Why Matildas goalie Mackenzie Arnold won’t worry if knockout match against Denmark ends in penalty shootout – despite recent rule changes making her job harder
- Goalie admits shootouts didn’t favor Matildas
- Is not shocked by the rule change that took effect on July 1
- New guidelines make keepers’ lives more difficult
When the fate of Australia’s Women’s World Cup comes down to penalties, goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold is more than ready to handle the pressure.
And Matildas’ keeper insists she won’t be affected by a crackdown on goalkeepers who distract penalty takers.
Arnold featured in a shootout against Thailand in the 2018 Asian Cup semi-finals and is confident she can repeat those exploits if needed in Monday’s round of 16 against Denmark or later in the tournament.
“I don’t feel much pressure with penalties, I feel quite comfortable,” said Arnold.
“I’ve been involved in a couple of high-level penalties with the Asian Cup and luckily with success.
“Historically we haven’t been very good with penalties, luck was usually not on our side.
While Arnold has done well in high-level shootouts at the Asian Cup, she admits they haven’t been good for the Matildas over the years.
“But we practiced and I talked to my coaches to get little things right before penalties. But we try not to focus too much on that.
“The pressure at that point, it’s a real build-up. So when it comes, it comes. But I feel pretty confident with a penalty shootout.’
Rule changes came into play on July 1, underlining that goalkeepers must not get off their line early and “behave in a manner that unfairly distracts the kicker.”
Those stipulations could affect Argentina’s Emi Martinez or Socceroos stopper Andrew Redmayne, but not Arnold.
“I’ve never been this flustered before, so it didn’t really affect me much,” she said.
“I’ve had a few conversations with my goalkeeping coach and also Tony (Franken) to narrow down little things and what would best suit my ability to get most of the goal.”
The shot stopper (pictured during Australia’s 4-0 victory over Canada) is unconcerned about the rule change that prevents goalkeepers from getting off their line in a shootout
Socceroo’s Andrew Redmayne (pictured at the Dolan Warren Awards in June) used some flamboyant antics to get the team into the Men’s World Cup last year during a shootout with Peru – but those tactics are no longer allowed
Arnold is open about her newfound confidence since she started using hearing aids, except for play and exercise.
“It’s hard for me to say if that really had an impact on my confidence or my performance,” she said.
“I was not very happy with my performance against Nigeria. I didn’t wear my hearing aids all day and I thought maybe my brain wasn’t being stimulated enough – I’m not sure.
“A lot of the things I do now can be traced back to my hearing. I feel much more confident in myself when I have them on and I feel much more alert and connected.
“Whether that’s related to how I play or not, I’m not so sure, but I’d like to think it is.”