Foot & Soccer Soccer Match Reports, Football News 
Milan’s journey to Naples led to one more disappointment. A 2-1 defeat to Napoli pushed the Rossoneri additional down the Serie A desk, leaving their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League hanging by a thread. Nonetheless, one second within the match stood out past the end result—when Santiago Gimenez stepped as much as take a vital penalty as an alternative of Christian Pulisic.
With Milan trailing 2-0 within the 67th minute, a golden likelihood arrived when Theo Hernandez was fouled within the field. Given Pulisic’s glorious file from the spot—having missed simply one penalty in his profession—most anticipated him to take accountability. As a substitute, the ball was handed to Gimenez, a participant who had not scored in over a month.
The end result was disastrous. The Mexican’s weak effort was comfortably saved by Alex Meret, denying the Rossoneri a lifeline. Simply minutes later, Luka Jovic did handle to drag one again, nevertheless it was too little, too late. The penalty miss proved decisive, leaving followers and pundits alike questioning: Why did Milan permit a struggling striker to take such an necessary kick when Pulisic was on the pitch?
What did Sergio Conceicao say?
After the match, Milan supervisor Sergio Conceicao was requested concerning the choice, and his response left many scratching their heads. “We’ve three most important takers. Pulisic needed to provide confidence to his teammate who hasn’t scored for a number of weeks,” Conceicao instructed DAZN. “We all know how issues are. It’s less than me to say one thing to the gamers, it’s the three of them who resolve primarily based on how they really feel.”
In different phrases, this was not a managerial choice. As a substitute, it was the American himself who selected to let Gimenez take the penalty—a gesture geared toward boosting the Mexican striker’s confidence.
The Portuguese boss framed this as a signal of unity throughout the group’s dressing room, however the choice finally backfired. Gimenez’s confidence was clearly low, and the missed penalty solely added to his struggles. In the meantime, Milan’s slim probabilities of salvaging a end result evaporated.
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Who will lead Milan’s penalty obligation in Serie A and Champions League: Santiago Gimenez or Christian Pulisic?
Pricey choice for Milan
Milan’s fourth defeat in six league video games leaves them ninth in Serie A, 4 factors behind Fiorentina and 9 factors off fourth-placed Bologna. With Champions League qualification slipping away, each level issues. The choice to permit an out-of-form striker to take a must-score penalty may show expensive when the season ends.
Pulisic stays one in every of Milan’s most dependable performers, having already scored 15 targets this season—together with 4 penalties. However on this second, his generosity, sadly, price Milan dearly. As Conceicao put it: “There’s nice frustration as a result of we didn’t deserve this defeat.”
SurveyShould Pulisic have taken extra accountability as Milan’s penalty taker?
Ought to Pulisic have taken extra accountability as Milan’s penalty taker?
