For years, some soccer fans and casual observers of the game have been disappointed or perplexed (often both) by the ritual of the penalty kick shootout.
After more than 90 minutes of deadlocked soccer, to settle a game in such a seemingly random way belittles the effort that went into the game, say some critics. Others say that shootouts give the lesser teams an advantage or that the format rewards negative, overly defensive play.
It’s the best option available, say purists and defenders of the penalty-kick format. How else are we to settle a game in a fair manner in a reasonable amount of time? And it is exciting. Remember the World Cup final in 2006 or the UEFA Champions League in 2008, two recent examples of big games settled from 12 yards out?
Still, is it really necessary to have a winner in every game, even exhibitions in which nothing is at stake other than bragging rights? Case in point: The Major League Soccer All-Star game between the league’s marquee players and Everton of the English Premier League. After a 1-1 tie, the two teams went to penalty kicks at Rio Tinto Stadium Wednesday night in Sandy, Utah. First-half goals by Louis Saha of Everton and Brad Davis of the Houston Dynamowere enough to give the crowd of more than 20,000 something to watch. But it came down to a shootout when Everton’s Tim Howard showed why he is the U.S. national team’s No. 1 goalkeeper by making key saves to win the shootout, 4-3. (Video of the penalty shooutout is here.)
The shot, or rather the save, that won it for Everton: Howard reached behind him to save M.L.S. All-Star captain Freddie Ljungberg’s anemic chip shot down the middle.