The meaning and origin of the expression: A game of two halves

A game of two halves

What's the meaning of the phrase 'A game of two halves'?

Circumstances have changed suddenly.

What's the origin of the phrase 'A game of two halves'?

This football (soccer) commentator's cliché refers to games which have a different character in the two halves. The source of the phrase isn't clear. It was in wide use by 1990 when it was listed in a posting in the Usenet newsgroup - rec.sport.soccer. That posting cited a 'soccer dictionary' of 1988/89 as the source.

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