
“Martyn Kelly remembers wishing he had a stool to climb on like the rest of the kids in the ground to get a better view. The world’s first official penalty shootout was not something he wanted obscured by other people’s heads. On a warm evening on 5 August 1970 at Boothferry Park in Hull, a star-studded Manchester United reached the end of extra time level at 1-1 with second-tier Hull City in a cup match. Six weeks earlier, football’s lawmakers had decided to end the days of the coin toss to decide winners in favour of five players from each team taking a kick from 11 yards out with just the keeper to beat. … No-one knew yet that this new method of deciding a tied football match would become a nerve-shredding experience some fans, players and managers can barely watch. …”
BBC

Ian Butler scored Hull City’s second penalty
Daily Archives: March 28, 2026
Managers on the rise: Cesc Fabregas – the tactical tyro ruffling the feathers of Serie A’s traditionalists
“Cesc Fabregas’s ‘dribble’ was a one-two. He used to come short to receive the ball, attract pressure, offload a pass with the outside of his foot, run into space and ask for it back. … Whenever Fabregas talks about the game, it is patently clear he has thought deeply about it for his entire life. Not just the tactical side of it, but the skill and technique that go into every single action on the pitch. Questions don’t need to be probing and he offers forthright and detailed responses. You come away from his press conferences feeling you have learned something, thankful for the depth. In a football culture as developed and tactically-minded as Italy, you’d expect this to be welcome and to some extent it is. A new generation of Italian coaches and match analysts study Fabregas. They take ideas from him and find inspiration. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
USA 2, Belgium 5: Pochettino’s Americans flop in pre-World Cup test
“The U.S. men’s national team hoped that these spring friendlies, the last before coach Mauricio Pochettino selects his World Cup roster, would reinforce the positive momentum of the fall. Instead, a deflating loss served as a warning for what can come against some of the world’s best teams and against the game’s attacking players. Saturday’s game against Belgium, a top-10 European opponent, was the type of test that could show how ready this American team is for a home World Cup. Pochettino’s lineup featured most of the country’s biggest stars: Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Folarin Balogun, Antonee Robinson and Tim Weah. But despite a bright start, Belgium found its stride just before halftime and in the first 15 minutes of the second half, with Manchester City winger Jérémy Doku setting the pace as the Red Devils eased to a 5-2 win. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
