Colin Millar

Football writer/journalist @TheAthleticFC l [email protected]

[Colin Millar @Millar_Colin]

*PERSONAL NEWS KLAXON*
I've written a book! The Frying Pan of Spain: Sevilla v Real Betis - Spain's Hottest Football Rivalry, will be published by @PitchPublishing,12 August 2019. Pre-order here: https://t.co/uBt7vYhGNS

[Colin Millar @Millar_Colin]

@Cms186 England, Portugal and Netherlands have semi-reasonable returns (8, 7 and 6) but are still miles off it. Croatia is a fair point - 11 but two came in 3rd-place play-off (so slightly different). They skew the quirkiness of the stat but are still miles off France numbers.

[Colin Millar @Millar_Colin]

Since 2018, France (24) scored more World Cup knockout goals than England, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, Germany and Italy...combined (22).

Kylian Mbappe (10) has scored more World Cup knockout goals in that time than any of those leading European nations.

[Colin Millar @Millar_Colin]

@ejhchess The point is how hard it has been for leading European nations to score/win in World Cup knockout games - including reaching them in the first place - and how France/Mbappe stand apart. Italy were literally crowned European champions in 2021 so inclusion as leading team is fair.

[Colin Millar @Millar_Colin]

@dm_261 Teams are much better organised now than ever - especially relevant for underdog sides - so the possibility of penalties rises. Chances are an average tournament winning side in this format will to win 2+ shootouts.

[Colin Millar @Millar_Colin]

The major difference between group-stage football and knockout rounds is a goalkeeper's penalty-saving ability turns from an irrelevance into the entire team's most important asset. Highly probable that eventual World Cup champions will need to win *at least* two shootouts.

[Colin Millar @Millar_Colin]

@dm_261 That ignores there being more knockout rounds than ever before and the trends of most recent tournaments - 2022 World Cup, recent Euros, Copa and AFCONs - having more shootouts. A draw is statistically the most likely of the 3 outcomes for knockouts - could easily be 10 this WC.

[Colin Millar @Millar_Colin]

@RealSamVickery This overlooks more knockout rounds than ever, 5x rounds to win, and second-third tier sides being better organised than before. 3 of 4 Copa America 2024 QFs were penalty shootouts, Italy needed 2x to win Euros in 2021. 32 knockout games now - circa 10 will go to penalties.

[Colin Millar @Millar_Colin]

Natural that teams play with much greater caution in knockouts, number of goals and chances will drastically reduce from groups, so teams with better organisation, set-piece strength and penalty shootout assets have huge advantage. Group-stage performance has little correlation.

[Colin Millar @Millar_Colin]

@brianhgibson @autistazo14 Yep this was my reasoning, which I think is fair

[Colin Millar @Millar_Colin]

None of the World Cup winners from 2006 (Italy), 2010 (Spain) and 2014 (Germany) have won a knockout match since winning the competition. A combined 11 World Cups since for them.

[Colin Millar @Millar_Colin]

Only fair to point out the superb @GregLeaFootball beat me to posting this exact same quirk immediately after the match - which was entirely coincidental but not particularly fair that didn't get traction - so please do give him a follow to compensate. https://t.co/kGWzCxMAtd

[Greg Lea @GregLeaFootball]

The World Cup winners in 2006 (Italy), 2010 (Spain) and 2014 (Germany) have all failed to win a knockout tie since lifting the trophy

[Colin Millar @Millar_Colin]

@GregLeaFootball Yikes, I didn't see that 🤦Hadn't been following my feed as I was streaming on a delay!

[Colin Millar @Millar_Colin]

@_7even_5ive_ It's just some basic context for how many attempts it included. 5x World Cups without a knockout win for Italy, 3x for Spain, 3x for Germany.

[Colin Millar @Millar_Colin]

None of the World Cup winners from 2006 (Italy), 2010 (Spain) and 2014 (Germany) have won a knockout match since winning the competition. A combined 11 World Cups since for them.

[Colin Millar @Millar_Colin]

@Ankaman616 @franklinleonard Think I'm right in saying it's their first penalty shootout defeat since 1976 vs Czechoslovakia and the Panenka penalty finding its origin name. Good question: which modern day player is likely to get a football skill named in their honour?

[Colin Millar @Millar_Colin]

@RMaq28 @PolymarketSport This sort of stuff just happens constantly on this platform, as annoying as it is.

[Colin Millar @Millar_Colin]

@Pandy187 Hard to believe Luis Figo never did!

[Colin Millar @Millar_Colin]

Stephen Eustáquio is the first ever No 7 who has represented Portugal to score a goal in a World Cup knockout game.

[Colin Millar @Millar_Colin]

@_UzbekFootball @ManUtd @TorinoFC_1906 @ChapecoenseReal @Pakhtakor_fc Thank you so much for sharing, Conor!

[Conor 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇺🇿 @_UzbekFootball]

Similar to @ManUtd, @TorinoFC_1906 and @ChapecoenseReal, Uzbek club side @Pakhtakor_fc suffered a plane crash which killed the majority of the team/staff and is honoured yearly within the country still. A great article here by @Millar_Colin.