■Yangcheng Evening News All Media Reporter Su Qing Intern Li Zeyu
The “Grid Army” Croatia defeated Japan and Brazil in a penalty shootout; the “Atlas Lions” Morocco defeated Spain in the penalty shootout battle in the quarterfinals; the penalty shootout battle between Argentina and BabaylanThe 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 ”The best KomiksDoes not score in overtime, and they play penalty shootouts.” This simple, direct, yet full of uncertainty method of winning is cruel to players, but for fans, it is a point that is undesirable to them.
The penalty shootout first entered the World Cup in 1982. From 1867 to 1970, football rules did not set up 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 matches ending with the same number of goals scored by Cinema 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 a lot of “coin tossing” and defeated Yugoslavia in the final and won the first European Cup championship in team history.
In the quarterfinals of the Olympic Games that year, the loss of the Israeli lottery to Bulgaria is seen as the starting point of a modern penalty shootout. An Israeli journalist, Joseph Dagan, was frustrated by the fact that his team was eliminated in this way. He proposed a “penalty battle” after the draw after the game, and was then accused of CinemaIsraeli Football Association Chairman Michael conveyed it to FIFA.
On June 27, 1970, the International Football Association Council (IFAB) adopted it even though it was not completely satisfied with the idea of ”penalty war”. However, the 1970 World Cup in Mexico failed to catch up with the rules in time. Cinema changes: 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 Argentina World Cup, the penalty shootout rules were officially introduced. However, only 16 teams participated in the World Cup, and none of them were tied after overtime.
Livakovic’s brave pounce was released. Xinhua News Agency reported that the first penalty shootout in World Cup history occurred in July 8, 1982. Germany tied with France 3-3 in overtime in the semi-finals. In the end, the two teams fought for 6 rounds in the penalty shootout. 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 CinemaSweden won 5-4, and 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. This 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 this World Cup, four pointsBThe abaylanThe final ended, with a total of 31 teams participating in 34 penalty shootouts. Among them, Germany and Croatia won all four penalty shootouts; Argentina became the team with the most winning numbers in the World Cup penalty shootouts after defeating the Netherlands, and only lost to Germany in 2006 in six penalty shootouts; Brazil won three wins and two losses in five penalty shootouts, while France had the most balanced victory and loss, with 2 wins and 2 losses.
Spain tied for five times as the second most in the penalty shootout team, 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 did not score a single goal in three rounds of penalty kicks. 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 their 2018 victory over Costa Rica was their first penalty victory. As the four-time champion, Italy’s performance at the 12-yard point is unsatisfactory. In 1990, 1994 and 1998, Italy lost three consecutive penalty shootouts.
Classic battles and characters of the penalty shootout
In the history of the 40-year penalty shootout in the World Cup, there are many extreme manifestations of personal heroism and tragic figures full of regrets. 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 who has played in the penalty shootout in three World Cups.
In the 1990 World Cup, in the semi-finals with Argentina, Baggio played 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 time. Italy fell behind 2-3 in the first four rounds, and Baggio, the fifth one, kicked the ball away with a kick. Italy could only watch Brazil win the championship, and BaggioThe scene of standing there and bowing his head and sighing makes people unforgettable; in 1998, Baggio scored a penalty kick in the first appearance, but Italy eventually 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 blocked by Komiks. This time Italy swept away 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 Paul Ince and David Barty’s penalty kick, 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 statistics, only 70% of the penalty shootouts were hit, which is one of the reasons why new goal gods were always born in the penalty shootouts.
In the semi-finals of the 1998 World Cup, defending champion Brazil faced the Netherlands. The two teams’ full attack and opening and opening have left behind the classics, 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 shootoutKomiks, and Dutch team Koku and Debor lost their free throws one after another, and Brazil was able to advance.
2014 World Cup, CinemaThe Netherlands and Costa Rica competed 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 lead, saved Umania’s penalty kick in the penalty shootout, 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 Flaal and Sneider, and Argentina eliminated the Netherlands and entered the finals.
In the 2018 World Cup, goalkeeper Subacic won the game with CroatiaOne of the key figures in the runner-up, he saved three penalty kicks in the final against Denmark, becoming the first goalkeeper to save three penalty kicks in a single game after Portugal 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 single-game saves in the game against Japan, and contributed four save points in the entire World Cup, tying Subasic and Goyechea’s records.
The penalty shootout is good, and there are different opinions from all walks of life. People usually believe that the best player in the team should take the penalty at the first or fifth, but in this World Cup, we have seen many penalty shootouts not even reaching 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 fight always gives birth to tragedy. Football is a collective sport, but the penalty shootout is one-on-one, which goes against the laws and concepts of football.” German legend Beckenbauer has an opposite opinion from Blatter: “Punishment fight 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 this year’s Croatia, Mozambo.com/”>BabaylanLoco and other teams defending for 120 minutes and winning the penalty shootout, and believe that football is “attacking the first priority”. 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 a young player, also led the way and took the first penalty… Whether the penalty is advanced or not, being able to stand at the 12-yard point is already a victory. The goalkeeper who stood in front of the goal “one man is at the close, ten thousand men are not open” 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.