11 penalty shootouts - psychological English novelty

2024-07-08 13:35 © AP

The England national team, although not demonstrating secure play, is slowly moving towards the dream goal - the gold of the European Championship.

In the quarter-final match, Gareth Southgate's soldiers had to significantly struggle against Switzerland, whom they defeated only after an 11-shot penalty shootout.

"The Athletic" wrote that after the failure in the previous tournament of the Old Continent, where the penalty accuracy was not equal to Italy, the "Three Lions" team made the necessary conclusions and prepared in all possible areas.

First of all, before taking a shot, England players stood in place for some time and calmed down psychologically. It is said that this decision was copied from the team of "Arsenal" coached by Mikel Arteta, which has a high percentage of successful penalties.

In addition, during the shootout, each English player had a designated "buddy" - a substitute player who reassured and inspired the athlete preparing for the crucial moment.

This tactic proved to be effective - all five English penalties were precise and the team advanced to the semi-finals of the tournament, where they will play against the Netherlands team.