England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford prepared detailed notes on how to save penalties from Argentina players ahead of England’s World Cup semi-final in Atlanta, but the goalkeeper never got to use them after his side lost 2-1 in normal time.
The text, glued to Pickford’s water bottle, was found by Argentina’s players, including Lionel Messi, while they celebrated their comeback victory on Wednesday night.
England took the lead with Anthony Gordon, but Enzo Fernandez equalized for Argentina, who then added two late goals to secure their spot in Sunday’s final against Spain, thus avoiding a penalty shootout.
A Talk Sport report states that Pickford’s cheat sheet listed every Argentina player’s name with detailed instructions on his intended reactions during their penalty kicks.
Certain directives instructed the goalkeeper to feign a dive or postpone his action, while some were more concise.
For attacking midfielder Thiago Almada, Pickford had merely noted that he would rely on instinct that day.
For Messi, who had previously missed a penalty earlier in the tournament, Pickford’s notes directed him to dive one way after initially appearing to go the opposite, relying on the Argentina captain altering his regular approach.
Tottenham’s Marcos Senesi was spotted showing the instructions to a confused Messi, as the notes were in English, according to Talk Sport.
Pickford had merely observed that he anticipated the midfielder to direct his shot straight down the middle for Fernandez, whose distant shot had equalized England’s first goal.
Fernandez allegedly showed clear relief upon discovering that his typical routine had been interpreted accurately, gesturing upward after reading the note.
Talk Sport mentioned that the picture of Pickford’s bottle was posted on Instagram by Argentina’s fitness coach Luis Martin.
Football transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano also posted the image on his account, and it has since spread extensively across social media.
Goalkeepers regularly analyze penalty shooters prior to significant knockout games, considering previous penalties, favored shooting directions, body positioning before a kick, and the likelihood of a player altering their habits under stress.
Pickford continued to make several saves throughout the semi-final, but his shootout readiness was never utilized after Argentina finished their comeback.
AS USA states that the obtained notes might be beneficial as they approach the finals.
Now that Argentina’s routines are public, Spain’s goalkeeper Unai Simon might not have to begin from zero, and Fernandez may have to reconsider placing his penalties straight down the middle.
A shootout is familiar ground for Argentina, who triumphed over France in penalties to claim the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
