Five more brave penalties

David Beckham v Argentina, 2002 World Cup

Was it a good penalty? No. It was almost down the middle. But in other ways, it was a great penalty, as a grudge match against the team that knocked England out of France ’98 in a shoot-out was settled by Beckham’s goal near the end of the first half. It was a kick struck with genuine venom, as if the midfield player was exorcising the demons of that red-card night in St Etienne. The wild celebrations spoke of a huge weight lifted off a man who had gone from national icon to national pariah, and back to icon again. Let’s not talk about the penalties he took two years later at Euro 2004.

Stuart Pearce v Spain, Euro ‘96

It is fair to say that the semi-final of the 1990 World Cup was a bad night at the office for Pearce. “My world collapsed,” he said later. He lost his place in the team to Graeme Le Saux, but did not retire and was rewarded with a first-team place again when Le Saux broke his leg in December, 1995. Wembley, goalless quarter-final, spot-kicks. Up steps Pearce. The nation shuffles uneasily on its seats. Wham – the defender slams the kick into the net and his celebration is an explosion of relief. “What people have to remember are the circumstances surrounding me even playing in that tournament and all of that joy, relief and passion was released in the moment the ball hit the net,” he said. And he scored in the shoot-out against Germany in the semi-finals, too.

Steven Taylor, England v Holland, European Under-21 championship, 2007

Forced to play on because England had made all their substitutions, the defender could hardly stand up because of an ankle injury but still stepped forward to convert his attempt in a shoot-out. However, England went on to lose by the incredible scoreline of 13-12. Their manager? Pearce.

Miroslav Djukic, Deportivo La Coruna v Valencia, Spanish league, 1994

Needing victory in their final game to win their first league title, Deportivo were given a spot kick in stoppage time with the score goalless. With the two favoured penalty takers absent, Djukic stepped forward but fluffed it.

Martin Palermo, Argentina v Colombia, Copa America, 1999

The striker had already missed two penalties when Argentina were awarded a third. Palermo courageously took responsibility – but missed for a third time. Oh dear.

- Tom Dart and Bill Edgar

Comments

[james]

Yes let`s talk about the penalties at euro2004 2 years later or the one that could have cost us qualification for the event away in Turkey that year.In indulging one self-obsessed overgrown little boys ego and desire to "exponge his demons",we lost the plot totally.Beckham was never a penalty taker and should never have been allowed to get it on the back of this which merely summed up the farcical surrendering to one boys celebrity and desperation to be the center of attention.Ill never forgive Eriksson and the media for allowing that runious and brainless situation to materialise and prosper and rule under him.The sheer naffness of the "Beckham culture" meant we were always going to come up short when it mattered and we needed to show real depth and stature as a team.Let us never,ever go down that sorry road again,a "celebrity is king" era we must always carry shame and embarrassment for bowing before it as we look to move on into the future.

[James]

Amazed that Antonin Panenka isn't on this list, with his penalty from the 1976 European Champs final shoot-out.

He had the coolness and bravery to chip it down the middle past Sepp Maier to win the tournament for Czechoslovakia. Amazing guts to do this.