Stopping a soccer penalty kick is quite a feat

Stopping Penalties

Some interesting stuff in that article and being a goalkeeper myself I would have to agree that it is very difficult to stop a well taken penalty kick. Mind you the way I look at penalties is that the goalkeeper is never expected to save them if you do then your a hero if you don't people don't think any less of you, but as a striker or any other outfield player you are expected to score and if you miss it is normally frowned upon. So there is always extra pressure on the striker, I often use this to my advantage, I'll often say on my walk up "don't worry lads I'll save this no probs" just loud enough for the striker to hear just to add to their pressure, I also usually stare straight at their eyes from the minute they pick the ball up till they are about to start their run. Its at that moment that I look at the way his body is shaped on their run and then decide on which side to dive. I have got a good save ratio to be fair, I like to think that I would normally save 2 out of 5 penalties. I think that there are a lot of mind games involved and if you can add extra pressure on the striker and put a slight doubt in his mind then you have the slight edge.

Anyway thats my thoughts on the matter I'd like to see what other keepers or strikers out there think.

 

For me penalties are the most painful - nervous moments in the game, for the fans of both sides (Both are nervous in that moment when the penalty is about to be shot) and for the goalkeeper... Really nervous is to decide an important match for penalties, painful is to lose a world cup for a penalty or to be out of an importany competition for a penalty and so.

I really apreciate goalkeepers who can stop penalties. For example Goycoechea in Italy 90 became famous for stopping all the importants penalties during the World Cup but at the final he failed the death penalty. That´s the way football is.
Casillas also did a good job stopping penalties in Korea Japan.

 

maybe you've heard of Friedel.

 

I'm a little surprised by the statistic that in MLS last year, only 71% of PKs were made -- 36 out of 51, with 14 saves and 1 wide. I've always thought that in most leagues, in most seasons, only about 10% of PKs were made.

 

Is that chip on your shoulder heavy?

 

I would think that 10% were missed.

 

i have noticed that more penalties are getting saved recently, because it seems as though goalkeepers are bending the rules and moving off their line before the kick is taken, and referees rarely penalise this. if the keeper stays within the letter of the law then stopping a pen is indeed a very hard feat.

especially if its me taking it. keepers don't stop my penalties period.

 

the american expert they interviewed was brianna scurry? hmmm i know someone better....

 

It's tough to say how you handle a PK. Early in the season I'd just pick a side and go for it and if it came that way sometimes we'd meet! and you look good.
But later in the season when you're seeing the ball and reading the shooters better, they often give themselves away and you find yourself getting to more of them.
A "good" striker "SHOULD" alwas score though.