Fantasy Baseball Pitcher Rankings, Lineup Advice For Friday's MLB Games
By Fernando Kallas
STUTTGART, Germany, July 4 (Reuters) - Mental preparation and plenty of practice are the most important factors in taking a penalty, Germany midfielder Ilkay Gundogan said as his team gear up for Friday's Euro 2024 quarter-final clash against Spain.
Both teams are heavy favourites and have provided some of the best football in the tournament so far and their clash could come down to a penalty shootout.
Gundogan, 33, said on Thursday that the pressure of taking a penalty is not something that can be replicated in training, but that it's still important to be mentally prepared.
"The key word for me is routine. When you step on to take a penalty, the pressure that exists in a game it's just different than it was in training and obviously to replicate is very, very difficult. I don't believe that you can replicate it in training," Gundogan told a press conference.
"You can train your routine. You can train how you want to approach a penalty. Your breathing, how you get calm... The most crucial thing is to get calm, how to get your heartbeat down.
"Just try to be cool and enjoy the moment of taking a penalty. Which is the most difficult thing because, otherwise anyone would score a penalty."
Gundogan is one of Germany's most experienced players and has taken almost 20 penalties in a successful career between clubs like Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City.
However, he believed anyone who stepped up to take a spot kick should be lauded for their bravery and that even some of the game's greatest players do not always score.
"Even the best takers in the world miss," Gundogan said.
"I automatically think about someone like Harry Kane who has a finishing that is unbelievable but I also remember him missing quite a few penalties.
"So it’s just the circumstances at the end of the day. I missed a lot of penalties in my career so far as well. At the end of the day you just try your best. Sometimes it gets rewarded and you can do it in a better way and sometimes not.
"I think to have the guts to step on, to take a penalty in crucial moments, to show respect for it, even when you miss because it is a situation that is extraordinary and it is very difficult to deal with." (Reporting by Fernando Kallas Editing by Christian Radnedge)
1beed5ae B33a 4d7a 887e 0e14734945e7 2.f13d9e227e2d6232d9033625bccc37e8 ?odnWidth=612&odnHeight=612&odnBg=ffffff3145191 Image 1010 ?width=1160&quality=75D10fc33d1572740efeaa070dde7eaf45 D74037760cfa6e3361278ecb023aaf47 99aced29 Bd78 49d6 B5cd 286594c1203f.6272db1accec6191fc72a898db9cc9ff ?odnWidth=1000&odnHeight=1000&odnBg=ffffffIl 1588xN.2514814268 P41x 419c0494 A71d 4c65 A15c 00674290a757.f8b90d9d5d7da291f43ca9c40d9c5d26 Il 1140xN.2489983753 Nuh4 Ru1233b 04 A1226749be7adca1b00d1c08639349b3 Bf6c8f96 8420 417d B0da 1edb37e9d796 2.255ec2b350b0a98144587e0f4da11322 Img 6485 8 Unbelievable 810 Area Rugs Under 100 For 2023 1697547478 9 Best 9x12 Area Rugs For 2023 1697810460 B8076715 42d1 4acd 9aa7 F068fb0a9664.247ea90492404c559a9f439ed5a3d087 782b3d5a0c47bdd9c72165db0e875bf8 Hana 2024 Carbon1 ?w=100044284993af8089b5c566562b7210ac03 2024 Year Calendar Yr7 2024 Calendar Portrait 1020x1320 Img 20200706 103729 3dff85af 2d4e 4d02 A624 00d6f7e13f8e.f15b5cd287073bde0af2e46ae85ff76a ?odnWidth=1000&odnHeight=1000&odnBg=ffffff7208f3d3 40f7 42f6 Bbb1 Ecf471330b08.4efcebeff4d003088fad74bfeb7270e1 79f6c6c1bfdc91849eda7435cc8cc285 Calendar 2023 PNG49 Calendar 2024 03 Ws Cn80 Sand Monthly Calendar 2023 Vertical 91L4j47OvAL Calendar 2024 08 Wool Rugs 2024 Calendar Dark Blue Portrait 1020x1320