The penalty shootout is a miniature version of a match, consisting of several seconds of pressure. The stadium descends into a quieter place. The objective is more compact in size. Each player who steps up must bear the burden of the team and the potential of being the hero or goat.
The Walk and the Wait
Getting to the centre circle is the longest stretch most times. Legs feel heavier. Breathing becomes deliberate. Some players fix their eyes on the ball, others on the ground. Before training and experience set in, doubt creeps in.
The kicker has to choose either to ‘play the set piece’ or be influenced by the goalkeeper. Excessive thinking is an enemy. The best takers empty the mind, and they boil it down to a trio of simple actions: run-up, contact, follow-through.
For the Goalkeeper, a Different Pressure
The goalkeeper has to decide on a direction, make a decision, and then deal with the consequence. Understanding the circumstances and the feeling to make a save that can save the night. Often the edge rests with the keeper, who can not react too quickly and can get the taker to make a decision.
Eventually, a shootout isn’t so much a skill as an affair of the mind being in hot water. The winner of the players becomes the action smaller and smaller again. Those who’ve had trouble let the magnitude of the moment get in the way of the easy job at hand.
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