Listen here: To crumble.mp3
This week’s English for football is ‘to crumble‘. This phrase means to fall apart, to break into many chaotic pieces, to collapse. In football this phrase is used to describe a team that loses because their defence crumbled, or collapsed. Usually the team has been under a lot of pressure and when the opposing team scores one goal, the defence loses confidence and crumbles allowing more goals to be scored. Last weekend in the Premier League, West Ham United were winning 2-0, but their defence crumbled after Wayne Rooney of Manchester United scored from a free kick to make it 2-1. West Ham’s confidence was broken and the team crumbled and lost the game 2-4. To crumble
Example: Swans calm as Eagles crumble (Straits Times 2020 March 1st)
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Learn English Through Football Podcast: A show for football fans to improve their English language skills
