw, the order typically follows the home and away team. If Arsenal and Chelsea draw 0-0 at Emirates Stadium, it's "Arsenal nil, Chelsea nil." But honestly, in casual talk, you can just say "They drew nil-nil" or "It was a goalless draw." I'm a stickler for using "nil" in football instead of "zero" – it just sounds right, you know? "Zero" feels too clinical, like we're talking about math homework. "Nil" is football language.

But scores aren't just numbers; they're narratives. That PVL example is perfect. PLDT didn't even play that day, but ZUS Coffee's loss was the key. In football, you might say "Manchester City are top of the league by virtue of Arsenal's draw." That phrase "by virtue of" is wonderfully clear for these indirect qualifications or standings. It explains the why behind the status. For a direct result, you have choices. A routine 2-0 win? "They won two-nil." A comfortable but not dominant 3-1? "They won three-one." But a nail-biter? That's where you get expressive. "They edged out their rivals two-one," or "They snatched a last-gasp winner to make it three-two." I love those descriptive verbs. They save you five sentences of explanation.

Let's talk about big wins, because this is where people often get messy. A 4-0 victory is a "convincing win." A 5-0 or 6-0? That's a "thrashing" or a "rout." I'd argue anything above a four-goal margin with a clean sheet qualifies as a demolition job. Now, here's a personal opinion: I think the term "clean sheet" is one of the most elegant bits of sports jargon. It instantly tells you the defense was impeccable. Saying "They won three-nil with a clean sheet" gives you two data points for the price of one. Conversely, a high-scoring draw like 3-3 is a "thriller" or a "six-goal spectacle." You're not just reporting numbers; you're setting the tone.

Pronunciation matters too, for clarity. We say "two-one," not "twenty-one." For scores like 4-2, it's "four-two," never "forty-two." This seems obvious, but you'd be surprised how often, in noisy pubs or over bad phone lines, "three-two" can sound like "thirty-two." I find it helps to slightly pause between the numbers: "The final score was Chelsea... three... Arsenal... one." It gives the listener's brain time to catch up. And for heaven's sake, if it's 12-0, just say "twelve nil." Don't try to be cute about it.

The context is king, though. The way you announce a score changes based on the situation. Reading a quick results service? "Full-time scores: Tottenham two, West Ham two." Telling a friend about an amazing game you saw? "Oh my god, it was insane! Three-one down with twenty minutes to go, and they pulled it back to win four-three!" See the difference? One is a bulletin, the other is a story with a beginning, middle, and end. I always try to include a tiny bit of that story. Instead of "It finished one-all," I might say, "They managed a scrappy one-all draw," or "They fought back for a hard-earned point, one-one."

Finally, remember that some scores carry cultural weight. In England, a 7-1 scoreline will forever be associated with Germany's demolition of Brazil in 2014, not any domestic game. A 5-0 is often just called a "five-nil drubbing." And the most famous score of all? "They think it's all over... it is now!" accompanied by the score "England four, West Germany two." That 1966 World Cup final score is more than numbers; it's a historical landmark. So next time you're sharing a score, take a half-second to think about the story behind it. Was it a walkover? A comeback? A lucky escape? Using the right words – like "edged," "cruised," "stole," or "were held to a draw" – transforms a dry statistic into a shared moment of understanding. Just like that PVL commentator did when he connected ZUS Coffee's loss to PLDT's fortune. It's not just reporting; it's translating the drama of the game into a clear, compelling sentence. And getting it right means everyone gets to feel a little piece of that drama, too.