England can win on penalties Switzerland have successfully completed the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, making the dream of lifting the trophy not far off.
But there is plenty to talk about from that penalty shootout, whether it was Cole Palmer's calm opener, Manuel Akanji's save from Jordan Pickford, or Bukayo Saka's rebuilding of confidence.
However, there is one shot that many people have seen and talked about. It must be Ivan Toney's shot that he managed to shoot so calmly without his eyes looking at the ball.
Tony's killer look as he sends it past the goalkeeper. And how did the 28-year-old Brentford striker's brilliance come about? Follow behind the scenes from the Main Stand.
Similar techniques from high jumping
Perhaps not to mention it. Ivan Toney’s penalty kicks don’t go unnoticed, with a success rate high enough that many other players try to copy them. Sports psychologist Michael Caulfield adds that his shot has a similar effect to the Fosbury Flop in high jumping, as it takes the eye off the target. Which is to say, off the ball for football and off the bar for high jumping.
From watching Toni's shot against Switzerland. He made us see that he didn't intend to take his eyes off the goalie even for a second. He also shoots confidently without looking at the ball.
Tony's mastery of the ball is well known to the Bees. This is where he picked up the techniques and knowledge from Michael Caulfield, the man behind the terrifying shot.
In four years Tony's penalty statistics can be called almost flawless and the latter is always the chosen one. Out of 32 penalty opportunities, he has scored 30 and missed only 2, achieving a success rate of 93.75%.
“I think Tony gave me a different perspective on penalty kicks. It may not be the Fosbury Flop, but there are some similarities. Or like hitting a tennis ball backwards with a backhand.
“Tony has mastered that technique, the penalty is his and he owns the penalty. There aren’t many players who come in and just train to run 10 yards, but Tony has taken it seriously and honed it like a piece of art.
“Just like he said after the game. It was indeed his routine. If you looked and thought logically there was nothing wrong with Tony staring at the goalkeeper. There would be only a few people who would dare to stand still.” Michael Caulfield talks about Ivan Toney's amazing technique
Passion is key
It's not just the techniques you need to master, it's the control over your emotions and feelings. This is another factor that makes Ivan Toney the most reliable person when it comes to taking penalties.
The England striker credits Michael Caulfield with helping him become known. Emotional control from stressful situations or unpleasant events, such as being substituted during stoppage time in a match against Slovakia. With so little time left on the pitch it is difficult to see Tony being able to make enough of a difference in such a difficult time.
But when it came to penalties, Tony did not disappoint the Three Lions fans. From the duel with Switzerland
Michael Caulfield also added that the reason Tony is able to maintain such a good penalty record is because he is able to deal with it internally and believe in using technique under pressure.
“The style he uses is total trust. Tony is like a pilot and I can count on him to land our plane safely. Even though it was a rainy day, Tony and the English players had a way of dealing with the pressure. In this case, winning the penalty shootout in the Euros this time.
“That's why that's why I say it's not just trying your luck in the lottery. It's the strong mental and physical skills that they have.” Michael Caulfield said
Which is why Ivan Toney, who holds the record for penalty shootout probability (xG) of 0.79, deserves credit. By the following programme for England will meet the Netherlands. The Euro 2024 semi-final will be on Wednesday evening, July 10, at 2:00 am Thailand time.
We must continue to see the great battle between “Visiting Lion” And “Orange Knight” Will he be able to close the score in 90 minutes or not because if there is extra time it doesn't even go to penalties? We may never see Ivan Toney's name appear as a penalty taker again.
Reference source:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2024/07/08/ivan-toney-no-look-penalty-england-euro-2024/
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