How do you use "Park the bus" in a sentence?

They just parked the bus for 90 minutes. You can't break down a team that parks the bus. Mourinho's teams are famous for parking the bus.

Park the bus

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★☆ Common Casual

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Meaning: To play extremely defensively; to prioritise not conceding over attacking.

所有球员退守球门前方的极端防守战术。

Jugar de forma extremadamente defensiva con todos los jugadores detrás del balón.

全選手をボールの後ろに置く極端な守備戦術。

극도로 수비적으로 플레이하는 것; 공격보다 실점 방지를 우선시하는 전술.

When a team 'parks the bus,' they put all players behind the ball, clog the penalty area, and focus entirely on preventing goals rather than scoring. The image is of a giant bus blocking the goal. It's often used critically—parking the bus is seen as cynical, anti-football, the opposite of 'the beautiful game.' However, it can also be pragmatic: if you're winning 1-0 against a better team, why not?

「parking the bus」是足球中的终极防守战术——几乎所有球员都退到球的后面，封堵球门。球队在保护领先优势或面对强队时会这样做。批评者认为这是反足球；务实派认为这很聪明。

«Parking the bus» es la táctica defensiva definitiva del fútbol: colocar a casi todos los jugadores detrás del balón, bloqueando la portería. Los equipos lo hacen cuando defienden una ventaja o contra un rival superior. Los críticos lo ven como antifútbol; los pragmáticos lo ven como inteligente.

「parking the bus」はサッカー究極の守備戦術——ほぼ全選手をボールの後ろに置き、ゴールを固める。リードを守る時や格上との対戦時に行う。批判者はアンチフットボールと見なし、実利主義者は賢い戦術と見る。

팀이 '버스를 주차한다(park the bus)'는 것은 모든 선수를 공 뒤에 배치하고, 페널티 지역을 꽉 채우며, 득점보다 실점 방지에만 전념하는 것을 뜻한다. 골문을 막는 거대한 버스의 이미지다. 비판적으로 사용되는 경우가 많은데—버스 주차는 비겁하고 반축구적이며, '아름다운 경기'의 정반대로 여겨진다. 하지만 실용적일 수도 있다: 더 강한 팀을 상대로 1-0으로 이기고 있다면, 안 할 이유가 있을까?

Examples

They just parked the bus for 90 minutes.
他们整场都在摆大巴
Aparcaron el autobús todo el partido
「試合中ずっと引いて守っていた」
그들은 90분 내내 버스를 주차했어.
You can't break down a team that parks the bus.
十个人缩在球后面——完全的摆大巴
Diez hombres detrás del balón, puro cerrojo
「10人がボールの後ろ——完全にバスを停めてる」
버스를 주차한 팀을 깨기는 어려워.
Mourinho's teams are famous for parking the bus.
穆里尼奥的球队以摆大巴闻名
Los equipos de Mourinho son famosos por echar el cerrojo
「モウリーニョのチームはバス停め戦術で有名だ」
무리뉴의 팀은 버스 주차 전술로 유명하지.

Pronunciation

/pɑːk ðə bʌs/

Usage Guide

Context: football, tactics, criticism

Tone: critical, tactical

✓ Do Say

Parked the bus
摆大巴
echar el cerrojo
バスを停める＝守備固め
버스를 세웠다 = 수비에만 집중했다
Parking the bus
摆大巴战术
cerrojo
ドン引き守備
버스 세우기 전술
Classic bus-parking
摆了大巴
echaron el cerrojo
守備を固めた
전형적인 수비 축구

✗ Don't Say

Using it to describe any defensive play is imprecise—it means extreme defence
通常带贬义——暗示无聊的足球
Normalmente es peyorativo, implica fútbol aburrido
通常は批判的——つまらないサッカーを意味する
단순한 수비 전술이 아니라 극단적인 수비만을 뜻함—정확하게 사용할 것

Common Mistakes

Specifically means very defensive play, not just 'playing defence'
Associated with Mourinho but predates his usage

Origin & History

The phrase was popularised by José Mourinho during his time at Chelsea, though he didn't coin it. He accused other teams of 'parking the bus' against his Chelsea side. The phrase emerged in British football commentary in the 2000s. Mourinho himself later employed the tactic, and 'park the bus' became synonymous with his pragmatic, defensive approach.

Etymology: Football commentary metaphor, 2000s

First recorded: Early 2000s

Cultural Context

Era: 2000s onwards

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Mourinho's Chelsea and Inter Milan

Regional notes: Universal football term, originated in British football.

Story & Trivia

When Chelsea visited Barcelona in 2012 Champions League semi-finals, they put on one of the most famous bus-parking performances ever. Down to 10 men, they defended desperately for the entire second leg, held on, and went to the final—which they won. It was either cynical anti-football or heroic defending, depending on your perspective.

Variations

Park the busParking the busBus-parking