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England men’s soccer team seems to have solved its PK problem

AP photo by Darko Vojinovic / England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, right, celebrates with teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold after a penalty kick shootout victory against Switzerland in the European championship tournament quarterfinals on Saturday in Duesseldorf, Germany.
AP photo by Darko Vojinovic / England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, right, celebrates with teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold after a penalty kick shootout victory against Switzerland in the European championship tournament quarterfinals on Saturday in Duesseldorf, Germany.

By STEVE DOUGLAS / The Associated Press 5 min read

DORTMUND, Germany — Penalty kick shootouts used to strike fear into the hearts of players for the England men’s national soccer team and their fans.

Maybe not anymore.

England coach Gareth Southgate, who has his own special chapter in the country’s spot-kick heartache, has worked hard behind the scenes to change the psyche around the shootout in his eight years in charge.

Now it’s something the Three Lions embrace, not dread.

“I think we’ve got a good process,” Southgate said after England’s 5-3 shootout win over Switzerland in the European Championship quarterfinals on Saturday.