England's Euro 2020 dream went to the wire at Wembley Stadium - with a penalty shootout proving to be the step too far.
We all thought England were improving on pens, following wins against Colombia and Switzerland in the World Cup and Nations League respectively in the last three years. But here we are again.
Did Gareth Southgate get it right with the players that he picked or should he have favoured other players for the spot-kicks? Judging by videos of him chatting to his players in the huddle, we can ascertain the first eight players to step up for England. Some records are better than others...
Note: the data supplied is for penalties taken within the regulation time of a match and not in penalty shootouts, since shootouts occur so infrequently
Harry Kane's penalty record
Career penalties: 52
- Scored: 44 (85%)
- Missed: 8 (15%)
England penalties: 14
- Scored: 11 (79%)
- Missed: 3 (21%)
Of course, Harry Kane's most recent penalty for England was missed. The captain saw his spot kick saved by Kasper Schmeichel in the semi-final of the Euros last week - only to tap in the rebound.
You don't get a rebound in a shootout: luckily, Kane kept his 100% record in shootouts for England by firing the ball just a few inches further than Gianluigi Donnarumma could grasp. The Tottenham striker is still England's first choice when it comes to 12 yards and is widely regarded as one of the safest options for a penalty in world football.
Harry Maguire's penalty record
Never taken a penalty within the regulation time of a match
Harry Maguire stepping up so soon for a spot kick perhaps worried a few England fans. Maguire is never on penalty duty for Manchester United and isn't exactly the obvious candidate.
Maguire's smash into the top corner certainly settled some nerves, though. It's not his first international penno either: the centre-back buried one against Switzerland in 2019's Nations League shootout.
Marcus Rashford's penalty record
Career penalties: 17
- Scored: 15 (88%)
- Missed: 2 (12%)
England penalties: 4
- Scored: 4 (100%)
- Missed: 0 (0%)
Marcus Rashford is so usually a surefire finisher from 12 yards. Though he's taken significantly fewer penalties than Kane, he actually has a better record and can boast having never missed one within the 90 minutes of a match for his country.
The Manchester United man's skewed spot-kick off the post was one that few of us expected to see. Usually so reliable, we'll chalk this one down to an off day.
Jadon Sancho's penalty record
Career penalties: 11
- Scored: 10 (92%)
- Missed: 1 (8%)
England penalties (at youth level): 5
- Scored: 4 (80%)
- Missed: 1 (10%)
Rashford's expected new clubmate, Jadon Sancho also missed his penalty, having buried the spot-kick he took in 2019 against Switzerland.
Again, Sancho is usually a cool head in this scenario. The wide-man has a good record but couldn't convert on this occasion.
Bukayo Saka's penalty record
Never taken a penalty within the regulation time of a match
Bukayo Saka has never taken a penalty in senior football. At youth level, he's taken two: scored one and missed one. He's below the likes of Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the pecking order at club level for the responsibility and in the two shootouts that Arsenal have been involved in during his time at the club, Saka has not stepped up for a penalty.
Gareth Southgate was quick to take responsibility for the youngster's miss. At 19 years old, having the courage to step up fifth in a major final should be applauded, regardless of the fact it was saved. One can only hope that Saka gets over this moment in the same way that his manager did 25 years ago.
The next three takers' penalty record
From last night's footage, we could see that Southgate had also chosen the next three penalty takers: Jordan Pickford sixth, Kalvin Phillips seventh and Jack Grealish eighth.
Jordan Pickford
Never taken a penalty within the regulation time of a match – though did score in England's Nations League shootout against Switzerland in 2019
Kalvin Phillips
Never taken a penalty within the regulation time of a match
Jack Grealish
Career penalties: 2
- Scored: 1 (50%)
- Missed: 1 (50%)
England penalties: 0
The next three takers of penalties were not exactly penalty specialists.
Jordan Pickford has at least scored a penalty for England though, bagging one against Switzerland in 2019. Kalvin Phillips has never taken one but is considered to be a calm presence in midfield and was probably chosen ahead of others based on his composure.
Jack Grealish has since come under criticism by the likes of Roy Keane for not stepping up ahead of 19-year-old Saka to take a pen. Grealish has this morning confirmed that he put himself forward but that Southgate had his list of chosen takers. Judging by the Aston Villa captain's iffy record, he was never a sure option to score.
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