Sport Today

If the Serie A is the best league in the world as some say, how come
Italy can't find 5 players who can make a PK under pressure?

Rafal

I've seen the games on tape in the German and English top leagues, and
they're certainly much more intriguing to watch. The last time Italy won the
World Cup in 1982, they did it with quality offense, led by one Paolo Rossi,
a disgraced player who redeemed himself in the biggest venue possible. In
1994, Italy played "anti-soccer" in order to beat Brazil, and the result was
another PK shootout, with the biggest star of that World Cup (Roberto
Baggio) blowing it in front of 103,000 spectators and 1.5 billion television
viewers.

Raymond in Mountain View, CA

What do you mean?. When it comes to penalty it all comes down to luck. I
know everyone praises Germany when it comes to pk's but trust me, no team
be it Germany or Italy or Holland or New Zealand for that matter wants to
go to pk's. They may play negative football but they still want to score on
the counter attack play and not win through penalty's. Too much risk.

Unfortunately one team has to go home so in this instance it was Italy.
Even Brazil has lost a game through pk (1986 quaterfinals against France).
If I am not mistaken even Platini missed his kick. Its all about nerves and
luck. If the goal keeper guesses right then it doesn't go in. That is why
most player try the upper corners but that's a tough shot to try.

hi
this is what i have often heard about taking a penalty kick.
kick as hard as you can very close to either post and you are sure to beat the
keeper even if he touches it.
now this insures you to beat the keeper but you can miss the goal or hit the
post.
another thing that  some players do is kick right in the middle where the goal
keeper stands because he always jump left or right and leave the middle empty.
well easier said than done.
nobody at any level should be blamed for missing a penalty kick and getting his
team eliminated.
it is a part of soccer.

patrick

As to not finding 5 players, well, someone has
to miss. I would not draw huge parallels from
a penalty kick shootout to the quality of a league.

And by the way, France couldn't find 5 players
either.

And also by the way, mon ami, of the French
players who took Zidane plays in Serie A so
the difference is not as great as you make it
out to be.

- Riff "Took one PK in my life -- and I made it" Ster