"there has only ever been one perfect man, the Lord Jesus, and we killed him. I only missed a putt."
Penalty Shootouts
Brazil entered the quarter-final of 2014 World Cup by means of a penalty shoot-out – an unsatisfactory way to settle a tie of such importance. It was the 22nd time that a penalty shoot-out has occurred in the World Cup.The 1994 and 2006 World Cups were won by Brazil and Italy respectively on penalties. In 1986 three of the quarter-finals and in 1990 both semi-finals were settled in the same way. It is a desperate way to lose after progressing so far in the competition.
However, it has not always been so for a number of reasons. First of all as the structure of the World Cup has changed several times, the need for a way of separating teams has varied. In 1950 for example, there were no knock-out games with the entire competition being run in a league format. At the other extreme the 1934 and 1938 World Cups were in a straight knock-out format. In the years 1974-82 teams, which progressed from the initial pool stage, went into a second stage pool also decided on a league basis.
Extra-time has been used to settle drawn games from the beginning. However, from 1934-58 games level after extra time were replayed. In that period seven games were replayed. While that format is fairer than a penalty shoot-out, it places the team required to replay at a disadvantage. In 1958, for example, Northern Ireland played their final group game on a Sunday, finishing second equal with Czechoslovakia. They beat the Czechs on the Tuesday and played France – who had had 5 days to prepare – on the Thursday, losing 0-4.
From 1962 onwards teams on equal points in the group stage were separated on the basis of goals scored and conceded. While three knockout games in the period 1962-78 needed extra time, all three were settled within 120 minutes.
The first penalty shoot-out was in the semi-final in 1982 when West Germany drew 3-3 with France in the semi-final before winning 5-4 on penalties. That the Germans won the first ever World Cup penalty shoot-out should surprise no one! And their total of four shoot-out wins is also the highest.
The 21 shoot-outs (1982-2010) have occurred in the quarter-finals 10 times, the last 16 five times, the semi-finals 4 times and in two finals. [To understand and correctly evaluate this data one needs to note that the round of the last 16 was not introduced until 1994 and that there were no quarter-finals in 1982].
World Cup finals are normally very close affairs with extra-time being needed in six of them including the two which were only settled on penalties.
There is no doubt that a penalty shoot-out is a harsh and unsatisfactory way to settle a World Cup game but I am not sure there is a better one.