Chapter 14 13. Painful chewing

The devil game of penalty kick is not only a nightmare that tortures every player, but also a part of modern football culture.Most people think that a penalty shootout is more reasonable than the original extra game, and it is easier for players to accept.However, penalty shootouts are often not a competition of strength between the two sides, but more about psychological quality and luck.Is football more ecstatic because of penalties, or is it regrettable because of penalty kicks?I am afraid that everyone has their own and kind of answers in their hearts.Before Baggio kicked a penalty kick, there were still many heroes in the history of the World Cup who left grudges.The most famous penalty shootout between France and Brazil in the 1986 World Cup, the score was 1:1 on the spot, the Brazilian team finally won a penalty kick, but Zico (Bagio's idol!) But he missed the penalty kick and lost the god-given opportunity to solve the battle in 90 minutes. Later, the two sides were not allowed to conduct a penalty kick to decide who can enter the semi-finals. Among the big penalty points, including Platini, Socra The low-level famous players failed to make free throws, and finally the French team won by luck.After that, in the 1990 World Cup, Maradona also stumbled and took a penalty kick into the arms of the goalkeeper.Pierce of the England team has hated for many years because he ruined the team's prospects of entering the final with a kick in the penalty shootout. It was not until the European Cup in 1996 that he lifted the nightmare for many years with a refreshing penalty kick...

However, no penalty has ever been as heartbreaking and regrettable as Baggio's kick, because it kicked away the World Cup champion who was so close.As you can imagine, he was also under the greatest pressure.When Baggio talked about the penalty afterwards, he said: "I failed, which is a great regret. Just like all the penalties I took, I was very calm when I went to take the penalty. I wanted to take a flying penalty. The height of the ball is about one meter, but the ball did not run as expected. Maybe I used too much force and the ball was higher than the crossbar. I have already tricked the goalkeeper, but the ball was high. I feel very sad." Baggio had to slowly chew on the pain and regret caused by this damn penalty.

People basically affirmed Baggio's performance in this World Cup, thinking that he is a real football prince and one of the protagonists of this World Cup. His blue eyes with melancholy made countless boys and girls They fell in love, and the thin ponytail at the back of his head plucked people's heartstrings.The wisdom, talent, spirit of bearing humiliation, and chic demeanor he showed on the court are all unforgettable for a long time.It was Baggio who brought the once ridiculed Italian team into the final step by step.The role he played in this World Cup, being forced to end, riding alone to ask for the savior, and regretting through the ages, is the most soul-stirring tragic legend in this World Cup.When he cried bitterly after shooting the penalty kick away at the last moment, the audience in the audience had wet eyes and sore noses, and how many people in front of the TV had tears in their eyes and couldn't make a sound.It is the demeanor shown in this World Cup that made Baggio win the hearts of fans all over the world. Countless Baggio fans can no longer part with the strong "Baggio complex". The 27-year-old Baggio completed the phoenix nirvana from a young man to a mature man in this World Cup.

Although the penalty incident has plagued Baggio for a long time, he has not been depressed because of it, and he is not afraid of penalties. When the opportunity comes, he will still bravely take the responsibility of penalty kicks. On November 10, 1994, the Italian team participated in a friendly match. During the match, Baggio drove the ball into the opponent's restricted area and was tripped by the opponent's defender. The referee awarded a penalty kick. Alright, then he looked up at the sky, kicked an accurate, low-level shot from the middle, and the ball went into the net immediately, and the audience erupted in joy.And now he was reminded of the scene in his everlasting memory at the Rose Bowl Stadium, that sad night when he shot a penal ball worth more than a thousand dollars into the sky.At that time, his wife Andreina was also on the scene. When the heartbroken Baggio returned to his wife, he embraced and wept with his wife again.Andreina later recalled: "While the rest of the team members and their families went out to have dinner, Robbie and I stayed in the hotel room. He felt humiliated by what had just happened and was in great pain. It was a It's a dark day, it sucks, but we're all convinced that it will pass and we're very confident about the future." Baggio's legs were injured during the World Cup and have been tormenting him, but he got a lot out of it. Good care and attention, meticulous treatment.In order to relax his leg muscles, he specially invited a very skilled physical therapist to massage his legs many times, so that he can continue to charge forward in the upcoming new Serie A season.