Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is currently football’s number 1 penalty shooter disruptor. How? Here’s a brief historical & scientific analysis of 5 goalkeeper disruption techniques for penalty kicks, ending with Martinez’ “master class” last Saturday. Thread (1/10).
(1) Visual distraction technique. Goalkeepers sometimes engage in erratic movements to disturb the visual field of the shooter, command attention, and create disorder. Study shows players are 10% less likely to score when faced with distraction tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10… (2/10)
Historically, visual distraction has been creatively and successfully used on many big occasions: Grobbelar’s wobbly knees (A), Dudek on the line (B), Krul warming up in the 18-yard box (C), & Everson taking a reverse knee (D). Key is being asymmetrical or unpredictable. (3/10)
(2) Physical confrontation technique. When goalkeepers shamelessly take up position at the penalty mark. It’s direct, intended to intimidate, and difficult to ignore. Can emotionally destabilize and cognitively distract. Richardo (A), van Breukelen (B) and Krul (C). (4/10)
(3) Verbal confrontation technique. Some goalkeepers engage in old school trash talk, by verbally addressing, insulting and/or humiliating the shooter. In this summer's no-crowd, Copa America semi final, Martinez' words were easily identified. Colombia missed 3 shots. (5/10)
(4) Delaying technique. A more subtle, indirect technique is to simply take time getting ready. In our study, if the shooter is forced to wait for the referee signal (because the goalkeeper takes time), the probability of a goal drops by 20-30%. sciencedirect.com/science/articl… (6/10)
Edwin van der Sar was brilliant at delaying. Keeping his towel by the corner flag, taking forever to get into the goal, forcing the shooter to wait. This way, he indirectly takes the initiative, disrupts the shooter’s rhythm, and forces on him extra seconds of rumination. (7/10)
(5) Social manipulation technique. A truly Machiavellian ploy. When United gets the overtime penalty against Villa, Martinez is not addressing the penalty taker, Bruno Fernandes. Rather, he confronts Bruno’s TEAMMATE Cristiano Ronaldo saying: «HE should take the penalty». (8/10)
This plays on the emerging rivalry between Bruno and Cristiano, providing an oblique nudge to Bruno that if he misses, Cristiano is the next penalty taker for United. Bruno missed a penalty for the first time in almost a year (12 straight goals), and Villa wins the game. (9/10)
There is a moral question about these techniques, which should be addressed by governing bodies and referees. For now, disruption techniques are effective. Goalkeepers need to employ such techniques skillfully & shooters need to use effective counter measures. (10/10)
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
A penalty shootout is a psychological battle. In the 2023 Women’s World Cup, players on Sweden & USA tried to cope with stress in very different ways.
We cannot see inside their heads, but we can observe micro behaviors & try to infer what they mean.
Here are my best guesses.
The two goalkeepers handed the ball to their penalty takers ahead of each penalty kick. This is a, by now, well-known strategy to give each penalty taker a friendly start to their pre-shot routine.
However, the two teams substantially differed in HOW this hand-off took place.
Naeher, the US GK, did a quick & focused hand-off.
Then, for the first 3 US penalties, Sullivan, Horan & Mewis had a nearly identical pre-shot routine.
✔️Eyes focused on the ball
✔️A 3 sec pause after the whistle
✔️A deep breath prior to run-up
Alexis Mac Allister’s penalty kick against Manchester United s a pure test of performance under pressure.
Penalty at 0-0.
8 minutes into overtime.
One way to maintain calm here is to proactively take control over yourself & the situation.
How did Mac Allister do this? 1/5
First, Mac Allister grabbed the ball early, then moved away from the commotion and chaos around the referee and the penalty spot.
This is likely helpful to keep a clear focus on the task - the imminent shot, and avoid opponents' attempts to disturb and distract. 2/5
When the penalty area is cleared, Mac Allister moves towards the penalty mark, places the ball & takes up a waiting position by the ball – instead of immediately walking back.
I like the composed, step-by-step routine, where HE (and not others) decides when he does what. 3/5
Was this the moment that decided the United v Brighton FA Cup Semifinal?
Wout Weghorst scored his kick, then got the ball and handed it over to Brighton’s Solly March with his own “kiss of death”.
March proceeded to deliver the only miss in the shootout.
Here the details: 1/6
Up until this point, Brighton goalkeeper Sanchez had given the ball to the Brighton players.
This is a routine many teams have employed since England successfully did it at the 2018 World Cup.
The do it to give the penalty taker a “friendly” beginning to their kick routine. 2/6
When Weghorst spotted the ball and handed it over with his personal greeting, he also attracted attention from the referee, who carefully monitored the situation.
While the referee then had his back to De Gea, the United GK started brushing his foot along the penalty mark. 3/6
Lionel Messi has an extraordinary ability to perceive & act appropriately upon critical information on the pitch.
Here is a breakdown of his perceptual, cognitive & emotional performance in key moments of the 2022 World Cup final - starting with his 3-2 goal.
Thread 1/12
For this goal in the 109th minute, Messi scans extensively towards areas off the ball prior to receiving the ball.
In the last 10 seconds before scoring, he has 7 scans (0.7 scans/sec). Initially, his scans are long, allowing him to gather more information from each scan.
2/12
Right before Messi gets the ball the first time, he swiftly redirects his gaze when the ball moves right to left.
A head-to-head gaze comparison with Upamecano shows Messi moving his gaze to imminent ball locations a few 1/10s of a second earlier than the French defender.
3/12
Kylian Mbappé performed EXTRAORDINARY under pressure in the 2022 World Cup final.
At only 23, he scored 4 goals, including 3 penalties, in which the one in the 118' min would secure a loss for France if he were to miss.
What did he do prior to these pressure kicks?
Thread 1/
Background: Mbappé is one of the world’s best & most expensive players. Our study suggests status adds pressure & reduces penalty performance tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10…
Being a Black player comes w additional risks of racist fallout if he were to miss, adding even more pressure. 2/
Prior to Mbappé's 1st penalty, Argentina’s players try mind games to disturb him.
Acuna lingers around the penalty mark, indicating he wants to scuff it up.
Mbappé puts his left foot down and waits for the referee. He quietly protects the penalty mark, with no extra fuss. 3/
Argentina is world champion after a penalty shootout master class. At the core of their performance is goalkeeper Emi Martinez' mind games.
Martinez dominated the French penalty takers, forcing two misses.
Here’s a step-by-step description of his tricks in the final. Thread. 1/
Martinez set the stage and took ownership of the penalty area from the beginning.
While Lloris completed the coin toss, Martinez quickly walked to the penalty area, waiting for Lloris to come, like he was welcoming a visitor to his own home: “You’re in my house now!” 2/
When Lloris arrives, Martinez initiates a handshake. Same w Mbappé.
This is his style. He can be warm & lovely at first, which makes people drop their guard, leaving them more vulnerable when he later strikes. This ambiguity is in itself abusive and part of his strategy. 3/