World Cup Word of the Day: To be flat
This phrase is used to describe a poor performance by a team particularly when they are expected to do well. The use of the word flat suggests that the team were unable to play at a high level but instead played below the level of expectation. This may be because the team is tired and so we can say that the team looks sluggish or flat or that their performance was flat.
- Example: Italy looked flat in their 0-1 defeat to Costa Rica and many felt that this could have been due to previously playing in Manaus.