Sports Talk

Shootouts are a terrible way to decide a final and I can't stop watching them

I keep coming back to the Budapest final. Arsenal lead inside six minutes through Havertz, Dembele levels from the spot, 1-1, and then the biggest prize in club football comes down to Eze missing, Raya saving from Nuno Mendes, and Gabriel putting the fifth kick over the bar.

I know all the arguments for shootouts. Players are exhausted, you can't play forever, and nobody has a better idea that's actually workable. But it still feels like we've decided a season-long campaign with a coin toss that happens to involve feet. TSN pointed out the previous 11 teams to lead in a final had all won it. Arsenal were the exception, and on a shootout.

Credit to PSG, first team to retain it since Madrid in 2015 to 2018. But I'm curious whether anyone actually likes this format, or whether we just tolerate it because it's dramatic.