FIFA 2010 & the Penalty Shootout Pressure
Named a lottery by critics, the penalty shootout is that nail-biting moment in a soccer match when the 90 minute whistle blows and after 2 extra time sessions, if the scores remain tied then five players from each side take a kick. However if the scores remain levelled a “sudden-death” process starts where whichever team takes a one goal lead wins.
The penalty kick, is in fact a do or die moment where two athletes face each other, knowing that a single kick is about to decide their teams’ fate.
Statistics shows that there is more than a 50 percent chance that the winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, which kicks off on June 11th, will have to survive a penalty shootout in route to the final.
This split second moment can make a player an instant hero or become the dullest moment of their sporting career.
From the Italian Forward Roberto Baggio, one of the best players of the 1994 FIFA World Cup who missed his shoot out against Brazil in the final or England’s Stuart Pearce who in the 1990 edition shared the same fate against Germany, that day and moment of their career still haunts them.
Pertinent to mention here is that four of the last five World Cup winners have had to come through a shootout during one of their four knockout game.
If we look at team stats in terms of success rates achieved in penalty shootouts, Germany truly stands out, as they have won all four of their recent shootouts. The last time a German missed his shootout was 28 years back when the German defender, Uli Stielike missed a shootout in Spain.
In comparison, England has lost all three of their World Cup shootouts while the Swiss, Mexicans, Romanians and Dutchmen have yet to win a shootout.
Thus it is said that coaches going to South Africa will spend much time research and training their players to handle that psychological pressure at the time when it matters the most.
However one interesting fact for all you soccer lovers out there is the fact that sixty percent of shootouts are won by the team going first, thus the captain who wins the coin toss grabs a clear advantage before the ball is even kicked.
If we study closely, each team has it own unique style of conducting penalty shootouts. The English, Spanish, Italian and Dutch player take kicks quicker than players from any other country, reflecting their desire to get them over as soon as possible.
Germany are said to have a database of more than 10,000 penalties, which they are said to use when approached with such a situation.
Thus all being said, it is expected that in the 2010 edition of the FIFA world cup, taking place in South Africa all eyes will be on how well teams cope up with pressure. As the stakes are raised, and soccer stars from all across the world come to south Africa representing their respective countries, as they battle it out through June having only one goal in sight; Who will take home the 36 cm tall trophy made of solid 18-carat gold – truly a fitting prize for the world’s best football team.
So here’s to an entertaining and nail biting month, which is sure to win as well as break many hearts around the world as teams have start reaching different cities of South Africa to kick the 2010 FIFA World Cup set to start on the 11th of June.
The organizing committee of the FIFA say that all preparations have been made and match tickets have received over whelming response as fans from across the globe are arriving in South Africa to cheer their teams and hero’s. The countdown to the world’s biggest football extravaganza has begun!
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