It’s seemingly very difficult to succeed in major international tournaments now if you’re not comfortable from the penalty spot. France won the 2018 World Cup without facing a dreaded shootout, but Croatia – the team they would take on in the final – would have to endure two of them… beating hosts Russia and Denmark.
England supporters will recall the Euro 2020 final – the rescheduled tournament, played in 2021, saw Italy down the Three Lions in a penalty shootout in the final. And, of course, then there was the World Cup 2022 final – a pulsating clash between Argentina and France ending 3-3 after extra time, with the South Americans finally edging ahead of Les Bleus from the penalty spot.
Scoring from 12 yards should, in theory, be simple for a professional footballer – but when you add intense pressure into the mix, of course the act of netting in a penalty shootout becomes all the more difficult.
For many years, England have struggled from the spot. They lost their first six shootouts in major tournament play, with defeats at the World Cup in 1990 and Euro ’96 particularly hard to bear. But since then, the Three Lions have won three of their last four shootouts – vital to their chances of finally getting their hands on a major trophy. And, here’s how they’ve done it…
Facing Your Fears
Having missed one of those decisive spot-kicks against Italy in 2021, Bukayo Saka was subject to foul racist taunts on social media – he could have been forgiven from walking away from England altogether. But he soldiered on, and when England found themselves facing a shootout with Switzerland at EURO 2024, Saka was one of the first to put his hand up to take the penalty.
He despatched it with an eerie calm alien to the suffering he had previously experienced, before celebrating his moment of redemption with a smile that lit up Dusseldorf Arena. It was an attitude that perhaps sums up what it takes to be a successful penalty taker – aside from the technical element of shooting the ball where you want it to go, there’s the self-belief required to tell yourself that you’re not going to miss.
All five England players scored against the Swiss, ultimately meaning that Jordan Pickford’s save from Manuel Akanji was the match-winning moment. `that’s a milestone in itself: that was only the second time in a century that all five of England’s takers had scored in a single shootout.
The success of England from 12 yards under Gareth Southgate is no coincidence. In years gone by, many head coaches had labelled penalty shootouts as a ‘lottery’, or that the kicks could not be practiced under the requisite pressure. But not Southgate. He brought in a ‘game insights’ lead, Chris Markham, whose responsibility was to determine the best possible penalty-taking technique for each player.
It wasn’t simply telling them to aim for the corners or blast it down the middle – everything from run-up angle and pace to breathing techniques were trained to ensure the England players were prepared for any eventuality should a shootout be required. Based upon the improvement in England’s success rate from the spot, the change in mindset has proven to be a resounding success.
Where Is the Best Place to Hit a Penalty?
Prior to the 2024 edition of the European Championship, there had been 232 penalties taken at the Euros. Some 22 of them missed the target altogether, while another 32 have been saved. Of those, ten were saved by the goalkeeper diving to his right, two while remaining stationary in the middle of the goal, while the remaining 20 were saved by a keeper diving low to their left-hand side.
Based on that evidence, not shooting low and to the goalkeeper’s left is a smart idea – however, plenty of Euros penalties have been scored by those tucking their shot into the corner of the net, making it impossible for the goalkeeper to reach.
Here’s an interesting fact: 30 penalties have been shot on target at the European Championships straight down the middle third of the goal – 28 of them have nestled in the back of the net, which is a success rate of 93%. That seems a viable strategy for any penalty-taker to follow.
Historically, striking a penalty into the top corner of the net has been the best strategy. However, that brings with it risks – hitting the woodwork, or missing the goal altogether, which explains why many, with the pressure on, opt for a more conservative tactic. Ultimately, perhaps the best place to strike a penalty kick is in the direction that the goalkeeper is least expecting from you.
Forewarned Is Forearmed
Jordan Pickford is just one goalkeeper that has taken to writing the likely directions of each opponent’s penalty kick on his water bottle.
Jordan Pickford’s water bottle penalty cheat sheet revealed #Euro2024https://t.co/vcpjY5pvKg
— The Sun Football ⚽ (@TheSunFootball) July 7, 2024
The cheat sheet has delivered the necessary pay-off, with Pickford saving from Akanji at EURO 2024 – his water bottle instructions told him to dive left – and against several other takers in years gone by. The Everton shot-stopper has saved 4/14 in shootouts for England – an outstanding ratio that significantly increases his side’s chances of winning.
The data that Pickford uses is freely available in the public domain, with information of penalties taken at both club and international level collated by the analysis department of any team seeking an extra edge.
Footballers are, like most human beings, creatures of habit – that explains why they shoot their penalties into the same corner every time they step up to the spot. But in an era of Pickfords and forward-thinking analysts, isn’t that the most dangerous strategy of them all?
Indeed, maybe the smartest place to hit a penalty is the part of the net that you DON’T normally aim for – Pickford, presumably, will dive the wrong way based upon the notes on his water bottle. The penalty shootout is the ultimate test of game theory in football. Doing the unexpected, as is often the case in sport and even the business world, can be the most successful ploy of them all.
