Rafa Dudek and Penalties

Rafa was very keen on attention to detail and before the final all the information about AC Milan’s penalty and free-kick takers was put on a board in the dressing room. There were also video clips for me to watch of their players taking penalties and set-pieces. Saving penalties is something Rafa had actually worked with me on throughout the season.
‘How would you describe penalties?’ he said to me. ‘Top, low, middle?’ You need to look at it differently. He advised me to mentally divide the goal into six squares. Starting from the top right would be squares one, two and three and from the bottom left would be squares four, five and six. I would then look at videos of opposition penalty takers and work out which ‘square’ they were most likely to strike their penalty towards.
It took me four months to truly get my head around it and every so often Benitez would test me. ‘Where is Lampard shooting? Which number?’ I answered ‘six’ – the right low corner of the goal – but everyone except myself and Rafa had no clue what we were talking about. We had our own penalty code.

While we were waiting for the shoot-out, which would be taken at the end of the Ataturk Stadium where all six goals had been scored – in front of the AC Milan fans – ‘Ocho’ took out a list detailing the penalty-taking habits of their players. It was written in our code with each AC Milan player having a number next to his name. It felt like that list was as long as a toilet roll! ‘I’m not going to remember all this,’ I said to Ocho. ‘You need to help me.’
I tried to convince him to stand behind the goal to give me instructions, but obviously the referee wasn’t going to allow him to do this, so I came up with another plan instead. ‘Before each penalty I’m going to look at you. Stand up and raise your hands. If you raise one hand, I’ll go left, if you raise two, I’ll go right. That’s all you can do from the distance, but it will help me.’
I’m not sure if many people noticed this, but it was actually Scott Carson who would raise his hands to signal which way I should dive. Ocho would look at his notes and tell him which arm to raise as each of their players walked down towards me. But it wasn’t an easy call for Ocho to make. Some players vary their penalties so I could see some consternation in Ocho’s face every single time he had to make a decision on which way I should dive.

It reminded me of when ski jumping coaches have to wave a flag to signal when their ski jumper should start his descent down the slope. He is waiting for perfect wind conditions before he waves that flag, but it’s a test of nerve as to when he does so in the time allotted before a jump must be made. The ski jumper puts his faith in his coach to make that call and that is what I did with Ocho. Scott’s arms would effectively be my flag...
I didn’t quite stick to Rafa’s code!
We had won the Champions League. We were champions of Europe. After being 3-0 behind at half-time. And I had made the crucial penalty save. It was beyond my wildest dreams!
While we were waiting for the presentation, Benitez came over to me on the pitch and, without displaying any emotion, said to me: ‘Tell me, Jerzy, why did you dive in completely different directions than we showed you?’
He was right. I think I dived three times in the opposite direction than I should have done according to the signals that were being made on the touchline for me from Scott and Ocho. Unlike the incredibly serene Rafa, I hadn’t thought of that in the midst of all the celebrations, but I’m glad I did dive the opposite way!"

 

But the important one he saved went straight down the middle and he saved with his legs lol.

Pretty sure that's not a usual schev pen.

Penalties is all about luck.

 

The most amazing part of that story is it took him 4 ****ing months to figure out how to divide the goal up it's pretty simple stuff there

Interesting how his instincts told him to go against the instructions during the shoot-out ... wonder how much was pure reflex and how much was him looking and analysing the situation and movements as the Milan players shaped and ran up to kick

 

True, even if as Rafa tried to do you establish a kickers usual pen he still might change it on the spot, so there is no bulletproof way to win a shootout and make more saves, it is luck and chance and probability you can't have science and theory behind that, in principle those should increase your odds but not really due to that random element

 

Research is important

but i find whats REALLY important is bravery.

As a keeper theres three things.

1. Reaction time
2. Reading
3. balls to stand up and commit the player to his kick before you dive

No 3.. thats forces players to actually take a good pen. I see so many keeper just guess and dive before the kicker even strikes and its so easy just open the foot and tap home nce you know which direction keeper is going/

No 2... looking at body shape and standing foot.. As a viewer you can tell usually which way a player will go. The angle of run. too straight and its only going one way, the best kickers approach the ball form an angle that allows then hit either side of goal in corner.. the body shape i nthe shoulders, kicker has to open the body to strike a ball say right foot and to thier right with the instep. if you can pick that are the direction the standing foot points you have clue

No 1. Reaction time. You've got to dive in time to have the read a step away form shot and get down.

Really a keeper is looking for guys who hit it low and don't get it in corner. Guys who smash the ball are wild and you hope they get it wrong. If a guy is good enough to hit it high and to the corner its unsavable as you cannot stretch that high from middle of goal.

Its being down and the right direction to get the less than perfect hit.


reasearch will only get you a probability and a good pen taker should be able to hit either side.

 

Wasn't the sort of pen. to be taken at that particular moment .......but given the circumstances it was understandable I suppose

 

Using the analysis, he could have saved three

 

Maybe but five players changing? Unlikely.

 

Number two actual starts a long time before what you suggest. Watch the walk. Watch their eyes from the start of that walk up to and beyond placing the ball. Players only start playing games once the ball is placed.

I don't buy into this keeper moving early malarkey. We're talking milliseconds, not enough time for the player to react imo

 

Yes you are right there is lots or back and forth between keeper and striker.

Yes theres always some point where you might think you see a tell but I do think its only the very best who can disguise the run up and the drop of a shoulder and where the foot points..

I agree about moving early.. you have to stand up and make the guy put it where he needs to.

look at our debacle of a league cup final. Coutinho plays the game.. or the shuffle one as well.. keeper doens't dive so they are oh **** what do i do and then fluff it.

The thin baout pens is unless a side is like germany theres not going to be 5 great pen takers who can disguise everything.. and it only takes one save....


I do however thing a huge tell is a player standing too straight on.

Look at rooney. he altered his run up to pens from a very big angle to a very straight on run and he got done several times as you just cannot side foot a ball into both sides of goal form straight on. If you see a guy like that and he just runs in he's smahsing it down middle or to the natural side ofr his foot.


I mean sure there's some element of predetermination in the thing but look at cricket.. you being a philistine you won't get this but if a guy is putting a cricket ball down at you from 22 yards at 90mph a cricketer still needs to pick the ball and react. a lot shuffle or have a bat lift in there but they will play the shot that comes.

Keepers have the reactions IMO. its not after ball is moving its from the act of striking that they react.


But yes... if a keeper has a file with all favoured directions in it and stands up and ballses it out the striker has to go with his best kick so as a pen shoot out goes on players will be thinking.. right this guy knows.. i have to hit it perfect.


thats why i love pens.. it really sorts men form boys.

 

The penalty taker shouldn't be waiting to see what a keeper does. Pick a side and hit the side netting

 

yes but some guys just think they are too smart for that and think if a keeper lays down he can make himself look a genius.

the stutter run up, the chip down the middle etc..... all the best Germans smash them home. can did the cheeky one. he will be dinged by anyone decent and a keeper will eventually do for him in a big tournament.

I peronsally just love when you see a keeper just dive first pen and get it wrong. any side should get great confidence from that.

we totally blew out league cup final having won the semi taking good pens.