2015/16 Preseason - v Auckland City | 2pm Sat 26th September | Home & Garden Show @ Westpac Stadium

He's like the Nix version of a poor cousin... we invite him to family events or when we need numbers but for the more important events we avoid him in case he tries to sleep with his sister.

Following another penalty miss in Sydney, for penalty kick advice the Nix coaching staff should watch 'Man versus Expert' on their next flight from/to Australia.  I watched it this week on a Qantas flight across the ditch.  It features a non-professional British hustler/amateur footballer trying to beat the EPLs record penalty taker Matthew Le Tissier. Really interesting and a very close result. Anything might help. The current rate of Nix penalty conversions must be well below 50%.

There's a great article by the Freakonomics guys on penalty taking.  Basically said that when choosing which way to dive, goalies guess to the strong side 46% of the time, and to the weak side 42% of the time.  What they read in to that is that goalies guess, and dive, 98% of the time, so statistically the best option for the kicker is straight down the middle.  So why does hardly anyone ever go straight?  Probably because of the fear of embarrassment of going straight and having the keeper stay still and save it.  Better to have you're shot saved going for a corner than up the middle, even though the middle is the better option.

Any coverage of tonights game?

Doubtful outside of tweets and comments on here.

I couldn't agree more, strikers should have the confidence to put it straight every now and then and if they miss then so be it. 

The only thing is i've seen a lot of penalties go straight but along the ground so the keeper still saves it with their legs even though they jumped out of the way. 

Just get 30cm of height on it and it'll probably be a goal

That being said if you put it straight and your 2% chance comes true they're very likely to save it. However if you aim right and the keeper goes the same way there's still every chance it'll get in the goal

Never put it down the middle in 6th div. Keepers are too overweight to dive.

I'd say putting it down the middle is probably better in high pressure situations considering the keeper probably feels like they have to at least look like theyre doing something.

While in 98% of cases te keeper dives, that doesn't mean that the middle of the goal is open to be scored through 98% of the time. Keepers with trailing legs can still stop penalties.

What a load of tosh. This assumes a keeper always dives as or before the ball is kicked

Shooting straight:

@ 2:15

https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/CPKxCB7UYAA58G9.mp4

Fixed. 

Fixed all right.God that was so lame

NIX 1-0 

⚽️

Yes it does, and this assumption was based on quantifiable data.  They researched a shark ton of penalties and recorded whether the keeper went strong side, weak side or stayed still.

pretty strong lineups. Hope Jeffa gets a run. 

Really? It seems to say nothing about WHEN the keeper dived, just which way the keeper dived.

Oh yeah ok I see what you're saying.  I can't remember the article word for word but yeah I think it is assuming that, especially at a senior level, if a keeper waits until the ball is kicked he is pretty much dead in the water so is forced in to guessing.  It's not perfect research, and these guys are known for their "alternative" views on statistics, but if nothing else it's an interesting talking point.

The Sydney Fever have made it...

Shaun @shaunwilson34

Great save by Mambo to keep in nil all

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Wellington Phoenix @WgtnPhoenixFC

@Lewisitaliano makes a good save from a @ShaneSmeltz volley 0-0 #sydvwel

Shaun @shaunwilson34

Great ball by @Siggy2010 to release Roy. Cut out by the dodgy keeper

Shaun @shaunwilson34

A couple of sliced clearances Sydney blasts into the the Tasman

Shaun @shaunwilson34

Blake wins a corner comes to nothing

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Shaun @shaunwilson34

10 minutes gone nil all pretty even so far

Anyone know who Dan Mendum is?

Wellington Phoenix @WgtnPhoenixFC

15' gone 0-0 and pretty even with chances to both sides #sydvwel

Shaun @shaunwilson34

Once again strebe giving us nothing

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You used to be good...

Shaun @shaunwilson34

Mickey with a free kick that the Sydney keeper deals with

Shaun @shaunwilson34

25 gone still nil all still pretty even

Shaun @shaunwilson34

No wonder Strebe didn't get a pro contract missed a blatant foul on Louie #sydvwel

Sydney FC @SydneyFC

Video footage of @SydneyFC keeper @v_janjetovic's save from McGlinchy of @wgtnphoenix #SydneyIsSkyBlue #SYDvWEL

amp.twimg.com/v/f4378abf-faf…

Shaun @shaunwilson34

Great one on one save by @Lewisitaliano after we get caught on the counter

Sydney FC @SydneyFC

33' GOAL to @WgtnPhoenixFC Krishna opens the scoring. 0-1 #SydneyIsSkyBlue #SYDvWEL

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Shaun @shaunwilson34

Roy beats the defence and the keeper one nil to the @WgtnPhoenixFC

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Wellington Phoenix @WgtnPhoenixFC

32' Goal! Roy Krishna destroys @SydneyFC on the right beating the defence and the keeper to put the Nix up 1-0 #sydvwel

Golazo!

Shaun @shaunwilson34

Goal to Blake 2 nil

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Sydney FC @SydneyFC

37' GOAL @WgtnPhoenixFC Powell doubles the lead. 0-2 #SydneyIsSkyBlue #SYDvWEL

Double golazo!

Sydney FC @SydneyFC

38' GOAL @WgtnPhoenixFC Powell makes it three. 0-3 #SydneyIsSkyBlue #SYDvWEL

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Sydney FC @SydneyFC

A splitting pass releases McGlinchey who draws in Vedran before squaring to Powell to tap in an empty net. #SydneyIsSkyBlue #SYDvWEL

TRIPLE GOLAZO!!!