As the World Cup group stage gives way to knockout games in Qatar, PK shootouts will inevitably become a factor. For those who prepare accordingly, there are proven ways to gain an edge, writes benlyt
You think fate-deciding shootouts come down to dumb luck? Think again. In Qatar, there'll be mental games aplenty. And the data says that teams would be foolish to come unprepared.The penalty kick is soccer in its purest form: a ball, a goal, a kicker and a goalkeeper. You’d think that any player talented enough to represent their national team would be able to score from 12 yards.
Two years earlier, I had been four minutes away from helping to determine the outcome of a World Cup final. It was 2010, and I was part of a team, along withauthors Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski, and London School of Economics professor Ignacio Palacios-Huerta, that put together a dossier on penalty kicks for the Netherlands ahead of the final against Spain in South Africa.
This might have been the reason for one of England’s most famous shootout disasters, in the 2006 World Cup against Portugal. Even after Wayne Rooney was sent off early in the second half, Portugal was still happy to play for PKs. Sure enough, England had three out of four penalties saved and lost the shootout 3–1.
England also focused heavily on its players’ body language. When midfielder Jordan Henderson was the first to miss a penalty in the inevitable shootout in the round of 16 against Colombia, he did not physically crumble like Stielike. Instead, he walked back to his teammates with his head held high. England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was the first player to hand the ball to his own team’s penalty taker, giving him a friendly start to his pre-kick routine.
Examples of keepers working opponents’ minds are plentiful: There’s Argentina’s trash-talking Emiliano Martínez, who told Colombian kicker Yerry Mina that he knew exactly where he was going to kick it—and then made the save—on the way to winning the 2021 Copa América. There’s Brest’s Gautier Larsonneur, of France, who stood off to the right of his goal to psyche out Neymar in a 2021 Ligue 1 match, with the Brazilian star missing the target entirely.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Vacant housing near World Cup sparks online buzz: 'Different side of Qatar'One World Cup attendee has made it his mission to show the unseen parts of the tournament's host country.
Read more »
Lamborghini Has A Special Pop-Up Lounge In Qatar Just For The World Cup | CarscoopsLamborghini Has A Special Pop-Up Lounge In Qatar Just For The World Cup | Carscoops carscoops
Read more »
Blair: Do Not Criticise Qatar Over World Cup as they Give Us MoneyTony Blair has told Britons not to criticise World Cup hosts Qatar too much, saying that the Arab nation frequently invests in the UK.
Read more »
Qatar World Cup chief reveals 400 migrant worker deathsThe comments have reignited a debate over the treatment of laborers who built over $200 billion worth of structures for the tournament.
Read more »
The Eagles’ grounds crew chief went to Qatar to prepare for hosting the 2026 World Cup“When we built the stadium, we looked at it as, this stadium could host a World Cup,” Leonard said. Now it will host what could be the biggest one in soccer history.
Read more »
U.S. men’s soccer coach, in Qatar for World Cup, named to Newark school’s Hall of FameGregg Berhalter, a member of the Newark prep school's Class of '91, was among 10 inductees Wednesday night, when he gave a videotaped acceptance speech from Qatar, where his team is still alive in soccer's quadrennial tournament
Read more »