Soccer Penalty

I've said this before, possibly until you're sick of it. But I'll say it again, because soccer (football, which is a more proper term, to you non Yanks) needs to hear it. You need a better way to break ties.

The latest example is the US women's national team losing to Sweden in the Women's World Cup. By all measures I've read they dominated the game, yet lost on penalty kicks. Without getting into all the details, the process involves too much dumb luck. Single players line up against a goalie and try to 'score' by slipping the ball past the netminder. Kicker guesses right? Goal. Kicker guesses wrong? No goal. Goalie guesses wrong?  Goal. Guesses right? You go home. It's stupid.

There's things I like about soccer. The teams have no say about the clock, which is how it should be in timed games. That clock keeps going, which I also like. But guessing games to determine championships? Oh, come on. 

Take an equal number of players off the field in extra time. Remove the goalie in extra time. Make the goal wider and higher to increase scoring during normal play to make ties less likely. Take turns with corner kicks even, until one team scores. Base tiebreakers on game stats such has shots on goal. Something, soccer. I'm ready to say anything, because anything has to be better than the current nonsense.

Win the game on the entire field, not the last 12 yards where they set up the penalty kicks. That's just a travesty against sportsmanship and integrity.