Self- talk saves day for Mooy
AARON Mooy admitted he had to conquer doubts in his head when he stepped up to smash home a penalty that helped send Huddersfield Town into the English Premier League.
The Socceroos midfielder scored a penalty as the Terriers downed Reading in an extratime shootout at Wembley in the Championship play- off final – the match described as the richest game in world soccer.
Huddersfield Town’s promotion could be worth up to $ 300 million to the club and ends a 45- year absence from England’s top division.
“I just tried to think positive because of lots of negative things come into your head, like if I miss this I’ll cost the team,” Mooy said.
“I didn’t want to be the one who stuffed it up. They creep in but I just try and keep talking positive to myself.
“After about the 80- minute mark you starting thinking this could go to penalties, I’m going to be definitely taking one.”
Mooy, 26, converted his spot- kick in the second leg win over Sheffield Wednesday last week, which secured the Terriers a place in the final.
But Mooy said you can “never really” prepare for the pressure- cooker of penalty shootout.
“They say the Germans don’t miss and we’ve a lot of Germans, maybe that’s why,” he said. “We had that experience ( at Hillsborough) and Reading didn’t, maybe that helped.”