Soccer Fever: USA Takes the Pitch, Scotland Heads to Boston, and Rhode Islanders Get a Wee Translation Guide

The World Cup is officially underway, and Rhode Island is close enough to the action to feel the rumble from Foxborough.

The U.S. men’s national team plays Paraguay tonight in Los Angeles, giving American fans their first big home-soil moment of the tournament. In last night’s opener, USA won 4-1 at SoCal stadium.

Scotland is back in the World Cup after 28 years, and thousands of fans have traveled heavily and expensively to be here. For New England, the biggest early regional draw may be Scotland. The Tartan Army — Scotland’s famously loyal and loud traveling supporters — will have two group-stage matches at Gillette Stadium: Haiti vs. Scotland on Saturday, June 13 at 9 p.m., and Scotland vs. Morocco on Friday, June 19 at 6 p.m. England vs. Ghana is also scheduled for Gillette on June 23 at 4 p.m.

That means Providence is seeing thousands of visitors in kilts, Scotland shirts, football kits and face paint than usual — especially downtown where PVD FanZone is located and around other hotels, and restaurants.

And those kilts! If you are wondering what that little pouch is in the front of a man’s kilt, it’s called a sporran (pronounced spor-in). Because traditional kilts do not have pockets, the sporran functions as a wearable pocket or purse. and is worn at the front of the kilt, typically resting just over the groin, and hangs from a leather or chain strap fastened around the waist. Sporrans range from simple, unadorned leather to elaborate, fur-covered pieces with metal accents and tassels. It holds daily necessities like a wallet, phone, and keys.

There may be a little culture shock, too. Some visiting Scots have already been amazed by everyday Rhode Island sights — oil delivery trucks, dump trucks, supermarket aisles stacked with giant quantities of everything, and gallons of milk big enough to make them laugh. One visitor at Market Basket reportedly went from amused to stunned when he picked up a loaf of bread and read the ingredient list. “What is all this?” he asked, noting that back home, bread might have three or four ingredients. (a nod to MAHA!).

Other soccer notes to watch

Boston’s giant soccer ball — Massport’s 45-foot Guinness World Records attempt is scheduled for Piers Park II in East Boston from June 12–18.

World Cup spillover question — Providence is hoping fans stay, eat and spend here, but the regional payoff will depend on hotel bookings, travel patterns and whether fans make Rhode Island a base or simply pass through.

Fan travel/visa wrinkle — Scotland fans usually have the easier ESTA route, but reports of last-minute ESTA revocations have added uncertainty for some Tartan Army travelers. Ghanaian fans generally face the more formal visitor-visa path.

And before Rhode Islanders start confusing a “piece” with something that requires a police response, here is a wee translation guide…

A Wee Rhode Islander’s Guide to Tartan Army Talk

Football / soccer and everyday terms not quite the same from Scotland to US

Football — Soccer. Always soccer.

Match — What Americans might call a game. For Scottish fans, it’s a match.

Pitch — The field; the grass or artificial surface where the match is played.

Squad — The team or roster of players.

Kit — The uniform: shirt, shorts and socks. There are home kits and away kits.

Stubs — Tickets to the match.

Bounce game — An informal football match, scrimmage, or low-stakes friendly. Not a bouncy house.

Fan life / tailgating / getting around

Sitdoonery — Scottish-style tailgating: sitting, eating, drinking, talking, singing and preparing emotionally for kickoff.

Portaloo — Port-a-potty.

Carry out — Takeout food.

Bin bags — Garbage bags.

Scran — Food.

Piece — A sandwich. In Scotland, “I brought a piece” means lunch. In America, context matters, could mean a gun

Biscuit — A cookie. Not a Southern breakfast biscuit with gravy.

Vuvuzela — A long plastic horn made famous by South African soccer fans; the sound of a stadium being invaded by giant bees. (banned at FIFA World Cup games)

Conversation / attitude  

Aye — Yes.

Naw — No.

Wee — Small, little, or affectionate.

Blether — A chat, usually not a short one.

It matters not a jot — It does not matter at all. You are completely unbothered.

Rammy — A noisy argument, chaotic free-for-all, pub brawl, or messy public fight.

Rocket — Not NASA. In Scottish slang, a rocket is an idiot.

Be careful — words that mean something very different

Pants / trousers — In Scotland, “pants” usually means underpants. What Americans call pants are trousers.

Smoking a fag — Smoking a cigarette. In Scotland/UK usage, ordinary cigarette slang.

Shagging — In some U.S. places, “the shag” is a dance. In Scotland/UK slang, “shagging” usually means having sex.

Spunk — In America, spirit or energy. In Scotland/UK slang, semen. Translation advice: say “energy,” “fight,” or “spark” instead.

Pavement pizza — Vomit on the sidewalk. Highly descriptive. Unfortunately clear.

Food / Scotland-specific

Haggis — A savoury Scottish institution made with sheep’s pluck — heart, liver and lungs — minced with onions, oatmeal and spices, traditionally encased and served in the animal’s stomach. Traditional haggis containing sheep lung is not legal in the U.S., which is why “Make Haggis Legal Again” has become a World Cup-era joke with a tiny policy angle.

By the end of the weekend, Rhode Islanders may still not understand every chant. But they will know this much: if someone asks for a piece near the pitch before the match, they probably just want a sandwich before kickoff.

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Soccer 101: A Quick Guide for New Fans

The object: Score more goals than the other team by getting the ball into the opposing net.

The match: A soccer match is 90 minutes, divided into two 45-minute halves. The referee may add extra “stoppage time” at the end of each half for injuries, substitutions, delays or video review.

The field: In soccer, the field is called the pitch.

The teams: Each team has 11 players on the pitch, including one goalkeeper.

The goalkeeper: The only player who can use hands and arms — but only inside the penalty area near their own goal.

The goal: A goal counts when the entire ball crosses the goal line between the posts and under the crossbar.

No hands: Field players cannot deliberately use their hands or arms to control the ball.

Throw-in: When the ball goes out over the sideline, the other team gets a throw-in.

Corner kick: If the defending team touches the ball last before it goes over its own goal line, the attacking team gets a corner kick.

Goal kick: If the attacking team touches the ball last before it goes over the defending team’s goal line, the defending team gets a goal kick.

Free kick: Awarded after a foul. Some are direct, meaning a player can shoot right at goal; others are indirect, meaning another player must touch the ball before a goal can count.

Penalty kick: Awarded when a defending player commits a foul inside their own penalty area. It is a one-on-one shot from the penalty spot against the goalkeeper.

Yellow card: A warning for misconduct or a serious foul.

Red card: The player is sent off, and the team must continue with one fewer player.

Offside: The trickiest rule. A player can be called offside if they are nearer to the opponent’s goal than both the ball and the second-to-last defender when the ball is played to them — and they are involved in the play. Simple version: no goal-hanging.

Substitutions: Teams can replace players during the match. In major tournaments, the number of substitutions is limited by competition rules.

Draws: In group-stage matches, a game can end tied. Teams receive points: 3 for a win, 1 for a draw, 0 for a loss.

Knockout rounds: Later in the tournament, someone must win. If the match is tied after 90 minutes, it may go to extra time and then penalty kicks.

Extra time: Two additional 15-minute periods played when a knockout match is tied.

Penalty shootout: If still tied after extra time, teams take turns shooting penalty kicks to decide the winner.

Common fan terms

Football: Soccer, everywhere except places like the U.S.

Match: The game.

Pitch: The field.

Squad: The team or roster.

Kit: The uniform — shirt, shorts and socks.

Nil: Zero. A 2–0 score may be said as “two-nil.”

Clean sheet: A shutout; the team allowed no goals.

Own goal: A player accidentally scores into their own team’s net.

Header: Hitting the ball with the head.

Cross: A pass sent across the field toward the goal area.

Striker: A forward whose main job is to score.

Midfielder: A player who connects defense and attack.

Defender: A player whose main job is to stop the other team from scoring.

Keeper: Short for goalkeeper.

The easiest way to watch: Follow the ball, then watch the space. Soccer is about passing, movement, patience and sudden chances.