Harry Kane had at his feet the opportunity to tie the game 2-2 against France, in the quarterfinals of the Qatar World Cup 2022but the England striker, who minutes before had discounted a penalty, failed this time from 12 steps.
Geir Jordeta professor at the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, a psychologist and a researcher into mental performance in elite football, explained that, in the first penalty, Englishman Henderson “first asked for and caught the ball, and then handed it to Kane while escorted him to the area, making sure that no French player could have access to him”, for avoid “mind games in those last crucial seconds before the shot“.
However, in the second penalty it was different. “For the first 30 seconds after the VAR decision, Harry Kane was alone, surrounded by players from France. It’s not necessarily a problem, but it leaves you vulnerable,” he explained.
And he closed: “Dealing with the pressure of a decisive penalty requires kicker skills, individual resilience and the support of those around you. Support is an obligation. The best teams are the ones that play the psychological game better than others.”