The football World Cup in Qatar produces a remarkable statistic: The numbers show that when it comes to the penalty kick, the shooters face significantly greater problems than they did four years ago. The FIFA observers are trying to explain.
Peter Handke wrote the story "The goalkeeper's fear at the penalty kick" - at the World Cup in Qatar it is more like: "The shooter's fear at the penalty kick!" Because the World Cup brought amazing things to light. According to experts at the Technical Study Group (TSG), the number of saved penalties excluding penalties is 36 percent, up from 17 percent four years ago in Russia. And there were also numerous penalties in Qatar in the four penalty shoot-outs - and consequently low results: 3-1, 3-0, 4-2 and 4-3.
England captain Harry Kane missed the last penalty in the tournament against world champions France (1:2). After a VAR decision, he put the ball over the goal after hitting the penalty spot (54th) to make it 1-1. That sealed the end of the Three Lions. Former national coach Jürgen Klinsmann noticed something special about Kane's missed shot. "You think - it's a different story when you can shoot immediately after the whistle," said the TSG member.
The video proof took a while for the Kane penalty. So is the time between the whistle and execution poisonous for the shooter? It seems so, especially since the referees keep pointing out to the keeper for a long time, paralyzingly, that they must touch the goal line with one foot. The real disadvantage for goalkeepers is now almost an advantage.
Babett Lobinger from the Psychological Institute of the German Sport University (DSHS) in Cologne replied with a view to the Kane-Elfer: “Hopefully he has trained that too – he has to bridge the time and start the routine again. That definitely happens, so it has to it has to be trained that way. There are no simple conclusions in complex situations. Why did he take the second penalty, for example?"
Also: The goalkeepers have obviously learned a lot. "This is about the timing, it's about the first good step you take as a goalkeeper," added TSG member Pascal Zuberbühler. The development of goalkeeping on penalties is "incredible". "It has always been said that having to keep one foot on the goal line is negative and the goalkeeper suffers," said the former goalkeeper, but it is "clear that goalkeeping coaches train that very well with their goalkeepers".
Ex-goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon (formerly 1. FC Köln), also a TSG member, praised the "timing" and the "explosiveness". Zuberbühler particularly highlighted the performances of the Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, who impressed in the Croatians' two penalty shoot-outs. Argentina's Emiliano Martinez also saved "incredible balls" in the penalty shoot-out against the Netherlands, "he was so explosive". The penalty roulette could continue in the last four knockout games. And the goalkeepers are hoping for a continuation of their winning streak in the duel with the shooter from eleven meters.
