2026 World Cup (Official Thread)

[Tomateaux Quinoa Gumbeaux]

Euros melting over here. Heat and pressure.

I think it’s just as hot there right now so their fans who didn’t make the trip are too

 

[OHSportsFan]

4 years of buildup, 4 years of training, 4 years of your country waiting and it all goes away in a few kicks.

Absolute sports cinema.

I never want the US involved in these.

 

[Jagdaddy]

Western hemisphere world cups tend to go that way.

Although it’s usually Brazil and Argentina putting belt to ass.

 

[OHSportsFan]

I think it’s just as hot there right now so their fans who didn’t make the trip are too

True, they’re getting cooked over there right now.

 

[Tomateaux Quinoa Gumbeaux]

True, they’re getting cooked over there right now.

At least the ones who crossed the pond likely have A/C wherever they’re staying, unlike the ones back there

 

[shetuck]

Western hemisphere world cups tend to go that way.

This made me remember some kind of study they did in Germany about ten years ago relating to success factors in penalty shootouts, because they somehow realized (because they’re Germans ) that a vast majority of World Cup and UEFA championship league matches were decided on penalty kicks… and they wanted to understand what can be done to prepare better.

So I went back and looked… fwiw here’s the research: https://fis.dshs-koeln.de/en/public...eterminant-of-sport-performance-how-to-succe/

Interesting take… but I guess at some point everyone can learn how to out-German the Germans lol

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

Top corner…love those

I joined my high school's soccer team because my friends were on it and it was a way to get out of class. I didn't know what I was doing, but neither did any of the rest of them.......we were very very very bad. During summer conditioning, our practice field was right at the edge of a forest. My buddy suggested that we all boot our penalty kicks well over the goal and deep into the forest. I was trying to fit in, so I volunteered to go first. I blasted that mother fucker as hard as I could. I don't think I've kicked a ball as pure or as hard as I kicked that one. I wanted it to take about 20 minutes to find.

It went directly into the top right corner. Harry Kane couldn't have placed it any better. It hit the top of the net before it hit the back.

And that's how I became the PK guy on my high school soccer team.

 

[AKAK]

This made me remember some kind of study they did in Germany about ten years ago relating to success factors in penalty shootouts, because they somehow realized (because they’re Germans ) that a vast majority of World Cup and UEFA championship league matches were decided on penalty kicks… and they wanted to understand what can be done to prepare better.

So I went back and looked… fwiw here’s the research: https://fis.dshs-koeln.de/en/public...eterminant-of-sport-performance-how-to-succe/

Interesting take… but I guess at some point everyone can learn how to out-German the Germans lol

https://yunus.hacettepe.edu.tr/~shazir/Analysis%20of%20penalties%20taken%20in%20shoot-outs.pdf

 

[AKAK]

I joined my high school's soccer team because my friends were on it and it was a way to get out of class. I didn't know what I was doing, but neither did any of the rest of them.......we were very very very bad. During summer conditioning, our practice field was right at the edge of a forest. My buddy suggested that we all boot our penalty kicks well over the goal and deep into the forest. I was trying to fit in, so I volunteered to go first. I blasted that mother fucker as hard as I could. I don't think I've kicked a ball as pure or as hard as I kicked that one. I wanted it to take about 20 minutes to find.

It went directly into the top right corner. Harry Kane couldn't have placed it any better. It hit the top of the net before it hit the back.

And that's how I became the PK guy on my high school soccer team.

And your approach is the best, pick your spot and rip it. None of this stutter step idiocy...