Mbappe's miss and all that

Indian players Rajesh Kumar (left), Captain CV Pappachan and Noel Wilson (right) celebrate with the Freedom Trophy after winning 3-2 in the finals against Sri Lanka on 21 November, 1998 PIC/AFP

Penalty kicks can be killing, especially for the kickers ending up on the wrong side. There is no logical explanation for football's biggest names cracking under pressure, with only the goalkeeper to beat from a distance of 12 yards. World Cup 2018 sensation, Kylian Mbappe, joined a list of football luminaries who have misfired from the penalty spot. France paid the penalty by exiting the Euro 2020 knockout stage. The famous number 10 in the world shrugged his shoulders, walked back with hands holding his head. Switzerland celebrated a rousing 5-4 (3-3) win.

With ample space and time available for the player on the ball to compose his thoughts and choose his spot in the net, something happens in the mind. The situation gets the better of kickers like Mbappe and the goalkeeper emerges as the saviour. Switzerland's custodian Yann Sommer waited for any check by the referee on the VAR cameras after blocking the fifth France kick, before wheeling off in celebration at National Arena, Bucharest.

Former India and Kerala Police striker, C V Pappachan is of the view that penalty kicks taken in regulation time is not a cause for anxiety for famous goal-scorers, the tie-breaker is a different situation that preys on the mind. "Mbappe was taking the fifth penalty kick and knew there was no fall-back option. In regular time, the kicker is less tense because of time left in the game to make amends for his missed kick. He won the World Cup 2018 for France. These things happen to the best, no one is immune, including Messi."

The Argentina ace was the first player in Russia 2018 to miss a penalty against Iceland, besides a missed penalty in the Copa America 2016 final against Chile. Ex-India goalkeeper and football commentator, Henry Menezes, explains: "Football is a team game, a penalty kick is a one-to-one situation like any individual sport. When you sing in a chorus, there is no fear because you know there is a group around you. The pressure is different when asked to sing alone on stage, all eyes are on you. It happens in football too."

He adds: "It is a known fact that a ball hit hard travels faster than what a human eye can spot, so it is okay for the goalkeeper to get beaten, but a kicker cannot miss from that distance. It works to the latter's advantage if the goalkeeper is able to make eye contact with the kicker. Players taking the penalty kick try to confuse the goalkeeper by looking one way though he intends to direct the ball in the opposite direction. One brief glance by the kicker happens, the clue a goalkeeper needs to spot at the right moment and the rest is easy."

Referring to Mbappe's state of mind, Menezes echoes Pappachan's reasoning. "Reputation of the player taking the penalty does not matter, how much training has gone into toughening the mind is relevant. During a tie-breaker, the focus is on one player as an individual and there is no teammate to do his work. Performance is determined by how many times he has taken the penalty before and how many he scored."

Goalkeepers appear confident, their body language is different, compared to nervous kickers. "Goalkeepers are groomed to operate alone and take split-second decisions on instinct. During high-pressure situations which may force others to crack, a goalkeeper will try to dominate," said Menezes, in goal for Mafatlal, BoI, Mahindras.

Pappachan, part of a famous Kerala Police strikeforce and based in Thrissur, is of the view that the France and PSG striker will recover from the experience. "We have seen star names miss from the spot in the World Cup. Mbappe will return stronger in the mind."

When penalty-kicks take place at one end, it is a common sight to see kickers lined up side-by-side on the centreline, linking arms to show solidarity. Few players find the emotion so overwhelming that turning eyes away from the action or using hands to cover the eyes are common sights. Others can be seen praying, calling down gods to steel their nerves during the long, lonely walk to the penalty spot and later when all eyes in the stadium are on him. For those missing from the spot, walking back is embarrassing so they pull their jersey over the face, some hold their head.

Famous names who walked back from the penalty spot in World Cup action, alone and in agony after missing their penalty kick in regulation time or tie-breaker are: Zico, Michel Platini, Socrates (Brazil v France at World Cup 1986); Diego Maradona (Argentina v Yugoslavia, 1990 World Cup); Roberto Baggio (Italy v Brazil, 1994 World Cup); Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard (England v Portugal, 2006 World Cup); Asamayoh Gyan (Ghana v Uruguay, 2010 World Cup); Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal v Iran, 2018 World Cup); Lionel Messi (Argentina v Iceland, 2018 World Cup)… to name a few match-winners.

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