Team A has played well but they lost

[EngLearner]

Team A is playing against team B, and John is one of the commentators describing events in the game as it unfolds. When the game reaches the end, and the referee blows his whistle, John says:

1. The referee blows his whistle to signal full-time and team B's players celebrate their last-gasp winner. The score is 1 to 2. Team A has played well, but they lost because team B has better players with more astute tactics. What an amazing match!

2. ...The score is 1 to 2. Team A has played well, but they've lost because team B has better players with more astute tactics. What an amazing match!

3. ...The score is 1 to 2. Team A played well, but they lost because team B has better players with more astute tactics. What an amazing match!

In this case, John would say either #1 or #2, but not #3. Am I right?

EDIT: I wrote the above three examples. I'm the author.

 

[emsr2d2]

Who wrote those three example sentences? If it was you, remember to make that clear in post #1. If it wasn't you, you must provide the source and author of each.

 

[EngLearner]

Who wrote those three example sentences? If it was you, remember to make that clear in post #1. If it wasn't you, you must provide the source and author of each.

I've added the information you requested to post #1.

 

[Rover_KE]

If you're writing about football (AE soccer), commentators and newspaper reporters in the UK don't say 'The score is 1 to 2'.

They'd say 'Fulham [the home team] have played well but lost two-one (pronounced two one) because Chelsea [the away team] have better players with more astute tactics'.

 

[EngLearner]

If I express it like this:

The referee blows his whistle to signal full-time and Chelsea's players celebrate their last-gasp winner. Fulham have played well, but [they've lost]/[they lost] two-one because Chelsea have better players with more astute tactics.

Are both tenses appropriate here?

 

[emsr2d2]

Given that the piece starts with the [historical] present, the present perfect should be used in the second sentence.

 

[teechar]

but [they've lost]/[they lost] two-one

I'm okay with either. Often, when we give details/extra information after a present perfect clause, we use the past simple.