In fact, Lu Yang really didn’t expect Balera’s penalty to be so fast this time, he hadn’t even made a confusing hop before the shot was taken.
That’s right!
He reacted a step slower!
This is also the most fatal aspect of those goalkeepers who always like to be clever.
Once the opponent speeds up, leaving no time for you to judge the leg swing and shot timing, you easily fall into a passive position, watching the goal helplessly.
Conversely, once players prefer to delay just before shooting, those goalkeepers who rely on anticipation for saves will be very annoyed.
Later, it became popular for players to hop before a penalty precisely because of this insight.
In short... the side taking the shot holds more of the initiative.
"Your saving abilities are better than your shooting, you should be a goalkeeper!" Balera quipped at Lu Yang without losing his grace.
The two then left.
In the stands, the Rome fans grew tense again.
Because San Remo had reached their match point.
Rome had four penalty shots, none scored.
San Remo had three penalty shots, one scored.
If San Remo scores on their fourth penalty, they will defeat Rome with a 2-1 penalty score and advance to the Italian Cup final, creating a century-unprecedented miracle for a lower league team!
And the fourth shooter stepping out for San Remo was none other than the veteran Belletti, who had previously substituted off Becher’s!
Just like Rome’s veteran who was prepared but not brought on, Belletti’s team role was a substitute, characterized by good footwork, rich experience, and worldly knowledge.
He was also the only veteran among the five penalty takers this time.
"Wow! Sotu’s use of players is indeed divine! The selection and order of penalty takers are crucial, and he’s calculated almost every step."
"The first kick is very important, affecting morale, and must be taken by a highly reliable player, moreover, a player with a strong heart! No doubt, Lu Yang can shoulder this responsibility."
"In fact, Lu Yang is so far the only player on either side to score a penalty!"
"The pressure in this match is enormous, and both goalkeepers are exceptional, making penalty taking very challenging!"
"And the fifth penalty taker, if it reaches him, it indicates a very critical situation! However, there is also the risk of being skipped. Thus, teams typically place someone extremely trusted but not indispensable, umm... someone who might not need to take the shot. Morici is undoubtedly San Remo’s double insurance!"
"As for the fourth one, equally critical, he..."
Morici listened to all this clearly on the side.
Indispensable?
What’s that about his mom!
Sotu didn’t arrange anything!
How could he predict Lu Yang would save so many penalties from the opponent?
Could he foresee Sogel and Versachi missing two in a row?
It was purely a haphazard setup, and you all can praise that?
Truly eye-opening.
Given the outcome, it seems there’s a reason for everything.
Belletti takes the penalty.
He had replayed all the penalties all San Remo players made in his mind.
At the same time, he was well aware of Ameluci’s abilities.
A shot not angling for the corners, as long as Ameluci guessed the direction, would be essentially doomed!
Don’t think guessing the direction is a demanding requirement.
In sixty-eight percent of penalties, the goalkeeper guesses the direction correctly, far above the fifty percent probability of a random choice.
This shows goalkeeping skills indeed play a role, not just anyone can stand there.
Yet, the penalty success rate still reaches seventy-five percent, why?
Because many goalkeepers, even if they judge the direction correctly, still fail to save the opponent’s shot.
This is the percentage truly excellent goalkeepers fight to grab.
And Ameluci has such an ability.
So...
Belletti makes a slow run-up.
Bang!
Right foot lifted high!
The ball speed is fast!
Low flat shot!
Aiming for the bottom left corner’s dead zone of the goal!
Bang!
The ball strikes the base of the post, bouncing towards the sideline.
Belletti grimaces, looking to the sky, and roars.
Still couldn’t keep it steady!
A slight miss leads to a great loss.
This is fate!
Or perhaps, it’s ability!
In the stands, the Rome fans erupted into a frenzy!
They refuse an upset, wanting the match to continue to the end!
"Oh! The post helped Rome!"
"This is a PK between two veterans! Ameluci won in the end!"
"Belletti did his best. If he didn’t aim for the extreme corner, Ameluci would have blocked it! We can see Ameluci was moving in that direction!"
"Both are very strong, but it’s Ameluci’s intimidating goalkeeping that’s too dominant! Aside from Lu Yang, no one has breached his ten-finger barrier today!"
???
Morici had a face full of questions?
So my goal doesn’t count as a goal?
Does that mean you’re ignoring the player most likely to have changed the game’s outcome and ended the match?
Just as Morici was complaining.
There was a shift among the spectators in the stands.
San Remo fans, including most neutral fans, clasped their hands together in prayer!
No!
Rome fans were praying too!
Most fans were praying for Lu Yang to save the next penalty.
While the Rome fans prayed for Ameluci to score the penalty!
Yes, the fifth penalty taker for Rome was indeed their goalkeeper, Ameluci!
Speaking of calmness, there’s probably no one in Rome more composed than Ameluci.
Even if the Wolf King Perrotta was here, the fifth penalty would belong to Ameluci!
But... today... to be honest, Ameluci wasn’t too keen on taking this penalty.