- Nov 8, 2006
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I’ve often wondered if a keeper standing in the middle of the goal for penalties is the best tactic. Bear with me…
Let’s take a keeper facing a Harry Kane penalty. Kane shoots both sides, so I don’t know which way he’ll go. But I do know the length of his run up and routine. I suspect Kane has decided in advance, which way he’ll go. In the moment before he starts his run, I take a big step to my left, and position myself to start running to my right. Now Kane has to make a recalculation during his run up. My theory is that it’s psychologically difficult to shoot to the side I’ve closed down, and much more attractive to shoot to the open side. Down the middle isn’t an option since by the time he strikes the ball, that’s where I’ll be, albeit running to my right. So, as keeper, I’m now fairly certain he’ll shoot to my right, even though the original intent might have been one of the other two options. Thus it’s now whether or not I’ve timed my run correctly to get there in time.
Any keepers or strikers here ever considered or faced this?
Let’s take a keeper facing a Harry Kane penalty. Kane shoots both sides, so I don’t know which way he’ll go. But I do know the length of his run up and routine. I suspect Kane has decided in advance, which way he’ll go. In the moment before he starts his run, I take a big step to my left, and position myself to start running to my right. Now Kane has to make a recalculation during his run up. My theory is that it’s psychologically difficult to shoot to the side I’ve closed down, and much more attractive to shoot to the open side. Down the middle isn’t an option since by the time he strikes the ball, that’s where I’ll be, albeit running to my right. So, as keeper, I’m now fairly certain he’ll shoot to my right, even though the original intent might have been one of the other two options. Thus it’s now whether or not I’ve timed my run correctly to get there in time.
Any keepers or strikers here ever considered or faced this?