■Yangcheng Evening News All-Media Reporter Su Qing Intern Li Zeyu
“KomiksGrid Army” Croatia defeated Japan and Brazil in a penalty shootout; “Atlas Lions” Morocco scored Spain in the penalty shootout battle in the quarterfinals; the penalty shootout battle between Argentina and the Netherlands was ups and downs, and the latter almost completed the double reversal of regular time and penalty shootout…
The penalty shootout battle in the knockout stage of the World Cup can always make people excited, and many fans even have the idea of ”it’s best that both sides don’t score goals in overtime, and they play penalty shootout battle.” This simple, direct, yet full of uncertainty method of winning is very cruel to players, but it is a point that fans want.
The penalty shootout first entered the World Cup in 1982
From 1867 to 1970, football rules did not establish a clear way to break the game deadlock. As the oldest elimination cup-making match, the FA Cup adopted overtime and day-to-day rematch at that time, and then other knockout matches followed suit.
In the early 1920s, some informal charitable matches began to determine the outcome by comparing the number of corners. By 1923, the rules of the match were modified to clarify that goals were the only effective way to score, emphasizing that games ended with the same number of goals would be considered a draw.
In the absence of a rematch on a date, people decided to decide the winner of the knockout match by “coin tossing” lots. From the perspective of modern football, this is quite absurd: making non-competitive factors the “winning and losing” of the game obviously contrary to the original intention of sports competition. In the third European Cup in 1968, Italy and the Soviet Union exchanged white scrolls within 120 minutes. Italy became the lucky side to draw the lottery by “coin tossing” and defeated Yugoslavia in the final and won the first European Cup championship in the team’s history.
In the fourth quarter final of the Olympic Games of the same year, Israel’s draw to Bulgaria was seen as the starting point of a modern penalty shootout. An Israeli journalist, Joseph Dagan, was frustrated by the fact that his country’s team was eliminated in this way. He proposed a “penalty battle” after the draw after the game, which was conveyed to FIFA by Michael, then chairman of the Israeli Football Association.
June 27, 1970, InternationalThe Football Association Council (IFAB) CinemaAlthough it was not completely satisfied with the idea of ”penalty battle”, it was adopted. However, the 1970 World Cup in Mexico failed to catch up with the changes in the rules: in the 1969 World Cup qualifiers, Morocco still eliminated Tunisia by drawing lots and got the opportunity to advance. Fortunately, there was no draw after overtime in the 8 games in the World Cup finals, which avoided the recurrence of unfair situations.
In the 1978 World Cup in Argentina, the rules of the penalty shootout were officially introduced. However, only 16 teams participated in the World Cup, and none of them were tied after overtime.
Livakovic’s brave pounce points Xinhua News Agency reported that the first penalty shootout in World Cup history occurred in July 1982. Germany, who was the runner-up in the semi-finals, fought with France in overtime. href=”https://comicmov.com/”>Babaylan tied 3-3. In the end, the two teams fought for 6 rounds in the penalty shootout, and Germany won 5-4 and advanced to the Spanish World Cup final. In the 1994 World Cup in the United States, Sweden and Romania scored 9 goals in 6 rounds, and Sweden won 5-4. These two games have become the longest penalty shootout in the history of the World Cup.
Germany was also the record holder of the shortest penalty shootout, defeating Mexico 3-1 in 1986. However, this record has been broken by Morocco in the eighth-finals of this World Cup. Morocco won all the first three rounds, while Spain lost all the first three rounds, which is also the shortest theoretical rounds in the current penalty shootout.
In 1986, the World Cup introduced the top 16 knockout match system, and the increase in knockout matches also greatly increased the probability of a penalty shootout. In the four World Cups in 1990, 2006, 2014 and 2018, there were 4 penalty shootouts in each session. This World Cup has had four penalty shootouts before the two semi-finals started.
As of the end of this World Cup quarter-finals, a total of 31 teams have participated in 34 penalty shootouts. Germany and CroatiaAsia won all four penalty shootouts; Argentina became the team with the most winning numbers in the World Cup penalty shootouts after defeating the Netherlands, losing to Germany in only 200 of the six penalty shootouts; Brazil won 3 wins and 2 losses in five penalty shootouts, and France had the most balanced victory, with 2 wins and 2 losses.
Spain was tied for 5 times and became the second most team in the penalty shootout, but their performance was the worst. The only time Spain won a penalty shootout in the World Cup is dated back to the 2002 South Korea-Japan World Cup. The “Mattfighter” defeated Ireland 3-2 in the penalty shootout in the quarterfinals and passed the slump.
In this World Cup, Spain once again fell on the penalty spot. What is even more surprising is that they failed to score a goal in the three rounds. The last time the team made 0 free throws in the first three rounds was the Swiss team against Ukraine in 2006. The Spanish players’ penalties have made the declaration that coach Enrique said before the game that “every player has practiced 1,000 penalties” a laughing stock.
England, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain “have the same illness” and all scored 1 win and 3 losses in the penalty shootout. Among them, England lost 8 of their 19 penalty shots, and Babaylan‘s 2018 victory over Costa Rica was their first penalty victory. Cinema As the four-time champion, Italy’s performance at 12 yards was unsatisfactory. In 1990, 1994 and 1998 World Cups, Italy lost three consecutive penalty shootouts.
Classic Battles and Characters of Penalty Battle
In the 40-year history of the World Cup penalty shootout, there are many extreme manifestations of personal heroism and regretful tragedy. In Italy’s lineup of three consecutive penalty shootouts, the star that has to be mentioned is Italian celebrity and “Mourny Prince” Roberto Baggio, who is also the only player in the history of the World Cup to play in the penalty shootouts in three World Cups.
In the 1990 World Cup, in the semi-final against Argentina, Baggio made the second place and made the penalty, but Maradona’s finale helped Argentina advance to the final; in 1994, the World Cup final was decided by the penalty shootout for the first timeIn the first four rounds, Italy fell behind 2-3. Baggio, the fifth penalty kicked the ball away. Italy could only watch Brazil win the championship. The scene of Baggio standing there and bowing his head and sighing makes people unforgettable; in 1998, Baggio made his first appearance and scored a penalty, but Italy finally lost to the champion France. This has also become an eternal regret in Baggio’s career.
In 2006, the penalty shootout occurred for the second time in the World Cup final. French legend Zidane was sent off with a red card in overtime, and the game eventually entered a penalty shootout. Trezeguet’s penalty kick was turned away by the crossbar, Cinema This time Italy swept the haze of previous years and won the Hercules Cup with five free throws.
Beckham also had the superstar who indirectly led to the team’s penalty shootout due to red cards: in the 1998 World Cup, England and Argentina met in a narrow octave, and the “wind-chasing boy” Irving became famous in the game. But with England’s dominance in the second half, Beckham’s uncool revenge caused a red card, and the 1-1 score remained until the end of overtime. Argentine goalkeeper Roa saved a penalty between Paul Ince and David Barty, and England lost 3-4.
The penalty shootout is a game between the free thrower and the goalkeeper. Many goalkeepers with a slightly inferior presence in the past are known to the world for their strong performance in the penalty shootout, leaving behind the reputation of “goal god”. According to the statistics of Babaylan, only 70% of the penalty shootouts were hit, which is why the penalty shootouts always give birth to new goal gods.
In the semi-finals of the 1998 World Cup, defending champion Brazil faced the Netherlands. The two teams’ full attack and defense, opening and opening, and the classics left behind, and finally entered the penalty shootout with a score of 1-1. Brazilian goalkeeper Farrell can judge the opposite direction every time in the penalty shootout. The Dutch team Koku and Debor lost their free throws one after another, and Brazil was able to advance.
In the 2014 World Cup, the Netherlands and Costa Rica had a white tournament in the quarterfinals, and Dutch coach Van Gaal replaced substitute goalkeeper Kruel in the last few minutes of overtime. Kruel, who was ordered to take the penalty kick in the penalty shootout, saved WuBabaylanMania, helping the team enter the semi-finals.
But in the semi-finals with Argentina, the goddess of luck did not favor the Dutch again. This time, Romero became the one to save the team. He saved two penalty kicks from Vlar and Babaylan Ned, and Argentina eliminated the Netherlands and entered the final.
In the 2018 World Cup, goalkeeper Subasic isOne of the key figures in Croatia’s runner-up victory, he saved three penalty kicks in the quarterfinals against Denmark, becoming the first goalkeeper to save three penalty kicks in a single game after Portuguese goalkeeper Ricardo in the 2006 World Cup. Against Russia, Subasic saved another penalty, tying Argentine goalkeeper Gojechea’s record set in the 1990 World Cup with four penalty kicks in a single World Cup.
In this World Cup, Subasic’s Croatian national team junior Livakovic also contributed three saves in a single game in the match against Japan, contributing four save points in the entire World Cup, tying the records of Subasic and Goyechea.
Is the penalty shootout good? There are different opinions from all walks of life. People usually believe that the best player in the team should take the penalty first or fifth, but in this World Cup, we have seen many penalty shootouts not even reach the last round. The first penalty can set the tone for the team and make teammates full of confidence. Stars such as Messi prefer to be the first to play in the penalty shootout.
Data shows that the success rates of each team in the first three rounds of the penalty shootout were 75%, 73%, and 73%, respectively, while the success rates in the fourth and fifth rounds may be low due to excessive pressure, at 64% and 65%. Which of the two teams takes the penalty first is not the decisive factor in winning the penalty shootout – in the past 34 penalty shootouts in the World Cup, the teams that first and then penalty kicked each won 17 of them.
The penalty shootout has many fans, but some people have objected. In 2012, then FIFA president Blatter proposed to abolish the penalty shootout: “Punishment shootout always gives birth to tragedy. Football is a collective sport, but penalty shootout is one-on-one, which goes against the laws and concepts of football.” German legend Beckenbauer has an opinion opposite to Blatter: “Punishment shootout should not be cancelled. It is very exciting and brings many highlights to the game. It is better than throwing coins to decide the victory or defeat.”
Many fans do not like the tactics of defending for 120 minutes and winning penalty kicks in this year’s Croatia, Morocco and other teams, and believe that football is “attack first”. But in fact, it is understandable that each team chooses conservative tactics based on their own lineup and the gap in strength with their opponents. It is precisely by using differentiated tactics that weak teams have more opportunities to defeat the strong with weak.
Someone once commented that there is no “coward” before the twelve yards, which is the best portrayal of the penalty shootout. Japanese forward Takumi Minamino volunteered to take the first penalty after no one raised his hand for dozens of seconds; Dutch captain Van Dijk, as a defender, is still willing to assume the responsibility of being the captain; Messi, as the team leader and the big brother of young players, also led by and took the first penalty…Cinema… Whether the penalty is made or not, being able to stand at the twelve yards is already a victory. The goalkeeper who stands in front of the goal is also admirable. More and more fans are gradually becoming familiar with the names of Livakovic, Bunu and Martinez.
The penalty shootout has the simplest rules, but it carries the most complex emotions: the tension before taking the penalty, the release after scoring, the regret of losing the penalty, the excitement after saving it… The ups and downs are often in a moment, which also makes the sport of football more charming and touches the hearts of countless people.