David Leggat: Germans kings of the shootout

Confession time. I have one thing in common with German football teams: we both love a good penalty shootout.

In the weekend's first World Cup quarter-final, they were at it again. Having clawed back a one-goal deficit and stalled an imminent departure from their own tournament with 11 minutes to spare, Germany took Argentina to a shootout.

At that point you might as well have switched off the television set. You just knew who'd win it.

If Germans had been around in the wild west, the OK Corral would have been no contest. Wyatt Earpsburger and his brothers would have strolled it. High Noon? Gary Cooperstein would have things wrapped up and be back for a spot of lunch before the bad guys knew what had hit them.

There is clearly something about the mental resilience needed in a shootout which fits neatly into the German psyche. In the 1982 World Cup semifinals they cleaned out the more emotional French; or the 1990 semifinal against England (we'll get to them in a moment).

Watching the likes of Michael Ballack, Oliver Neuville and Germany's two striking skis, Lukas Podolski and Tim Borowski, drill their shots home it all looked as complicated as sitting down. Then yesterday we saw the other side of the art when England faced Portugal. The goalkeeper can't lose in a shootout. He's not expected to stop the shots but Portugal's Ricardo has previous form at this.

In the European championships two years ago, Ricardo did for England again, stopping Darius Vassell's spot kick - then jumped up to bang home the winner moments later.

Yesterday, Ricardo turned Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher's efforts to mush. And Carragher was brought on five minutes from the finish specifically for the shootout.

Three fine footballers who produced three shockers from the spot.

Why? How can some gifted athletes make kicking a ball beyond a lone figure 11 metres away look child's play and others equally talented look as if they're dying inside as they step up to the spot?

I'd suggest a combination of hours of practice, a cool mind, picking your spot and not changing your mind halfway through your run-up to the ball, and luck. Also handy are the ability to stop the size of the goal shrinking before your eyes and preventing your knees knocking.

Consider this. In their last eight tournaments, England have gone down the penalty plughole five times: the 1990 World Cup; the 1996 European champs, when England did get their first five, but Germany nailed six; the 1998 World Cup, when Argentina won a terrific contest 4-3 on penalties in the round of 16; the 2004 European champs; and now this.

Perhaps in the future we might have specialist penalty takers. "And next up for England we have Bert Flack, a plumber from Dorking ... "