Goalkeeper has an excellent record of keeping the ball out from 12 yards and England may need his skills once more at this tournament
England have a great penalty record. Over the last ten years they have gone to shootouts four times in major tournaments, winning three.
That is partly down to Jordan Pickford in goal. He is nimble and can pull off impossibly difficult saves, even against the best penalty takers in the world.
There was the 2018 World Cup, when England faced Colombia in the last 16 and matters were decided from 12 yards. Pickford saved twice in quick succession as England came from a penalty down to win 4-3 and advance.
He also made saves in 2019 in the Nations League against Switzerland, 2020 in the Euro final against Italy, and 2024 in the Euro quarter-finals against Switzerland. The 2020 Euro final was the only one England lost but there Pickford made two saves, one of them to deny Jorginho, who was one of the best in the business.
Now England face DR Congo in Atlanta on Wednesday seeking to reach the last 16. The Leopards are a tough nut to crack and their primary game plan will most likely be to shut England out. If they succeed and are prevented from scoring from a counterattack, Pickford and his teammates will be called to the spot once more at the earliest opportunity.
He says he has been getting himself warmed up for action.
“I’ve been taking a few,” Pickford said. “You’ve got to be prepared. We have so many good penalty takers so that’s put me down the pecking order. It’s my job to make the saves and in tournaments, time and time before, I’ve always come up with a save in a shootout for England and I’ll hopefully continue that.
It will not all be down to the Everton man, of course. His teammates will have to show up. They often have but in the Euro final in 2024, Pickford’s two saves were not enough after Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka all missed their spotkicks in quick succession and Italy claimed the trophy.
But if his teammates are called upon in this tournament, Pickford expects things to be different.
“We believe in each other,” he said. “They have confidence I can save a penalty and I have confidence they can score them. But we want to be winning the game, we don’t want to go to penalties.”
