Antes del partido, la portera y la delantera hacían el calentamiento cerca de la portería.

Because del is the mandatory contraction of de + el in Spanish.

• de el partido → del partido
• This contraction is used almost every time de is followed by el

So Antes del partido literally breaks down as before the match.

One important exception: if El is part of a proper name, the contraction is not used, as in de El Escorial.

They are feminine because the sentence is referring to female players.

• el portero = the male goalkeeper
• la portera = the female goalkeeper
• el delantero = the male forward/striker
• la delantera = the female forward/striker

In Spanish, many role nouns change form depending on the gender of the person.

They look similar, but they mean different things:

• la portera = the goalkeeper
• la portería = the goal, goal frame, or goalmouth area depending on context

So in this sentence:

• la portera is a person
• la portería is the physical goal

This is a very common pair for learners to mix up.

Spanish often repeats the article before each noun in a list, especially when talking about specific people.

So:

• la portera y la delantera = the goalkeeper and the forward

This sounds natural in Spanish. Although English often uses the only once, Spanish commonly repeats it.

Hacían is the imperfect form of hacer. The imperfect is often used for:

• background actions
• ongoing actions in the past
• descriptions of what was happening

Here, the warm-up is presented as an activity in progress before the match. It sets the scene.

So the sentence suggests something like:

• Before the match, the goalkeeper and the forward were warming up near the goal.

If you used the preterite, such as hicieron, it would sound more like a completed event: they did the warm-up, rather than describing an ongoing scene.

Spanish often uses hacer + noun where English prefers a simple verb.

Here:

• hacer el calentamiento = to do the warm-up / to warm up

This is a very natural sports expression in Spanish.

You may also hear:

• calentar = to warm up
• estaban calentando = they were warming up

So hacían el calentamiento is not the only possible wording, but it is perfectly natural.

Yes. All of these can work, but they are slightly different in feel.

• hacían el calentamiento = they were doing the warm-up
• calentaban = they were warming up
• estaban calentando = they were in the middle of warming up

The original sentence uses a noun phrase, which sounds very normal in sports contexts. It can suggest the structured pre-match warm-up routine.

Because cerca is followed by de in Spanish.

• cerca de = near
• lejos de = far from

So:

• cerca de la portería = near the goal

This is a fixed pattern that learners need to memorize.

Here, portería refers to the goal in a sport such as football.

Depending on context, it can mean:

• the goal frame
• the goal area
• the place where the goalkeeper stands

In this sentence, cerca de la portería most naturally means near the goal.

The accent mark shows the correct stress and helps separate the vowels.

Without going too deeply into terminology, hacían is pronounced with the stress on -cí-:

• ha-cí-an

The accent helps show that the i and a are pronounced in separate syllables rather than blending together.

This is why:

• hacían = they used to do / they were doing

They are related, but not exactly the same.

• Antes del partido = before the match
• antes de que empezara el partido = before the match started

The first is shorter and more general. The second is more specific and uses a clause with a verb.

In your sentence, Antes del partido is the simpler and most natural option.

Because Antes del partido is an introductory time phrase.

The comma helps separate that opening phrase from the main part of the sentence:

• Antes del partido, la portera y la delantera...

In Spanish, this comma is common and natural, especially in writing. In shorter sentences it can sometimes be omitted, but here it improves clarity.

Yes, it is widely understood in sports Spanish, including Spain, as forward or striker, depending on the sport and context.

In football, delantera usually refers to an attacking player. In some contexts, English striker may be the best translation, while in others forward is better.

Most likely, yes, especially in Spain, because of words like:

• partido = match
• portera = goalkeeper
• delantera = forward
• portería = goal

However, similar vocabulary could also fit other team sports with goals. Still, football is the most likely interpretation.

Yes. Calentamiento has a broader meaning of warming up or heating depending on context.

For example:

• in sports: el calentamiento = the warm-up
• in mechanical or physical contexts: el calentamiento del motor = the warming/heating of the engine

In this sentence, because it is about players before a match, it clearly means a sports warm-up.