I BEG to differ with football fan V. Thomas’ suggestion that the Union of European Football Associations (Uefa) replace penalty shoot-outs with another method to decide winners if a game is deadlocked after 120 minutes of play.

Everyone knows penalty shoot-outs are the best way to decide winners because they are decisive.

In fact, they also addcolour and drama to football tournaments, be they the World Cup or the European Championship.

Penalty shoot-outs are entertainment for football fanatics like me. They are not a cruel and painful way of deciding the winner.

The teams are given 90 minutes to score and 30 minutes extra time to work something out.

So, if after 120 minutes it’s a deadlock, then let penalty shoot-outs settle the match.

The golden-goal rule during extra time is cruel and painful, and I support the decision by Federation Internationale de Football Association (Fifa) to abandon it.

The golden goal means the first team to score in extra time wins and ends the match. That depends mostly on sheer luck. I have seen flukes and unattractive golden goals enabling undeserving teams to advance.

A penalty kick is not about luck. It involves strategy, precision and confidence.

Germany is a fine example of a team which is mentally and physically prepared for penalties because it has training sessions for penalty shoot-outs and classroom sessions to analyse penalties taken.

How many times have teams like England fallen to precise and dynamic penalty specialists in Germany’s team?

As for Thomas’ suggestion that Uefa allow the team with fewer red and yellow cards be declared the winner — now that’s simply not on because it is so subjective.

RIDZUAN ZULKIFLI, Ampang

Source: NST – June 26, 2008