During their stay in the United States, every England player takes penalty kicks after each training session, aiming to turn spot-kick taking into a routine movement and maximise muscle memory.
England will face the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Atlanta on Wednesday, officially kicking off their FIFA World Cup knockout stage campaign. They expect to be forced to settle qualification via a penalty shootout at some point in their upcoming matches.
Thomas Tuchel told his players that research indicates they will likely need to win two penalty shootouts to lift the trophy. The squad has conducted extensive research on both goalkeepers and penalty takers, analysing their reaction patterns and statistical data.
Under former England head coach Gareth Southgate, the Three Lions broke their penalty curse, winning three out of their last four major tournament shootouts.Prior to that, England had a dismal record in spot-kick deciders, losing three consecutively in 1990, 1998 and 2006, before finally beating Colombia on penalties at the 2018 World Cup.Noni Madueke also stated during a previous press conference that as they enter the World Cup knockout rounds, England are taking penalty practice "extremely seriously", and he is
personally willing to volunteer to take spot kicks.
England are heavy favourites for the fixture held at downtown Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, yet every scenario has been thoroughly planned for, including the possibility of a penalty shootout.
Penalty shootouts have haunted the national side for years, including the devastating Euro 2021 final defeat against Italy. This summer, Tuchel’s squad are fully prepared to leave no stone unturned.
