The rules for qualifying for the English FA Cup may have been doomed from the start
In recent years, the sport of football has attracted a lot of attention around the world. And the English football league is in the spotlight. One of the most exciting events for many fans is the FA Cup, also known as "the oldest football game in the world".
Each season, teams from different divisions compete in the FA Cup, from the biggest clubs in the top flight to smaller clubs in the lower leagues. This open-ended arrangement means that sometimes the front row powerhouses meet the back teams, and this kind of game often produces unexpected results.
However, while the winner of an English FA Cup competition rarely wins the trophy again, every team has a chance to shine in the competition. Each team has a chance to advance in the cup until they finally win the championship. However, in reality, there are still some problems in the qualification rules of the English FA Cup that can affect the team's success.
It is understood that the rules for qualifying for the English FA Cup are as follows: if the game is not decided within 90 minutes, then the game will go to extra time. If the match is still dead in extra time, then the match will go to penalties.
In a penalty shootout, each team will send five players to take penalties. If the match is not decided after five rounds of penalties, the match will go to a sudden penalty shootout until one team scores.
These rules may seem fair and reasonable, but in reality they can make or break a team. Especially in penalty shootouts, luck often plays a decisive role. Although penalty shootouts have been around in football for a long time, it is still considered by many to be an unwise way to play.
There is a recent incident that has raised a lot of attention about the injustice of such rules.
It was in an English FA Cup match between two top-flight teams. From the start, the race was hailed as one of the best races of the season. At the end of the first half, the score was still 0-0. In the second half, both teams did their best, but by the 90 minutes there was still no winner.
The game went into extra-time and both sides looked very nervous because they knew that it would be difficult to say if it went to penalties. As time went on, extra time was not decided either, and the game went to penalties.
In the first four rounds of the penalty shootout, both teams scored all the penalties. Heading into the fifth round of penalties, one team's goalscorer made a mistake. This means that if the scorer of the other team scores, they will win the match.
The shooter walked towards the penalty spot and everyone was silent. He took a beautiful penalty and the ball flew into the bottom left corner of the goal. The goalkeeper jumped up and touched the ball with the tip of his finger. The ball turned into a strange spin and then stuck to the crossbar, and the whole goal fell silent.
The mistake sent the game to a sudden death penalty shootout.
In this case, each team has only one chance, and if they miss it, they lose.
The match went to the sixth round of penalty shootouts and then to the seventh. In the seventh round of penalty shootouts, one team's goalkeeper saved another team's penalty. This means that if this team's goalscorers can score, they will advance.
The striker walked towards the penalty spot and he knew it was their only chance to get to the next round. He stood there, facing the goalkeeper, trying to clear all the distractions from his mind.
He kicked a beautiful penalty and the ball flew into the top right corner of the goal.
The goalkeeper jumped, but he couldn't reach the ball. The ball flew over his head, hit the underside of the goal crossbar, and bounced back into the field.
With the ball in the goal, the other team has been eliminated. The shooter walked over to his teammates, who celebrated their victory. However, throughout the game, they knew that the result could be completely different.
This story teaches us that even the best teams can lose games because of the rules. These rules may be unfair, but they are part of the game of football. In life, we may also encounter similar problems.