“I don’t like the term luck. And that’s why I said you create your own luck. You have the opportunities that come your way. You capitalize, and you use them to your advantage.”
Wise words from U.S. women’s national team legend Carli Lloyd on “Alexi Lalas’ State of the Union Podcast” about one of soccer’s biggest challenges: taking a penalty.Â
It’s only 12 yards between glory and certain heartbreak, but it can feel like a mile away. It requires that combination of skill, a bit of luck, and plenty of mental toughness.Â
Penalties were a hot topic at the Women’s Euro. England needed them to beat Sweden in the quarterfinals and then Spain in Sunday’s final. Across the entire tournament, the penalty conversion rate across the tournament was just 55% (28 scored, 51 taken), the lowest on record at either a Women’s Euro or FIFA Women’s World Cup (since 2011).
Which is why Lloyd praised England’s Chloe Kelly, who scored the decisive penalty against Spain.Â
“She said she knew she was going to make it. And for me, that’s telling,” Lloyd said. “When you step up and you’re confident in making a penalty.”
Lloyd further explained what it took to improve her own penalty-taking skills, spurred by the USWNT falling in the 2011 World Cup final against Japan. And while the U.S. were successful against Brazil in that quarterfinal, PKs ultimately doomed them in the fateful final in Frankfurt.
“I practiced penalties here and there. We would prepare as a team. It was definitely something that we took pride in. We all made ours at that point,” Lloyd said.
“[In the final]Shannon Boxx was the first and she missed. So suddenly you start thinking, ‘Oh boy, she missed.’ I move, I miss. I have left me till now. Miss Tobin Heath and then AB [Wambach] Finally made him [before Japan won],
“And at that moment, I said to myself: I need to prepare more for punishment because I was not ready. I did not take them normally, so I made a conscious effort after training sessions, which is to hit the punishment all the time after a day of training sessions.”
In the 2015 Women’s World Cup, Lloyd then implemented the routine on the path of the title-especially in 16 wins on Colombia in which the US initially missed the first half penalty.
“We meet after a few minutes and [Wambach] Gets up and gives me the ball hand and I like, ‘Okay, I’ll take it.’ I move, I make it, and then I have to take another in the semi -finals against Germany. This was really, a truly important moment and I made it. I was centered, and it all came down to my preparation. ,
This can be the biggest lesson when you are staring at a goalkeeper because you try to estimate their tricks and trends before that shot.
“It was such a brain game and I think it’s the biggest battle,” Lloyd said. “It’s not a keeper, it’s between your own ears and what you are thinking. Positive self-discussion, your routine and your preparation.”
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