Stepping up to take a penalty requires a certain level of self-confidence, be that in a Sunday League game or the heat of Premier League competition. When placing the ball on a spot, belief is required by the bucket load that the back of any given net will be hit.
If doubts are allowed to creep in, then a battle of wills begins to tip in favour of an opposition goalkeeper. After all, they have nothing to lose as the emphasis is on the shooter not to make a mess of things. Opportunities to find the target at any level of the game do not come much more golden.
Chances
Plenty have mastered said art down the years, with their mere presence allowing favour to be earned in free football betting tips as their respective sides go in search of precious points and prestigious trophies. A competent penalty taker can be the difference between winning and losing, particularly in contests where chances are few and far between or a shootout is required in which to determine a victor.
Nobody is perfect and even the finest exponents of putting away penalties have fluffed their lines on occasion. Such misdemeanours can, for the most part, be forgiven if the ball is struck cleanly, on target and forces those operating between the sticks to work for their money.
There are, however, some instances in which failing from the spot is unforgivable. Failing to work the keeper – with efforts sent high, wide and not very handsome – will forever be a source of frustration for fans and team-mates, while trying to be too clever can also deliver plenty of eggs to unfortunate faces.
World Cup Final – 2006. Italy playing against France.
7′: Foul on Malouda, Zidane steps up to take a penalty.
It’s Zidane vs Buffon, people all over the world looking at this duel, and Zizou doing this. Madness.
One of the greatest penalty kicks ever 🙌 pic.twitter.com/vf2W0hH2GH
— Chelsea Thing (@gimmechelsea) April 14, 2020
The divisive Panenka penalty blurs those lines between clever and cocky, with there always a very serious threat that such an attempt can backfire. It can look spectacular when delivered correctly, with Zinedine Zidane clipping in off the underside of the crossbar in the 2006 World Cup final and Andrea Pirlo making a mug of Joe Hart at Euro 2012.
Sometimes, though, things go very badly wrong. Just ask former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker Javier Hernandez. Chicharito, as he is commonly known, stepped up from 12 yards during a recent outing for MLS side the LA Galaxy. Things did not play out as planned.
With the decision taken while running up to strike the ball that he was going to dink it down the middle, the Mexico international could only watch on in horror as the man he was hoping to beat stood his ground and scooped up the tamest of strikes.
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John Pulskamp read the mind of Chicharito. 🤯
Denied the hat trick and stoppage-time winner from the penalty spot. pic.twitter.com/Ov6zbnOiyh
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 5, 2022
Nightmare
Hernandez was quick to offer apologies for his nightmare moment, saying: “It’s a mental game and I dared to take the shot, and the responsibility of not getting the two [extra] points falls on me. I accept it, one hundred per cent.”There is, however, quite the case for suggesting that he has delivered the worst Panenka attempt ever seen. His effort came in the 97th minute, with the game tied at 2-2. He had also successfully converted a spot-kick a few minutes earlier and found himself sat on a hat-trick. An ill-advised lapse in judgement cost the Galaxy two points, Chicharito a match ball and an unfortunate spot on bloopers reels everywhere. Ouch!
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