Search
Follow me:

Languagecaster weekly football phrase: To crumble

Every week during the 2010-11 season, the languagecaster team explain a football phrase or cliche for learners of English who love the beautiful game of football. This week we look at the word ‘crumble‘ which is often used when a team loses after being in front. Click on the link below to hear the word or phrase and you can also read the transcript below that. You can find many more examples by going to our football phrase page here football cliches here and our huge football glossary here.

Listen here: To crumble.mp3

Embed from Getty Images

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)

Check out our glossary of footballing phrases here and if you have any suggestions, contact us at admin@languagecaster.com

Contact Us

    Learn English Through Football Podcast
    Learn English Through Football Podcast
    Damian Fitzpatrick

    Learn English Through Football Podcast: A show for football fans to improve their English language skills

    Hosted by
    grell

    I was born and brought up near Chester in the north west of England. I have always loved playing and talking about sport, especially football!
    Google | Facebook | Twitter | Mail | Website

    Join the discussion

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    More from this show

    Rainbow Laces

    Football Language: Rainbow Laces

    In this football language post we look at the phrase 'rainbow laces' which has been in the news over the past week thanks to the...

    C