EURO 2024
How England changed their penalty mentality
Just like the five shots confidently dispatched to beat Switzerland on Saturday, England’s conversion from one of the worst-performing countries in penalty shootouts to the current, confident unit, has nothing to do with luck.
England’s penalty problems are well documented and when Gareth Southgate took over as manager in 2016 he knew breaking that negative association was one of his most important tasks.
Ironically, it was his miss in the Euro 96 semi-final against Germany, or more specifically his decision to put his hand up to take a penalty when he was patently under-qualified to do so, that was at the heart of England’s problems.
Former defender-turned pundit Gary Neville spoke last week about how the kickers at the 2006 World Cup were decided by a casual competition in training that ended up with centre back Jamie Carragher among the nominated five.
In the quarter-final shootout against Portugal, he missed the decisive kick at the second attempt after taking his first before the referee had blown his whistle.
That casual approach and consequent regular failing was the background to the FA launching a remarkable plan to investigate everything about England’s relationship with shootouts, something applauded by Norwegian behavioural psychologist Geir Jordet in his book “Pressure. Lessons from the psychology of the penalty shootout”.
“I was surprised and ecstatic when I heard what they were doing because I hadn’t ever seen anything like it,” Jordet told Reuters in a recent interview.
The key man was Chris Markham, who spent four years as an analyst at the FA and was behind the 18-month project targeted specifically at winning a shootout at the 2018 World Cup on the back of losing five in a row.
“I found quotes from each of the last five England managers before Gareth Southgate, not including Sam Allardyce, that said either the penalty shootout was a lottery, penalties are all down to luck, or that you can’t practice that kind of pressure,” Markham told Jordet.
“From a psychological perspective, speaking about a lottery takes ownership away from the players and that was the thing for me, to give them it back.”
Southgate bought in to Markham’s vision, that drilled down to the minutia of the process, including run-up steps, angle, pace, breathing techniques, optimal areas of aiming and goalkeepers as well as how players behaved individually and towards each other after each shot, particularly a miss.
COLOMBIA VICTORY
It all paid off when England beat Colombia in the last 16 in Russia, and though they lost the Euro 2020 final shootout to Italy, they have now won three of their last four, including a Nations League playoff, all under Southgate.
That change in mentality was almost tangible in Duesseldorf. England played in extra-time as if they wanted penalties, while it was the Swiss who launched a series of frantic late assaults.
Harry Kane, England’s designated penalty taker, had been substituted by then but said he felt calm watching from the sidelines ahead of the shootout.
He had good reason to as Southgate, to his immense credit, had absorbed all Markham’s work, added his own “arm around the shoulder” support and was able to leave his selected shooters to what seemed their own, serene approaches.
It helped, but of was no coincidence, that England had five ideal men lined up. Cole Palmer, who has never missed a penalty, Ivan Toney, who has scored 31 of his 33, and Bukayo Saka are all regular spot-kick takers for their clubs, while Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold are world-class ball strikers.
All scored, with different types of kicks, and all celebrated wildly in front of the England fans behind the goal – another “trick” that Markham identified as helping the next man in line.
The other key component, of course, is a goalkeeper who can save at least one of the shots he faces.
Jordan Pickford had a list of all the Swiss players’ directional preferences taped to his water bottle but, just as importantly, were the “distraction” techniques he employed and identified as key by Jordet.
Pickford was nowhere to be seen as Manuel Akanji placed the ball on the spot for the first Swiss penalty, and after two separate discussions with the referee and a quick drink diversion, he took his place, dived in the direction his bottle notes told him to, and saved to give England an advantage they did not relinquish.
The FA’s media team has since stepped in to limit questions about penalty preparation, while Southgate, when asked about England’s change of approach, quipped: “Everybody else who used to work for the FA seems to have done that over a period of years. We’ll keep our counsel.”
-Reuters
Again, football is not going home as serial cup losers, England failed on Sunday to win the European championship after losing 2-1 to Spain.
Fantastic Spain! They set a record by being the first four-time winner of the trophy and did it in beautiful fashion, winning all their seven matches.
They controlled the final match from kick-off to final whistle and are worthy winners.
And yet another positive, Yamal Lamine, the Moroccan born kid star has become the youngest player at age 17 and a day, to win a major trophy, sending into the archives, the feat by Pele in the 1958 World Cup.
For England, it is yet another cup loss. In two years’ time, it will be 60 years since they won a major trophy, the World Cup.
Even then, their 1966 World Cup win is still shrouded in controversy. Great Spain, they have extended the long wait of England for major football victory.
Mikel Oyarzabal’s 87th-minute goal clinched the 2-1 victory for Spain.
He slid in to poke home Marc Cucurella’s cross, just when the game at Berlin’s Olympiastadion seemed destined for extra time after the latest show of resilience by England at the tournament.
Substitute Cole Palmer equalized for England in the 73rd minute to cancel out Nico Williams’ opener in the 47th from 17-year-old prodigy Lamine Yamal’s pass.
Spain also won the title in 1964, 2008 and 2012.
The most exciting player on the most exciting team at Euro 2024 – Spain’s Lamine Yamal – turns 17 on Saturday, but the birthday celebrations will have to wait while he prepares for Sunday’s European Championship final against England in Berlin.
“I’ve told my mum that if we win I don’t want any presents, I just want to celebrate in Madrid with my mates,” Lamine, as he prefers to be called, said in an interview with Spain’s Marca outlet on Saturday.
“That would be crazy, to celebrate with people on the streets all the way from the airport. Everyone would go crazy! We would arrive with incredible euphoria.”
Yamal has been breaking records since making his professional debut for Barcelona less than 15 months ago, the last one becoming the youngest goalscorer in Euros history with a stunning curled long-range shot against France that helped his side reach the final.
The youngest to play, start and score for his club and his nation are other records he has broken since. Against England at Berlin’s Olympiastadion he may have the chance to reach even higher ground if he helps his side win a record fourth European Championship title.
It would strengthen his case as the most productive young player in Europe and surely put him in the frame to be named player of the tournament.
Lamine fever has set in, with his father making headlines last week by publishing on social media a December 2007 photo of his baby son in the arms of former Barcelona forward Lionel Messi.
Messi, 20 at the time and starting a career which would take him on to win the Ballon D’Or eight times, was posing for a charity calendar, and just happened to be cradling in his arms a baby who 17 years later would take the European Championships by storm.
His father told Spanish TV La Sexta it was “just a life coincidence”. The reporter suggested maybe Messi’s blessing had somehow given Yamal his remarkable talent, to which his mother fired back: “What if it was the other way around?”
Yamal, born in Spain to a father from Morocco and a mother from Equatorial Guinea, is the latest wonderkid to make headlines in a country that has become one of European soccer’s most fertile production grounds for world-class players.
Following in the footsteps of Barca academy teenage sensations Pedri, Gavi and Ansu Fati, Yamal has established himself as an important part of Barca’s forward line.
He has also been highly influential for Spain in Germany as the player with most assists (3), key passes (16) and clear chances created (6).
He has been a nightmare for opponents, running up and down the right channel and showing great technique and vision to deliver key passes, making him one of Spain’s most dangerous weapons.
He was close to scoring several times in Spain’s first five games in Germany, but it wasn’t until their sixth – the semi-final against France, that he finally made his mark with a candidate for goal of the tournament.
“We have seen genius from a genius,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said. “We are very lucky that he is Spanish and that we are going to enjoy him for many years to come.”
-Reuters
Spain and England have experienced very different journeys to Sunday’s Euro 2024 final. We look at their path to Berlin below.
ENGLAND
England 1 Serbia 0
An early header by Jude Bellingham rewarded England for a good first half in their first game but they went off the boil and ended up hanging on for the win as manager Gareth Southgate’s gamble of starting with Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield backfired.
The tally of 11 shots – six by Serbia, five from England – was the lowest in a European Championship match since 1980, but within weeks England fans would have seen five shots as wild entertainment.
England 1 Denmark 1
England led through Harry Kane but struggled for control all game and Denmark deservedly equalised with a 30-yard pile-driver by Morten Hjulmand after a wild pass from Kane, who spent more time around his own box than the opposition’s. Results elsewhere later meant that England were guaranteed progress on four points.
England 0 Slovenia 0
A dull game where England managed three shots on goal ended with them nevertheless top of their group on five points, though it was the Slovenian players and fans celebrating at the end as they progressed to the knockout phase for the first time.
Round of 16: England 2 Slovakia 1 after extra time.
Ivan Schranz put outsiders Slovakia ahead in the first half and England seemed unable, almost unwilling, to do anything about it in another toothless display. They were rescued by Jude Bellingham’s brilliant bicycle kick in the 96th minute and won it with a Kane goal in extra-time – their only shots on target.
Southgate was widely criticised for his inactivity, with the focus on his decision to throw on striker Ivan Toney with one minute of stoppage time remaining.
Quarter-final: England 1 Switzerland 1. England win 5-3 on penalties
In a tight game Breel Embolo put Switzerland ahead after 75 minutes, with Bukayo Saka levelling with a great shot 10 minutes later as England improved, but were still shot-shy.
It went to penalties, but what for so long had been England’s weakness suddenly looked a strength as Cole Palmer, Bellingham, Saka, Toney and Alexander-Arnold all scored confidently and Jordan Pickford saved from Manuel Akanji.
Semi-final: England 2 Netherlands 1
For the third knockout game in a row England fell behind, to a superb Xavi Simons shot, but they responded brilliantly with an exhilarating first-half display that was unrecognisable from the stodge previously served up.
They equalised with a VAR-awarded Harry Kane penalty and went close several times. The second half was quieter but exploded in the 91st minute when substitute Ollie Watkins scored to take England into their second successive European Championship final.
SPAIN
Spain 3 Croatia 0
Spain set their Euros stall out with an impressive opening match demolition of Croatia with first-half goals by Alvaro Morata, Fabian Ruiz and Dani Carvajal.
Spain 1 Italy 0
A 1-0 win secured by an own goal might sound close but Spain totally outclassed the defending champions, firing in 20 attempts on goal, to gain revenge for their elimination by Italy in Euro 2024.
Spain 1 Albania 0
Already through, Spain made 10 changes for the game but were still comfortably in charge and won it with a superb early Ferran Torres strike.
Round of 16: Spain 4 Georgia 1
Despite the shock of going behind via Robin Le Normand’s own goal, Spain delivered another emphatic display.
Rodri equalised and second-half goals by the impressive Fabian Ruiz, Nico Williams and Dani Olmo saw them home.
Quarter-final: Spain 2 Germany 1 (aet)
After the Georgia cruise, Spain faced a considerable step up against the host nation but were deserved winners.
Olmo put them ahead early in the second half but Germany levelled a minute from time via Florian Wirtz.
The game was into the 119th minute and looked set for a penalty shootout when substitute Mikel Merino headed the winner.
Semi-final: Spain 2 France 1
Randal Kolo Muani put France ahead but two goals in five first-half minutes settled another deserved victory.
At 16, Lamine Yamal became the youngest scorer in a Euro or World Cup – and Spain’s 10th different scorer at the tournament – with a lovely curler, before Olmo scored for the third successive knockout game.
-Reuters
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