Carli Lloyd, a legend of the U.S. Women's National Team, recently shared her insights on the challenges of taking penalty kicks, emphasizing that the biggest hurdle isn't the goalkeeper.
Lloyd highlighted the mental aspect of penalties on "Alexi Lalas' State of the Union Podcast". She underscored that while skill and a bit of luck are involved, mental toughness is paramount. This mental fortitude is what separates success from heartbreak in those crucial 12 yards.
Her comments come at a time when penalties are a hot topic in women's soccer. At the Women's Euro, the penalty conversion rate was notably low, with only 55% of penalties scored. This is the lowest rate recorded at either a Women's Euro or FIFA Women's World Cup since 2011. Lloyd praised England's Chloe Kelly, who scored the decisive penalty against Spain, noting Kelly's confidence in her ability to score.
Lloyd's own experiences with penalties have shaped her perspective. In the 2011 World Cup final against Japan, she missed a penalty, a moment she described as "a really tough thing to go through". She recognized the mixed emotions and mental challenges that arise when stepping up to take a penalty, including doubts about the goalkeeper's anticipation and second-guessing the force and placement of the shot.
That experience motivated Lloyd to dedicate herself to more rigorous preparation. She practiced penalties extensively to become comfortable shooting to any spot. In the 2015 World Cup semifinal against Germany, Lloyd successfully converted a penalty, which she has said was one of the biggest penalties she ever made.
Lloyd also noted the importance of team preparation for penalties. She was surprised that some managers, like those of France and Sweden, didn't focus heavily on penalty preparation, citing the unpredictability of which teams would be in the tournament. She contrasted this with her own team's approach, which involved significant preparation. She also noted that mind games can play a role during penalty shootouts. In the 2011 World Cup quarterfinal against Brazil, she recalled the mental battles within the players' heads.
