England officially worlds worst penalty takers!

[Football supporter]

England's exit to Italy on penalties at the European Championships was sadly predictable, but is there anyone worse in the world at shoot-outs?

There are some countries that have never won a penalty shoot-out, but if you limit the list to teams that have competed in at least three shoot-outs at major international tournaments then England do indeed have the worst record of the lot.

England have competed in seven penalty shoot-outs, winning just once, their quarter-final triumph against Spain in Euro '96 — a tournament they still exited on penalties against Germany in the very next round.

Four countries — Costa Rica, Gabon, UAE and Romania — have lost two from two in major championships, but of those involved in at least three England's 14% win record is the worst of the bunch.

The Netherlands come next having lost four of their five penalty shoot-outs while Italy's 38% record is still poor despite having beaten the English on Monday.

The three teams involved in the most penalty shoot-outs are Argentina (6-4), Brazil (6-4) and Mexico (4-6) with 10 each, while Germany (5-1) have a predictably impressive record.

The best shoot-out team have actually been Saudi Arabia, who have won all four of the major shoot-outs — although all of them came in the Asia Cup. The Czech Republic also have a perfect record but have only competed in three.

Ranking of teams' penalty shoot-out records in major championships (World Cup finals, Continental championship finals and Confederations Cup only) - three shoot-out minimum.....

http://mit.zenfs.com/991/2012/06/Shootoutrecords2606.jpg

[truetrini]

England just shitty all around.

[Peong]

The basics elude them.

[Bakes]

I think a lot of it is psychological, forget all this nonsense about basics and all of that.  It becomes self-perpetuating after a while.  Players not coping well with the pressure to produce, as a result of the legacy of failure.  They over think and end up outsmarting deyself.

[mukumsplau]

hart really made a fool of himself with all his antics

[Observer]

In all my years watching football the worst penalty takers are the Dutch. I could never forget Euro 2000 against 10 man Italy. 2 Penalties missed in regulation and then in the shoot out  :cursing:nThen again at the Copa Brazil miss 5 

[dinho]

hart really made a fool of himself with all his antics

It have no shame in that.. After all, the keeper has to do what he must to try to earn a psychological advantage..

If it means jumping up and bawling down the place like a clown on the goal line then so be it... Whatever it takes to make the kicker think twice.

He actually dived right a few times, just that the Italians placed it well.

England problem in penalties goes straight to their mentality and their culture. Penalties is a battle of nerves and favors teams with the most confidence. Alot of times that confidence comes from the momentum in the game leading up to pks (like for Chelsea in the CL final), but at international level alot of it has to do with the culture of a nation. England have a kinda coward mentality that is typical in any sport, football, cricket, tennis etc. Similarly, the dutch seem not to have a very strong mentality, they does flake under pressure. Sometimes i wonder if that mentality and culture is shaped from the history of the nation on the whole.

You'd probably never see an English player step up to the spot with a smile on his face, smile at the keeper and blast it down the middle, chip, or laugh or do something out of the ordinary for that matter.

Its no surprise that Germany's record is so good, their mentality is efficiency to the core. When they walking up to the spot they not thinking twice about what will happen if they miss, or where they should put it. They have a job to do and they come to do it. They not even thinking about the possibility of losing and thats what makes the difference.

[Mango Chow!]

In all my years watching football the worst penalty takers are the Dutch. I could never forget Euro 2000 against 10 man Italy. 2 Penalties missed in regulation and then in the shoot out  :cursing:nThen again at the Copa Brazil miss 5 

At least the Brazilians does trump the dutch! 

hart really made a fool of himself with all his antics

  You're making much ado about nothing, boss, he didn't.  But I guess you don't get it.

[Football supporter]

but at international level alot of it has to do with the culture of a nation. England have a kinda coward mentality that is typical in any sport, football, cricket, tennis etc.

Sorry Dinho, you really need to explain this a little clearer. I would agree they lack confidence, but how do you associate that with cowardice? Certainly Germany have arrogance in abundance, I would describe that as their national trait. But how is cowardice an English trait? The English penalty takers may not be over confident, but they were brave enough to step up. No one forced them.

[Small Change]

England are JOKERS!

They just have the most media attention, due to ESPN focussing on England and where the $ is really pumped into the EPL. The German League and Serie A and La Liga don't get the first emphasis. Is the EPL first, then other leagues. Eng, Eng, Eng. All media hype and they are basically garbage on the international stage, hence the 46 yrs of NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Screw them, over-rated fools..........

[Football supporter]

Well Smalls, results speak for themselves. Until the other leagues produce as many Champions League finalists, I guess TV will look at EPL first. But you anti English bias doesn't really make sense when you criticise the EPL as around 50% of the players are probably non English. As for being garbage internationally, even when English supporters don't rate their chances, many people are still hyper about their performance, when teams like France and Holland underperform spectacularly. Get over it, England are not a nation that will compete in finals, at least not regularly. But what's the French and Dutch excuse?


2002–03     Italy            Milan     0–0*     Juventus     Italy    
2003–04     Portugal            Porto    3–0           Monaco     France    
2004–05 England    Liverpool    3–3*     Milan             Italy    
2005–06     Spain         Barcelona    2–1          Arsenal     England    
2006–07     Italy             Milan        2–1          Liverpool     England    
2007–08  England    Man Utd    1–1*     Chelsea     England    
2008–09     Spain          Barcelona     2–0         Man Utd     England    
2009–10     Italy           Inter      2–0    Bayern Munich     Germany    
2010–11     Spain          Barcelona    3–1       Man Utd      England    
2011–12  England    Chelsea    1–1*    Bayern Munich     Germany    

[truetrini]

England are JOKERS!

They just have the most media attention, due to ESPN focussing on England and where the $ is really pumped into the EPL. The German League and Serie A and La Liga don't get the first emphasis. Is the EPL first, then other leagues. Eng, Eng, Eng. All media hype and they are basically garbage on the international stage, hence the 46 yrs of NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Screw them, over-rated fools..........

Absolute sh!t.    The English players are not hte greatest, and surely the EPL is the very best marketed and supported league in the world.

It is also the hardest and most competitive.

If you look at the great players that play year in and year out in England, as well as the remarks of many players who claim that it is their greatest DESIRE to play in the EPL.

Does the English Press hype up their English players?  NO DOUBT they do!

Are many of the English players over rated..Yup!

Just remember that many players who you admire on the biggest stages also play in that same EPL shit league  okey dokey.

And I cannot understand the statement that Englishmen are cowards.... knowing a little history that is as ludicrous a statement as I have ever heard.

SOme of the world's most intrepid and courageous men hailed from England

[dinho]

I say they have a coward mentality because of years of watching the way how England's teams approach competitive sports and how that relates to what i know of the society.

The beauty of international football is that it is reflective of the culture of the nation. Brazil, Germany, Spain, England, China, South Korea... even Trinidad & Tobago exhibit traits that are unique to their culture in the way they play the game (for better or for worse).

I have NEVER seen and England team go for a team's jugular. If England is leading 1-0 in a quarterfinal or semi-final game, i can guarantee for all the years i am watching football that their tactic will be to close up shop and try to avoid losing at all costs, regardless of how on top of the game they are. This is regardless of the opposition or the personnel, they just do not have that.

A great example is the 2002 world cup game against Brazil when they were leading 1-0 up until the 70th minute was it? And as far as i remember, Brazil was down to 10 men yet England fold up into a shell and let Ronaldinho and Rivaldo bore them when they had a great chance to press home their advantage.

I've also seen it in cricket... England is not a team that can go out to dominate the opposition, they are not a team to get in their opponents faces and press and advantage. They play within so much limitations and take very few chances, the only player that operates outside this mould is Keven Pietersen and he is South African.

Tim Henman, well don't get me started on him.

When i tie this to culture, i'm saying that my observation of the English psyche and society from my time living there is that they are non-confrontational and operate alot within limitations.. They doh really step out the box and they doh really express themselves, alot of emphasis is placed on observing norms, stuff like customs and etiquette is a big thing.

You will not see an England team abandon their conservative approach and go all out to attack and opponent from the get go. You will hardly ever see an English player in an important game just smile, relax and enjoy himself a la Ronaldinho, you will never see him try something audacious or against the norm a la Pirlo.. Gascoigne and George Best were the only ones for me who had that but outside of that it is about playing to instructions and to system.

FS, i apologize if you are offended by me calling that a coward mentality, that may have been a bit over the top, but their predictably and refusal to ever try something creative or inventive is what i was alluding to.

[Football supporter]

Dinho, there's a lot there I really can't agree with and catorgorising the English nation by the national teams performance is not only a real stretch, its kinda innaccurate.

As for never seeing England go for the jugular, I admit its not often, but it happens when they hit a purple patch:

2001 Spain 3-0
2001 Mexico 4-0
2001 Germany 1-5
2002 Paraguay 4-0
2002 Denmark 0-3
2003 Croatia 3-1
2004 Iceland 6-1
2004 Croatia 2-4
2004 Ukraine 3-0
2005 N.Ireland 4-0
2005 Argentina 2-3
2006 Jamaica 6-0
2006 Greece 4-0
2006 Andorra 5-0
2007 Andorra 0-3
2007 Estonia 0-3
2007 Israel 3-0
2007 Russia 3-0
2007 Estonia 3-0
2008 T&T 0-3
2008 Croatia 1-4
2008 Kazakhstan 5-1
2008 Belarus 1-3
2009 Slovakia 4-0
2009 Kazakhstan 0-4
2009 Andorra 6-0
2009 Croatia 5-1
2009 Belarus 3-0
2010 Bulgaria 4-0
2010 Switzerland 1-3
2011 Bulgaria 0-3

And there were plenty more 3-1 victories during this period. But its clear that since 2011 England haven't had any potency. Lots of 1-0's and draws, but, as you said, no killer instinct.

One thing is certain: England may not be in the top echelon, but like Spurs in the EPL, the top teams don't anticipate a walkover when they play them. They may feel they won't lose, but it won't be an easy game.

And when you say English are non confrontational, where the hell did you live? What the average Joe doesn't do is shoot you for looking at you funny, but you could certainly expect a smack in the mouth.

I find that one of the reasons I prefer T&T to UK is that when Trinis get drunk they don't want to fight, whereas that is one of the Englishman's worst traits. I find the British very confrontational, and needlessly so, in most cases.

The first time I got a bad drive in T&T, I was out of the car with Sancho pulling me back! He said, I know you can do that in England, but you hit a man here and he could shoot you! But even women in UK would get out of a car and cuss you!

[Blue]

For all the talk about technique and mentality, those statistics are meaningless, the samples are too small. Until recently the biggest factor in a penalty shootout was luck. Nowadays, many top teams invest significant resources in researching/predicting penalties to give their goalkeepers/strikers that extra edge.

It was no coincidence that Petr Cech dived the right way for all 6 penalties in the Champions League final. Or that he put Messi off his stride in the semis. Or, conversely, that in the 2008 final all the Chelsea players shot to their 'natural' side (i.e. right footers to their right side, left footers left) based on the research they had done on Van Der Sar...indeed Van Der Sar only figured it out in time for Anelka's last kick, when he actually pointed to the spot Anelka would place it in (Anelka then second guessed himself and kicked to the opposite side, the rest is history). ....when you read about some of the planning put into those shootouts it is staggering.

[Mango Chow!]

For all the talk about technique and mentality, those statistics are meaningless, the samples are too small. Until recently the biggest factor in a penalty shootout was luck. Nowadays, many top teams invest significant resources in researching/predicting penalties to give their goalkeepers/strikers that extra edge.

It was no coincidence that Petr Cech dived the right way for all 6 penalties in the Champions League final. Or that he put Messi off his stride in the semis. Or, conversely, that in the 2008 final all the Chelsea players shot to their 'natural' side (i.e. right footers to their right side, left footers left) based on the research they had done on Van Der Sar...indeed Van Der Sar only figured it out in time for Anelka's last kick, when he actually pointed to the spot Anelka would place it in (Anelka then second guessed himself and kicked to the opposite side, the rest is history). ....when you read about some of the planning put into those shootouts it is staggering.

  To me, what comes down to it is still really nerves and/or execution.  Unless a GK guess/predict/research correctly and move early, a well-taken penalty cannot be saved.  "well-taken" meaning: hard and low or hard and high in the corner.  All a player have to do is step up with the belief (aided by practice) that (s)he is going to put that ball in a corner where the GK cannot reach, at a speed that (s)he cannot match and it's a wrap.  sometimes nerves their nerves get in the way, sometimes it's execution and, yes, sometimes men like john terry does slip, so yeah, men like he unlucky. 

[Bourbon]

How hard is it really for an english coach....after a HARD training session to make men kick penalties?


To me is all about prep work. Kicking penalties while fresh is totally different from kicking penalties after playing for 120 minutes and then having to walk from the half circle with pressure on you. The more you practice under difficult conditions the more at you would be able to deal with the pressure.

[Football supporter]

How hard is it really for an english coach....after a HARD training session to make men kick penalties?


To me is all about prep work. Kicking penalties while fresh is totally different from kicking penalties after playing for 120 minutes and then having to walk from the half circle with pressure on you. The more you practice under difficult conditions the more at you would be able to deal with the pressure.

Its not hard, and its probably done after most sessions. Certainly in English league clubs, I have witnessed penalty practice at the end of training. It usually involves cash fines for players who miss (which the team captain collects and puts towards the players xmas or end of season party) or a lap of the field. Other end of session competitions include free kicks from distance and shooting games.

However, it really doesn't matter how many times you practice on a training field, it's completely different at a big competition with 60,000 fans and a tv audience of 100's of millions.

You see how big that goal looks? Once you're standing in that situation, that same goal is tiny. Matt Lockwood at Leyton Orient, a left back, had a superb penalty scoring record. He told me he took every penalty exactly the same (although from time to time he would switch sides). He said it was up to the keeper to save it, as long as he hit the ball where he wanted it to go. Even though the keeper may know where its going, only a great keeper with perfect timing would save it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD0wEcbBd1A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isv5Sqo--Hw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXjnF8ITpEI

[soccerman]

FS I completely agree, a pk shootout is way different than practicing pk's at a training session, teams all practice it but all comes down to nerves and pressure when a game is being decided by a shootout. Don't matter how intense of an enviornment coaches try to create at a practice session, when it boiles down to a game with lots at stake the only thing that can settle your nerves is experience of doing it repeatedly at that stage. Yes big players do miss from time to time but for kickers, it is nerve-wrecking as the onus is on the pk takers rather than to keepers since they are expected to score more than the goalie is anticipated to save.
As for England, who knows maybe they're just unfortunate at penalty shootouts, could it be the English players have constant pressure to perform from the media and the players feel the effects of that? Who knows...

[Peong]

You expect pressure and fatigue, so you select a shot that is not difficult to execute.  Ashley Young  made me laugh, those full-blast kicks are never a good idea.

[soccerman]

You expect pressure and fatigue, so you select a shot that is not difficult to execute.  Ashley Young  made me laugh, those full-blast kicks are never a good idea.

I now had a flashback, don't know if you remembered a mastercard commercial back in the 90's with a Mexican who blasted a pk in the back of the net. Well I tried that once in a shootout, during sudden death of all things and I blasted mine over bars yes Thank God the person who came next missed bc I wouldn't have slept that night
Lesson learnt and I've never blasted a pk kick after that day!

[Mango Chow!]

You expect pressure and fatigue, so you select a shot that is not difficult to execute.  Ashley Young  made me laugh, those full-blast kicks are never a good idea.

I now had a flashback, don't know if you remembered a mastercard commercial back in the 90's with a Mexican who blasted a pk in the back of the net. Well I tried that once in a shootout, during sudden death of all things and I blasted mine over bars yes Thank God the person who came next missed bc I wouldn't have slept that night
Lesson learnt and I've never blasted a pk kick after that day!

  ...but Nani blasted his....so did Rooney......and Lampard in the CL Final......

[Peong]

You expect pressure and fatigue, so you select a shot that is not difficult to execute.  Ashley Young  made me laugh, those full-blast kicks are never a good idea.

I now had a flashback, don't know if you remembered a mastercard commercial back in the 90's with a Mexican who blasted a pk in the back of the net. Well I tried that once in a shootout, during sudden death of all things and I blasted mine over bars yes Thank God the person who came next missed bc I wouldn't have slept that night
Lesson learnt and I've never blasted a pk kick after that day!

  ...but Nani blasted his....so did Rooney......and Lampard in the CL Final......

So yuh sayin is an EPL ting?    Yeah they can score but the risk of losing control is higher, especially since your legs are tired.   Chris Waddle in 1990 comes to mind.

[Mango Chow!]

You expect pressure and fatigue, so you select a shot that is not difficult to execute.  Ashley Young  made me laugh, those full-blast kicks are never a good idea.

I now had a flashback, don't know if you remembered a mastercard commercial back in the 90's with a Mexican who blasted a pk in the back of the net. Well I tried that once in a shootout, during sudden death of all things and I blasted mine over bars yes Thank God the person who came next missed bc I wouldn't have slept that night
Lesson learnt and I've never blasted a pk kick after that day!

  ...but Nani blasted his....so did Rooney......and Lampard in the CL Final......

So yuh sayin is an EPL ting?    Yeah they can score but the risk of losing control is higher, especially since your legs are tired.   Chris Waddle in 1990 comes to mind.

   EPL is still the shittier of the leagues   but nah, seriously, ah jes sayin' maybe it really do matter how yuh kcik it, you could hit or miss depending on a lot of factors that may have nothing to do with whether yuh choose to blast it ot place it.   Bear in mind, to beat most of these world-class GK's, yuh cyah be takin' no dam powder-puff shot even if yuh DO hit the corners eh.....even thought the Portugal 'keeper didn't save more than the first one yesterday he still came very close on one or two......

[soccerman]

You expect pressure and fatigue, so you select a shot that is not difficult to execute.  Ashley Young  made me laugh, those full-blast kicks are never a good idea.

I now had a flashback, don't know if you remembered a mastercard commercial back in the 90's with a Mexican who blasted a pk in the back of the net. Well I tried that once in a shootout, during sudden death of all things and I blasted mine over bars yes Thank God the person who came next missed bc I wouldn't have slept that night
Lesson learnt and I've never blasted a pk kick after that day!

  ...but Nani blasted his....so did Rooney......and Lampard in the CL Final......

So yuh sayin is an EPL ting?    Yeah they can score but the risk of losing control is higher, especially since your legs are tired.   Chris Waddle in 1990 comes to mind.

   EPL is still the shittier of the leagues   but nah, seriously, ah jes sayin' maybe it really do matter how yuh kcik it, you could hit or miss depending on a lot of factors that may have nothing to do with whether yuh choose to blast it ot place it.   Bear in mind, to beat most of these world-class GK's, yuh cyah be takin' no dam powder-puff shot even if yuh DO hit the corners eh.....even thought the Portugal 'keeper didn't save more than the first one yesterday he still came very close on one or two......

Chow fully agree....I just don't trust going for power, for me anyway But yes there are players who can execute it well.

[Mango Chow!]

You expect pressure and fatigue, so you select a shot that is not difficult to execute.  Ashley Young  made me laugh, those full-blast kicks are never a good idea.

I now had a flashback, don't know if you remembered a mastercard commercial back in the 90's with a Mexican who blasted a pk in the back of the net. Well I tried that once in a shootout, during sudden death of all things and I blasted mine over bars yes Thank God the person who came next missed bc I wouldn't have slept that night
Lesson learnt and I've never blasted a pk kick after that day!

  ...but Nani blasted his....so did Rooney......and Lampard in the CL Final......

So yuh sayin is an EPL ting?    Yeah they can score but the risk of losing control is higher, especially since your legs are tired.   Chris Waddle in 1990 comes to mind.

   EPL is still the shittier of the leagues   but nah, seriously, ah jes sayin' maybe it really do matter how yuh kcik it, you could hit or miss depending on a lot of factors that may have nothing to do with whether yuh choose to blast it ot place it.   Bear in mind, to beat most of these world-class GK's, yuh cyah be takin' no dam powder-puff shot even if yuh DO hit the corners eh.....even thought the Portugal 'keeper didn't save more than the first one yesterday he still came very close on one or two......

Chow fully agree....I just don't trust going for power, for me anyway But yes there are players who can execute it well.

Well, I is a GK so is full blast fuh me.....doh arkske meh what meh success rate is, dize priveleged information!