The Spot No Place To Finish

Illawarra Mercury

Tuesday September 30, 2008

Joel Ritchie

I'M thinking of lobbying to change the name of this column. I wish I'd thought of it before the football finals started.

Of course, I'm writing about the penalty shoot-out - the method used to find the winner of any football match worth a trophy, if scores are level after extra time.

This week, the District League grand final and two of the Illawarra Amateur Football Association deciders were determined by spot kicks. As predicted in this column last week, the Berkeley-University rematch was a cracker.

After 120 minutes (the regulation 90 minutes plus 30 minutes of extra time), scores were locked at 2-2 and the sides were forced into a shoot-out.

Berkeley left with the spoils and rival coaches Barney King and Mick Rowles agreed penalties were a terrible way to decide the winner.

But why is it a terrible method? Here are a few reasons: It takes a distinct team sport and turns it into a one-on-one contest. Shooter versus keeper.

It accentuates mistakes over skill.

It changes the very nature of the contest. Think "heading to the putt putt course to settle the US Masters" or "pulling out a ping-pong table to decide Wimbledon". What if Sunday's NRL grand final was decided by a field goal contest?

A team that wins in a penalty shoot-out has every right to feel relieved, overjoyed and all the other emotions that come with a big win.

But do they earn the right to that sense that they are better than the other team? Or just luckier?

This isn't directed at any team that wins via a penalty shoot-out - but spot kicks are sport's richest lucky dip.

Everyone remembers penalty spot villains Roberto Baggio in the 1994 World Cup final, Andriy Shevchenko in the 2005 Champions League final, David Trezeguet in the 2006 World Cup final and John Terry in last season's Champions League decider.

The biggest stages in world football - and the biggest anti-climaxes. Unfortunately, we're stuck with them until FIFA comes up with a solution.

© 2008 Illawarra Mercury

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