Ali Krieger – Distribution
Oct 25 2011
Intro
Ali Krieger is a smart soccer player. As a defender for the US Women’s National Team, she decides where to pass the ball and how to sets the plan in motion. She is in charge of distribution. Ali is one of only four American players who played every minute of the 2011 Women’s World Cup. She did a lot of distributing.
When you distribute something, you give it to people or decide where it goes. Luckily, this international star who also plays for FFC Frankfurt, was happy to take a break from distributing the ball and distribute some of her knowledge of soccer English to students like you. We recently met with Ali and talked about many uses of the term “distribution”.
Dialogue
Jason: Welcome to English, baby! I am Jason here with Ali Krieger of the US Women’s National Soccer Team and we’re going to talk a little bit about a term that is used by defenders, “distribution”.
Ali: Yeah, distribution applies not only off the field but on the field as well. Especially as a defender and distributing the ball to forwards or midfielders and also from the goalkeeper and being able to distribute the ball to us out wide and we’re able then to begin the play. That’s “distribution”, what it means in soccer terms.
Jason: So if the ball comes to you, you kind of grab it and you consider where to send it. What do you think about when you’re trying to think who to pass it to?
Ali: I don’t know. I kind of look before I receive the ball. I can have an idea of where to play it. But the goalkeeper distributes the ball to me as an outside back or a center back, and then I’ll distribute the ball forward to a midfielder coming on or an outside midfielder or a forward coming to receive the ball so that they can receive it, turn and continue to play. Or I play it back and around so we can switch
the point of attack.
Jason: Cool. And then how do you use distribution outside of soccer? Like, what are some sort of day to day uses for it?
Ali: I guess in day to day distributing not only in advertising or in shopping, you can use it in the supermarket or anywhere, distributing products.
Jason: Or even just with your friends. Your coach kind of distributed blue jerseys to some of you guys.
Ali: Yeah good example. Or at school distributing books, or distributing uniforms, or distributing information can maybe distributed as well. So…
Jason: We’ll distribute this interview.
Ali: English, baby!
Discussion
Once Ali has stopped the opponent from scoring and gained control of the ball, she decides where to pass it so that her team can begin their attack. This is called distribution. Ali says she often plans where she will distribute the ball just before she gets it.
Outside of soccer, people talk about distribution in business. Manufacturers want to get a wide distribution of their product, which means it will be available in a lot of stores. You can also distribute something among your friends. You can distribute slices of cake to the guests at a birthday party. You can also distribute information by sharing it with other people. Feel free to distribute this lesson to any soccer fans you know!
Do you like to be the distributor when you play sports? How do you use the concept of distribution in your life?
Grammar Point
Be Able to
Ali says that after someone distributes the ball, the team is able to begin the play. To be able to do something means to have the ability to do it.
Be able to is sometimes used in place of can or could.
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