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Penalties

mark merriman

Sunday, July 4th, 2010

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 Gyan had the chance
to win it for Ghana,
but his pen hit the bar
and he blew it.
Cardoso’s spot kick
saved by a sprawling Cassilas.
Even classy Alonso could not
find the net from twelve yards,
his twice taken penalty
kept out by Villar.
Yet it should be so easy
to net from the spot.
You can smash it
down the middle;
place it in the corner
or dink it past the keeper.
But so many have fallen foul
of the penalty demon
over the years.
Remember Stuart Pearce,
Waddle thumping over,
Southgate shuffling off,
Batty blasting into keeper’s midriff
causing Keegan to eat his words?
Even Roberto Baggio couldn’t
bag one from twelve yards.
No high IQ from Mensah,
his one pace ‘run up’
a giveaway,
his failure inevitable.

© mark merriman september 2004

Notes

Penalties make for compulsive (if slightly cringeworthy) viewing. They are the ultimate test of nerve & skill & are still the best way of deciding a match at the end of 120 minutes.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/penalties-2/