come up short

If they come up short, the city and state have agreed to make up the difference with taxpayer dollars.

Half the 18 women on the U.S. roster have come up short in a previous Olympic tournament and 10 played in last summer’s World Cup, which the U.S. exited in the round of 16 for the first time.

He deserves credit and respect for the manner in which he has restored England to the later rounds of major tournaments while repairing a badly damaged reputation, but it is also hard to escape the sense it may now be time for fresh voices to revitalise a squad that is rich in promise but has come up short too often.

We’ve come up short a couple of times, but improvements are being made and we’re right there.”

Because anytime we come up short, the consequences are wide-ranging.