An essential aspect of football is Penalty Taking. It’s a moment that produces mixed reactions from players and fans alike. Penalty kicks more often than not result in goals — a situation that could completely alter the outcome of a contest.
In modern-day football, fans have made it second nature to jeer at rivals’ players skilled in the art of scoring from the spot.
Players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Jorginho amongst others, have been subjected to these acts.”Penaldo” and “pernandes” are popular monikers for Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes respectively.
The importance of having a talented Penalty kick taker in a team cannot be overstated. Titles have been won and lost as a result of this.
Some Players who missed Title-winning penalty kicks in the past
Roberto Baggio’s infamous penalty miss against Brazil (1994 World Cup final)
The 1994 World Cup final saw Italy come up against Brazil in Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California.
After both teams had taken 4 of the 5 kicks, Brazil were leading 3-2 and it came down to the “divine Ponytail” as Baggio was famously called, to keep Italy’s hope alive.
But in a matter of seconds, the man who had been the competition’s best player and Italy’s hero shattered the hearts of a nation, when his effort sailed over the bar. The Brazilians were sent into a frenzy as Baggio looked inconsolable. The Italian legend later revealed that he still finds it hard to sleep at night.
Andriy Shevchenko’s missed penalty against Liverpool (2005 Champions League final)
At the Atatürk Olympic Stadium (Istanbul), In one of the most exciting Champions League finals of all time, and arguably the biggest comeback in European football history. Andriy Shevchenko is the one name that will never be forgotten.
In a thrilling fashion, Liverpool clawed their way back to restore parity after going down earlier in the first half by a 3-0 score line against AC Milan.
The game was ultimately to be decided by a penalty shootout and at 3-2, Shevchenko had the fate of Milan on his shoulders. The Ukrainian kicked the ball down the middle but his effort was neutralised by Jerzy Dudek, who used his left hand to stop the ball even though he went down to his right. Liverpool emerged Champions with a 3-2 win in the shoot-out.
Arjen Robben’s extra time missed penalty against Chelsea ( 2012 Champions League final)
The Champions League final pitted Bayern Munich against Chelsea in a game that produced another interesting European encounter at the Allianz Arena in Munich (Germany).
After Didier Drogba’s equaliser pushed the contest into extra time, Arjen Robben had the glorious chance to win it for Bayern, but his effort from the spot was denied by Peter Cech.
Drogba’s winning penalty handed Chelsea their first Champions League title as the game ended 4-3 in the shootout.
Although Robben would go on to win the title the following year against Borussia Dortmund, the disappointment of his missed penalty against Chelsea is a feeling that might never go away.
Some Players who converted title-winning penalty kicks in the past
Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty goal against Atletico Madrid gave Real Madrid their eleventh Champions League title (2016 Champions League final)
The 2016 Champions League final took place in San Diego in Milan. Real Madrid went toe to toe with city rivals Atletico Madrid in another Champions League final. The second time in 3 years.
After a full-time draw (1-1), the tie had to be settled in a shoot-out. At 4-3, Atletico Madrid defender, Juanfran missed in the fourth round paving the perfect opportunity for Ronaldo to steal the show. The Portuguese did not disappoint, smashing his effort into the right side of Jan Oblak’s net and sending the Real Madrid fans into ecstasy.
Alexis Sanchez’s glorious panenka against Argentina ( 2015 Copa America final)
Chile defeated Argentina in the 2015 Copa America Final at the Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos , Santiago in Chile.
Alexis Sanchez was presented with the chance to win it for Chile after Gonzalo Higuain and Eva Banega fluffed their attempts from the spot.
Not only did the Chilean dispatch it, he also did it with aplomb, scoring a “panenka”. A “panenka” is always delightful to watch, even more so when a title is on the line.
Sergio Ramos’s incredible penalty streak was instrumental to Real Madrid’s 2020 La Liga triumph
Former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos played a big role in Real’s 2020 title win.
The Spanish Defender registered an impressive 6 goals from the spot, with Real Madrid claiming all three points whenever he does so, with only a draw against Celta Vigo.
Perhaps the strike against Getafe on match day 33 was the most important of them all: Real Madrid were presented with an opportunity to go four points clear as Barcelona had dropped points earlier in a 2-2 draw to Atletico Madrid. In a tightly contested affair, it was Sergio Ramos’s penalty that made the difference at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium.
On match day 34, Ramos was at the centre of it all again, as his 79-minute penalty against Atletico Bilbao claimed all three points for the eventual La Liga Champions.
Penalty Takers Should Be Respected
Having a penalty specialist in a team who rarely misses is nothing short of a blessing.
When a player stands to take a spot kick, at that moment, he faces a battle against intense pressure —the pressure within himself, those of his teammates and those of the millions of fans watching. This is a situation that has seen some of the game’s best players crack.
Players who regularly make the sacrifice to shoulder the enormous expectations of millions deserve total respect.
In Euro 2020, we saw how penalty shoot-outs became a significant feature of deciding games, including the final contest of the competition.
Now that the “away-goal” rule has been scrapped from UEFA club competitions, it is reasonable to expect that a good number of knock-out ties will be settled in a penalty shoot-out in the future. This should undoubtedly boost the value of excellent penalty-takers.
No matter what the outcome may be: stepping up to take a penalty in the first place is an act reserved only for the bravest of hearts.