John Terry, one of the best soccer players in the world, steps up to take the penalty shot that will win Chelsea the prestigious Champions League Final. He takes a moment and then approaches the ball. Thousands of fans are screaming and the stadium is rocking viciously. The environment could not be more hostile. […]
Gareth Southgate: “I’ve only taken one penalty before, for Crystal Palace at Ipswich. It was 2-2 in the 89th minute, I hit the post and we went down that year . But I think I’d be far more comfortable now than I was then”, said shortly before England’s penalty shootout loss to Germany in Euro […]
So for once, England’s fate will not be decided by penalties in the World Cup. Their early exit at the group stage has saved as the agony of the dreaded penalty shootout, which the England team have a troublesome history to contend with in major tournaments. A bank of confidence it is certainly not, with just one […]
The penalty kick is widely considered the most anxiety-provoking situation in all of football. Whether it be a schoolyard match at the local grade school or the final of the World Cup, the pressure on the goalkeeper or the shooter can cause players to second-guess their abilities, shatter their confidence, and ultimately fail the situation […]
Penalites. It is one of the cruellest methods of deciding a victor in any sport. Both ecstasy and agony in a heartbeat. A hero and a villain. One team running to celebrate with dedicated fans, and another team in despair, disappearing down a dark tunnel. After 120 minutes of intense end-to-end football the game must […]
Continuing with the theme of penalties, this time I will explore whether there is any skill involved in goalkeepers trying to save them or whether it is pure chance. Firstly, it is important to point out an important difference between amateurs and experts. An amateur performer in ‘ball’ sports tends to focus on the trajectory of the […]