England’s soccer team used to dread penalty shootouts. Here’s why they’ve come to embrace them

By STEVE DOUGLAS The Associated Press

England's Trent Alexander-Arnold scores during the penalty shootout during a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Darko Vojinovic]

DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — Penalty shootouts used to strike fear into the hearts of England’s soccer players and their fans but maybe not anymore. England coach Gareth Southgate has his own chapter in the country’s spot-kick heartache and has worked hard to change the psyche around the shootout in his eight years in charge. Now it’s something they embrace rather than dread. Southgate says “I think we’ve got a good process” after seeing England’s 5-3 shootout win over Switzerland in the European Championship quarterfinals. England’s penalty transformation dates back to the early months of Southgate’s reign when a team of analysts led by a sport psychologist started work on getting England better at penalty shootouts.