NIEDERLAGE 

Mannschaft erleidet eine Niederlage =  team came up short/empty; squad came up with the short end of the stick; we came off second best; opponent throws cold water over (losing team)  

das war eine Demontage/eine große Pleite; sie haben uns in Grund und Boden gespielt = we got wiped out/blotted out/destroyed/killed/ thumped/belted/mauled/thrashed/routed/clobbered/pummeled/crushed/trounced by (winning team); they blew us away; (losing squad) was blown out, and it wasn’t even close; we got whooped/whupped; team got punched/hit in the mouth; that was a total dismantling; team received a reality check

wir haben die Hucke vollgekriegt = they kicked our butts/backs/asswhooped us (slightly vulgar); they whooped our behinds

wir/sie sind baden gegangen/wir wurden nach Strich und Faden abgewatscht = they mopped the floor with us;  that was a good old fashion butt kicking; it was a demolition job of (losing team); team suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of (winner); all of a sudden team went into meltdown

Spiel ging in letzter Minute/in den letzten Sekunden verloren = that was a last-gasp/last-minute loss; they beat us right on the buzzer schon wieder den Sieg knapp verpasst = we just let the game slip away; team faces familiar song: the loss was a heartbreaker/ gutwrencher; it was close but then not good enough; we failed at the finish line; team faltered in the clutch/didn’t come through in the clutch; team rallied/battled back but came up short; team was pipped at the post; the squad suffered an agonizing defeat; it was a drama-charged defeat; we came within an ace of winning the game;  we’re way too often on the wrong end of close losses

Wir waren so nah dran! =  we came “oh soooo” close to winning the championship/game 

diese Niederlage tat richtig weh   = that was a gut-wrenching/painful setback; this loss stung/hurt  

in der Kabine hing der Haussegen nach der ersten Niederlage schief = after the defeat the mood/atmosphere in the locker room was pretty much downbeat 

das war die erste Niederlage der Saison = team handed (opponent) their first loss of the season

Mannschaft hat auswärts (irgendwo im Norden des Landes) verloren = team went south (i.e. lost) in the North (of the country)

am Ende hat es nicht gereicht = team rallied/battled back but came up short; squad almost pulled out a stunner (upset) after trailing for the majority of the night; team suffered an agonizing defeat; it was a  drama-charged loss; squad petered out/fizzled out  at the end

nicht einmal unser Wunderspieler (Superstar) konnte die Kastanien aus dem Feuer holen = not even our miracle player (superstar) could get team over the hump  

die Mannschaft wird durchgereicht/kommt unter die Räder  = team gets slapped around//smacked around; team’s freefall continues; side/outfit is sent into a downward spiral/went into meltdown; they got picked apart by opponent; it was a heavy/resounding defeat; side was left red-faced by weaker opponent; a strong team gave (opponent) a real beatdown 

nach den ersten 20 Minuten war das Spiel für uns schon aus =  team was done after the first 20 minutes

wir haben uns nicht mit Ruhm bekleckert = we were weary and distracted; we lost big-time  

Trainer übernimmt Verantwortung für Niederlage = coach takes blame for loss on his own shoulders; coach holds himself accountable for loss

Mannschaft versucht/probiert, die Niederlage gut wegzustecken = the loss doesn’t put a damper on our spirit; side shrugs off defeat; this loss should be a wake-up call/real eye-opener for us; first of all let it sink in; let’be honest, it sucks to lose; it's a no-brainer that the defeat didn’t spark joy; the guys handled the loss well;  we should be generous in defeat; even the coach seemed to have remained unfazed by the loss  

Schwamm drüber nach knapper Niederlage = we’ve got to move on, this game is done and over with; we are not that good so we’d better take a reality check; team hopes to rebound

Mannschaft wird nach Niederlage umgestellt = coach to shake up lineup after defeat 

Trainer ist fassungslos  = trainer was left stunned/spooked/shocked/floored after surprise loss on home floor/in own arena

Trainer wollte nicht hadern = the coach refused/declined to dwell on the many missed goal opportunities

der Trainer muss neue Wege einschlagen/sich neue Laufwege ausdenken = coach has to bolster training with a few new drills/routines 

aufgrund der dürftigen Ergebnisse könnte ein Trainerwechsel stattfinden = after too many losses a coach swap/change is brewing/in the offing

Niederlage/schwache Leistung wird aufgearbeitet/analysiert = we should dwell on/stew on/second-guess (US) the game; coach reviews/ does a post-mortem of the the game with team; this horrendous defeat prompted some soul-searching within the team; it’s a chance to re-evaluate the match and take stock; team needs to digest the  loss; coach holds a “truth session”; national coach has completed his review of the 7:1/6:0 drubbing at the hands of (name team); experts are still busy trying to second-guess the dismal/spotty/poor  playoff performance after a great season; we just have to figure out/work out what went wrong; loss leaves team searching for answers; we shouldn’t treat defeats as a mere blip

es gab einige positive Erkenntnisse nach der Niederlage = there were a few positives to pluck/take away from the loss; one huge positive has emerged from the game; the lessons that can be learned from tonight’s game are many; with the game already lost team did manage to salvage some pride at the end of the game

"hätte, würde, könnte”; “hätte, hätte, Fahrradkette” (Chance verpasst) = it’s no use to dwell on what “should have” (shoulda), “could have” (coulda) or “would have” (woulda)  happened, had we done things differently; we should have known better; there is no need to have a regret/remorse surge; no use crying over spilled milk; we are obviously frustrated after the loss but there is no need to ride the emotional roller-coaster; it’s no use dealing  with the what-ifs/maybes

wir verlieren nur = team has dropped six of eight dating to a Christmas Day defeat at (name opponent); team is in a downswing/hits a rocky patch/is on a losing streak; team is getting tired of losing, and it’s frustrating; game ended with a disappointing note/on a down note; opponent inflicts more pain on (name team on losing streak); ); losing becomes a habit/losing gets old quick 

schon wieder befinden wir uns auf der Verliererstraße  = team is again on the verge/brink of defeat; opponent has squad on the ropes; already rocking at the outset, side was soon floored

unsere Mannschaft ist tief gefallen = it was a remarkable fall from grace for our squad

Wie kommen wir aus diesem Tief heraus?  = How do we steer out of this stunning tailspin? 

nach dieser enttäuschenden Schlappe/Klatsche/Watsche müssen wir uns wieder aufrappeln  = we need to dig deep and go/come out swinging after taking a butt-kicking like this; team looks to get back on track after a stunning/disappointing loss; team is dead set on/intent on washing the taste out of a previous defeat; team followed a great win with a dud; "we’ve got to find out how to scratch out that elusive win”, the coach said

Spieler/in muss sich vom Rückschlag erholen = player needs to compose himself/ herself again 

wegen Fehlentscheidungen von Schiedsrichtern war Niederlage unverdient; Trainer/Spieler schimpfen über Schiris = we were robbed/ cheated by some referee calls; there were too many lame calls; coach rips/slams no-call by referees at end of game, says foul was “clear as day”; players vent about refs after loss 

Schiedsrichter versuchten, den Trainer zu beruhigen  = refs attempted to soothe the coach’s anger

zu viele Spieler sind verletzt = the starting lineup has been shackled by injuries and indecisions; injuries have contributed to the team’s slump

Mannschaft hat einige Rückschläge hinnehmen müssen = team has taken its fair share of knocks; team has to face the music

einige Bezeichnungen für Mannschaften, die sehr oft verlieren = perennial losers are referred to as doormats, whipping boys, easy marks, secondrates

Mannschaft muss sich (leider) mit Niederlage(n) abfinden  = when the funk gets out of our bodies, we’ll be fine; team can salve its wounds and begin regrouping/picking itself up; the pain of the drubbing still lingers; a subdued coach was dejected/cut a forlorn figure after the loss/ setback; it was a demoralising afternoon/night for (losing team); it was a brutal defeat/tough pill to swallow;  the disappointing loss/ defeat was a reality check/was an absolute horror show for the team

Superstar will sich nicht wieder mit Niederlage abfinden  = superstar doesn’t want to sit on a loss again

mit den vielen Niederlagen kommen Spieler mental nicht zurecht  = some players are  increasingly affected/impacted by this string of losses; losing streak is starting to take a toll on players; players try hard to overcome the psychological hurdle of too many defeats; we need to restore some pride/order 

uns versagen die Nerven zu oft = we have mental lapses/nerves too many times; we need to do a better job staying up mentally 

wir haben das Trauma vom letzten Jahr noch nicht überwunden, aber wir müssen Einiges wiedergutmachen = team is still haunted by/ couldn’t erase the stigma of last year’s nightmare; some players dwell on the past as they long for payback/retribution