After his team suffered a humiliating defeat

[Bassim]

I am wondering if my sentences is grammatically correct.

After his team suffered a humiliating defeat, the manager told journalists he felt like a crushed flower.

Is it possible to use the following phrases with the same meaning:

After his team conceded a humiliating defeat...
After his team faced a humiliating defeat..

 

[emsr2d2]

Neither of your suggestions carries the same meaning. The first isn't grammatical.

After his team conceded 16 goals in their humiliating defeat ...
After his team faced a humiliating defeat, they really pulled their socks up and scored nine goals in the second half.

If a team is not in the lead during a game/match, they are "facing defeat" but they're only facing it until the game/match is over.

 

[Bassim]

Does "felt like a crushed flower" do not sound natural?

Do I need past perfect in the first part of my sentence like this?
After his team had suffered a humiliating defeat...

 

[emsr2d2]

Does "felt like a crushed flower" do not sound natural?

Do I need past perfect in the first part of my sentence like this?
After his team had suffered a humiliating defeat...

The ending phrase sounds a bit wishy-washy/flimsy for a football manager!

You don't have to use the past perfect in the first part but it wouldn't be wrong.

 

[Matthew Wai]

http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/american_english/sustain?q=sustain

To sustain a defeat.

 

[Bassim]

emsr2d2,

Actually, I listened to the Croatian veteran basketball player commenting the defeat the Croatian basketball team suffered by the Russian, and expressing his disappointment. In original, he used a phrase combining urine and flower, but I didn't know how to translate that phrase to sound a proper English.
I can try to write it, but I am not sure how it sounds in English.

He told journalists he felt like a pissed upon flower.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Like a wilted flower.

 

[emsr2d2]

We have an idiom that's used when you're excited about something and then someone comes along and says or does something that takes away your excitement or spoils your fun. I guess that could apply to a football manager who thought his team would win and then the other team spoiled that plan by beating them! The idiom is:

to rain on someone's parade

There's a similar one used in my family (though I've rarely heard it anywhere else): to piss on someone's brushfire

Jane: I'm so excited. I've got a date on Friday night?
Sarah: Who with?
Jane: With Dave, the cute guy from IT.
Sarah: The one with really bad breath?
Jane: Um, I don't know. I haven't got that close yet.
Sarah: Oh, well, um, pretend I didn't say anything.
Jane: Anything else I should know?
Sarah: He has really smelly feet and he's married.
Jane: Right. Thanks. That's really pissed on my brushfire!
Sarah: Sorry!

 

[Bassim]

Thank you for your suggestion. My problem is how to write a correct sentence using the idiom above.

Would this version be OK?

After his team suffered a humiliating defeat, the manager told journalists he felt as if it had rained on his parade.

 

[emsr2d2]

No. Let's say he's the manager of Arsenal.

After his team suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of St Agnes, the Arsenal manager told journalists that the bottom-division team had really rained on his parade!