Fans stunned at Paris Olympics hockey penalty shootout and say ‘this is the format football deserves’
FANS have demanded that football copies hockey’s penalty shootout format.
Team GB were embroiled in a penalty shootout heartbreak at the Paris Olympics in the quarter-finals.
It's penalty shoot-out heartbreak for Great Britain
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 4, 2024
India progress to the semi-finals, largely thanks to their goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh who was incredible with the team down a man for most of the game. #BBCOlympics #Olympics #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/NR6Ov7M1ga
The team draw their clash against India 1-1 despite having a man advantage for the majority of the game.
The match went to penalties, but fans were left stunned by the different format to football.
In hockey, players start from the 25-yard line and have eight seconds to score once they begin their charge at goal.
It is comparable to the penalty shootout format that was used in the MLS during the 1990s.
Fans on social media have demanded that football introduce a similar style instead of the traditional spot-kick.
One posted: “Hockey penalty shootouts are the format we deserve in football.”
A second wrote: “Hockey penalty shootouts are something else.”
A third commented: “Penalty shootouts in hockey are very different from football ones, aren’t they…?”
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A fourth said: “This shootout is really tense. I’ve always seen penalty shootouts. Haven’t seen this method before.
The result will be disappointing for Team GB as they had a big advantage in the match following Amit Rohidas dismissal.
The India star was given his marching orders after smacking Will Calnan in the head with his stick.
Former hockey Olympian Kate Richardson-Walsh spoke after the game and had to hold back tears.
She said: “I am devastated for the Team GB men.
“It is really hard to break that deep set defence down and I think with India losing that man it became so hard to break down.
“It just seemed to get harder and harder.
“They would have practised this, but the reality of it, in the quarter-final of the Olympics, they weren’t able to do it on the day.
“I think they will need to do some grieving as this will be really hard but they are on the right path and on the right journey.
“I have been there, I know what they have done to get here and we were so desperate for them to go out an deliver.
“They are capable of being Olympic medalists but they will have to wait for LA in four years time which seems a long way away.”
