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Holland prepare to face Mexico fearing their worst nightmare: penalties Holland prepare to face Mexico fearing their worst nightmare: penalties
(35 minutes later)
England may be out of the World Cup but there is one other team that fears the penalty shootout almost as much as Roy Hodgson’s side.England may be out of the World Cup but there is one other team that fears the penalty shootout almost as much as Roy Hodgson’s side.
Holland are one of the tournament favourites after blitzing reigning champions Spain 5-1 and beating Chile 2-0 but they will not want to take Sunday’s knockout match against Mexico to a shootout. The reason? Holland have won just one of their five tournament shootouts, a win percentage of 20%. Only England, with their win percentage of 14% (one win in seven), have a worse record from 12 yards. Holland are one of the tournament favourites after blitzing reigning champions Spain 5-1 and beating Chile 2-0 but they will not want to take Sunday’s last-16 match against Mexico to a shootout. The reason? Holland have won just one of their five tournament shootouts, a win percentage of 20%. Only England, with their win percentage of 14% (one win in seven), have a worse record from 12 yards.
Holland’s lowest point from the spot came at the Amsterdam Arena, in their Euro 2000 semi-final against Italy. They managed to miss five penalties in the same game, including two in normal time. Frank de Boer, the captain, was the biggest culprit, missing after 36 minutes, and then again in the shootout, after Luigi di Biagio had scored Italy’s first penalty. Holland’s lowest point from the spot came at the Amsterdam Arena, in their Euro 2000 semi-final against Italy. They managed to miss five penalties in the same game, including two in normal time. Frank de Boer, the captain, was the biggest culprit, missing after 36 minutes, and then again in the shootout, after Luigi Di Biagio had scored Italy’s first penalty.
“Who will keep Holland happy for the next few days by helping us win this? Frank de Boer? Yes, he would never miss twice, so he will step up,” said Dutch commentator Theo Reitsma as De Boer took the long walk to the spot.“Who will keep Holland happy for the next few days by helping us win this? Frank de Boer? Yes, he would never miss twice, so he will step up,” said Dutch commentator Theo Reitsma as De Boer took the long walk to the spot.
De Boer’s twin brother Ronald had told him to go hard down the middle, and that was the plan. “I was not even that nervous,” De Boer said. “[Italy goalkeeper Francesco] Toldo made it into a game. He winked at me. But this time I had no doubts. I wanted to tell him: ‘So you know where I’m going to shoot, good for you.’” De Boer winked back but he hit a weak shot, right of centre, which Toldo stopped with his feet. “It was only because I was tired that I hit it badly. We were mentally drained by this time, and our previous record at penalties was not giving us any hope.” De Boer’s twin brother Ronald had told him to go hard down the middle, and that was the plan. “I was not even that nervous,” De Boer said. “[The Italy goalkeeper Francesco] Toldo made it into a game. He winked at me. But this time I had no doubts. I wanted to tell him: ‘So you know where I’m going to shoot, good for you.’” De Boer winked back but he hit a weak shot, right of centre, which Toldo stopped with his feet. “It was only because I was tired that I hit it badly. We were mentally drained by this time, and our previous record at penalties was not giving us any hope.”
Then Gianluca Pessotto scored and Jaap Stam blasted over the bar. It was 2-0 Italy. Francesco Totti was next. The previous day, Totti had beaten Alessandro Nesta at PlayStation football after training, and scored one of his goals with a penalty cucchiaio, Italian for the Panenka. “One of these days I will do it in a game,” he told him.Then Gianluca Pessotto scored and Jaap Stam blasted over the bar. It was 2-0 Italy. Francesco Totti was next. The previous day, Totti had beaten Alessandro Nesta at PlayStation football after training, and scored one of his goals with a penalty cucchiaio, Italian for the Panenka. “One of these days I will do it in a game,” he told him.
When Di Biagio returned from his kick, Totti said: “Mo je faccio er cucchiaio.” “Now I will do ‘the spoon’.” Paolo Maldini had overheard him. “Is he crazy?” said the captain. “There is a final on the line.” Totti did not change his mind. Edwin van der Sar dived right and Totti’s chip flew perfectly down the centre of the goal. “To take a penalty like that you must be crazy or very good,” Totti later said, “and I don’t think I’m crazy.”When Di Biagio returned from his kick, Totti said: “Mo je faccio er cucchiaio.” “Now I will do ‘the spoon’.” Paolo Maldini had overheard him. “Is he crazy?” said the captain. “There is a final on the line.” Totti did not change his mind. Edwin van der Sar dived right and Totti’s chip flew perfectly down the centre of the goal. “To take a penalty like that you must be crazy or very good,” Totti later said, “and I don’t think I’m crazy.”
Italy were 3-0 up and won the shootout 3-1 after Paul Bosvelt missed. After the game, the Dutch coach, Frank Rijkaard, resigned, but not before pointing out how hard shootouts are. “We practised almost every day, but it’s something unique to the game and we showed once again we’re no good at it.” Italy were 3-0 up and won the shootout 3-1 after Paul Bosvelt missed. After the game, the Dutch coach Frank Rijkaard resigned, but not before pointing out how hard shootouts are. “We practised almost every day, but it’s something unique to the game and we showed once again we’re no good at it.”
The numbers bear that out. The average conversion rate in a penalty shootout is 76% (that figure drops to 71% in the highly-pressured World Cup environment) but Holland’s conversion rate is only 67%. At the other end, their opponents have scored 88% of their penalties.The numbers bear that out. The average conversion rate in a penalty shootout is 76% (that figure drops to 71% in the highly-pressured World Cup environment) but Holland’s conversion rate is only 67%. At the other end, their opponents have scored 88% of their penalties.
Rijkaard was merely echoing the words of his coaching mentor, Johan Cruyff, whose opinion, as a national icon, has dictated Holland’s attitude to penalties more than anything else. Rijkaard was merely echoing the words of his coaching mentor Johan Cruyff whose opinion, as a national icon, has dictated Holland’s attitude to penalties more than anything else.
Cruyff is assumed to be a penalty expert because, in 1982, against Helmond Sport, he scored a famous penalty after exchanging passes from the spot with team-mate Jesper Olsen. Never mind that Cruyff was not the first to succeed with this type of penalty – that was the brilliant Rik Coppens, for Belgium, in 1957 – but more significantly, this was the first, and indeed only, official penalty he took for Ajax, after 10 years and more than 250 appearances for the team. If he took them in training, remembered reserve goalkeeper Ron Boomgard, it was only “to try crazy things and humiliate his opponent”. Henk Groot, Gerrie Mühren and Johan Neeskens were ahead of Cruyff in the penalty list for Ajax, and for Holland, Neeskens and Rob Rensenbrink had the responsibility.Cruyff is assumed to be a penalty expert because, in 1982, against Helmond Sport, he scored a famous penalty after exchanging passes from the spot with team-mate Jesper Olsen. Never mind that Cruyff was not the first to succeed with this type of penalty – that was the brilliant Rik Coppens, for Belgium, in 1957 – but more significantly, this was the first, and indeed only, official penalty he took for Ajax, after 10 years and more than 250 appearances for the team. If he took them in training, remembered reserve goalkeeper Ron Boomgard, it was only “to try crazy things and humiliate his opponent”. Henk Groot, Gerrie Mühren and Johan Neeskens were ahead of Cruyff in the penalty list for Ajax, and for Holland, Neeskens and Rob Rensenbrink had the responsibility.
At the start of his final season as a professional, at Feyenoord, Cruyff played against Roma in a friendly tournament. The game went to penalties, and Cruyff, hoping to impress his new team, stepped up. At the start of his final season as a professional, at Feyenoord, Cruyff played against Roma in a friendly tournament. The game went to penalties, and Cruyff, hoping to impress his new team, stepped up. “I’d played two games in two days plus extra time, and was living on my nerves,” he told TV hosts Frits Barend and Henk van Dorp. “You do your little walk back to run up at the ball. You close your eyes and you see where it will end up. That one, it ended up in the second-tier seats. The goal was small before the penalties began. The higher the tension, the smaller the goal gets.”
“I’d played two games in two days plus extra time, and was living on my nerves,” he told TV hosts Frits Barend and Henk van Dorp. “You do your little walk back to run up at the ball. You close your eyes and you see where it will end up. That one, it ended up in the second-tier seats. The goal was small before the penalties began. The higher the tension, the smaller the goal gets.” There are two theories why Cruyff did not fancy penalties. One is that the essence of Cruyff the footballer was all about movement and intuition and that the idea of standing still and waiting to kick the ball after the referee’s whistle was anathema to him. The other comes from Bert Hiddema, author of Cruijff! Van Jopie tot Johan.
There are two theories why Cruyff did not fancy penalties. One is that the essence of Cruyff the footballer was all about movement and intuition and that the idea of standing still and waiting to kick the ball after the referee’s whistle was anathema to him. The other comes from Bert Hiddema, author of Cruyff! Van Jopie tot Johan. “Good penalty-takers have a hard shot,” he said. “And that was exactly what he lacked. At a young age he didn’t have the strength [for it] and would instead use a curved kicking style, which was much more suitable for creative passing than penalties.”
“Good penalty takers have a hard shot,” he said. “And that was exactly what he lacked. At a young age he didn’t have the strength [for it] and would instead use a curved kicking style, which was much more suitable for creative passing than penalties.” “Johan didn’t do it himself,” Rob Rensenbrink told me. “I think maybe he was frightened of missing.” Rensenbrink was one of Holland’s most reliable penalty-takers. He scored four out of four at the 1978 World Cup and was assiduous in his practice. He would take between 10 and 20 after every training session, sometimes telling the goalkeeper where he would aim before kicking, other times sticking poles half a metre inside each goalpost, and striking the ball in between the pole and the post every time.
“Johan didn’t do it himself,” Rob Rensenbrink told me. “I think maybe he was frightened of missing.” Rensenbrink was one of Holland’s most reliable penalty-takers. He scored four out of four at the 1978 World Cup and was assiduous in his practise. He would take between 10 and 20 after every training-session, sometimes telling the goalkeeper where he would aim before kicking, other times sticking poles half a metre inside each goalpost, and striking the ball in between the pole and the post every time. “It’s like free-kicks, the more you take, the better you get. Saying you can’t practise is bullshit. Just do it every day.” “It’s like free-kicks, the more you take, the better you get. Saying you can’t practise is bullshit. Just do it every day.”
“Maybe it’s time to switch off when Cruyff talks about penalties,” wrote Dutch journalist Auke Kok. “The only question is: who would dare do such a thing? Because [usually] even if the truth bears little resemblance to what he says, everyone blindly accepts it.” “Maybe it’s time to switch off when Cruyff talks about penalties,” wrote the Dutch journalist Auke Kok. “The only question is: who would dare do such a thing? Because [usually] even if the truth bears little resemblance to what he says, everyone blindly accepts it.”
So here’s some advice to Holland before the Mexico game. Do not listen to Cruyff when he says you cannot practise for penalties. Of course you can. The Dutch players need to practise, and with purpose, for that stripped-down moment of pure football – just ball, kicker, goal and goalkeeper – that might decide their fate.So here’s some advice to Holland before the Mexico game. Do not listen to Cruyff when he says you cannot practise for penalties. Of course you can. The Dutch players need to practise, and with purpose, for that stripped-down moment of pure football – just ball, kicker, goal and goalkeeper – that might decide their fate.
Twelve Yards: The Art and Psychology of the Perfect Penalty (Bantam Press) by Ben Lyttleton is out nowTwelve Yards: The Art and Psychology of the Perfect Penalty (Bantam Press) by Ben Lyttleton is out now