The Sports Psychology Blog
This Sports Psychology blog comes as Ronaldo misses a second-minute penalty in the Champions League semi-final.
Football: Ronaldo - Bottler?
It's the second minute of the Champions League Final. Manchester United have been awarded a penalty. It's the perfect opportunity for Christiano Ronaldo to give The Red Devils an early lead and vital away goal.
With his recent double penalty success against Arsenal fresh in his mind, Ronaldo could be expected to ooze supreme confidence from the spot. Surely, the ball would zip past Victor Valdes, into the bottom corner of the net?
We now know that Victor Valdes dived left. And that Ronaldo went right. And missed. No doubt about it. Valdes won the mental battle, between keeper and striker. He forced Ronaldo to change his mind. A fatal mistake in any penalty-taker.
The key to successful penalty-taking, is to be very clear in your mind. about what you are going to do. Then commit to that decision. Totally. The power of that commitment, will create the power you get on the kick. Weak commitment, leads to a weak spot-kick.
Weak commitment stems from self-doubts. Moments of uncertainty within yourself, that cause vacillation in the mind. But why should such a confident individual like Christiano Ronaldo experience self-doubt?
For a couple of seasons now, critical observers have challenged Ronaldo to deliver on the top stage. The big European matches that define a players greatness. To date, Ronaldo has failed to dominate these key Champions League matches.
Ronaldo, clearly has the ability to shine in the Nou Camp, the San Siro, the Bernabeu. What he hasn't yet got, is the deep down, irrevocable, self-belief in himself. The emotional development, that enables him to take the very top teams apart.
Emotional development, that is ready to accept the mantle, of the being the world's best player. That is probably why he had a moment of self-doubt in the Nou Camp. His emotional development is still not equal to his talent. He knew the eyes of the world were on him. And it was a pressure he wasn't yet ready for.
It may come in time. With age and maturity. When his pace and trickery, is matched by an acceptance of his own talent and the consequences that brings. Maybe the pain of Tuesday night in Barcelona, will accelerate that development. Accelerate Ronaldo's own desire to understand his own mind and it's strengths and weaknesses.
It's the only missing link between the player and greatness. But it's a missing link, that has defeated many other good players.
