West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta endured a night of personal anguish after his late penalty miss cost Brazil a victory in their international friendly against Tunisia on Tuesday evening.
The Crucial Moment: A Penalty Blazed Over
The match was delicately poised at 1-1 when the Selecao were awarded a spot-kick in the 77th minute. Despite 18-year-old Chelsea winger Estevao having successfully converted a penalty earlier in the same game, manager Carlo Ancelotti sent on substitute Lucas Paqueta to take the decisive kick. The 28-year-old, who has 12 goals in 61 caps for his country, proceeded to blaze the ball high over the crossbar from 12 yards, leaving the score level at the final whistle.
Paqueta was immediately crestfallen, pictured with his head in his hands on the pitch. Speaking after the match, the dejected West Ham star issued a heartfelt apology and an explanation for the miss.
"I apologise for the missed penalty," Paqueta confessed. "I'm sad. We probably would have won with that penalty. I'm very used to scoring at my club, I have great successes. Unfortunately, my anxiety to score made me make a decision before that final touch, so I think that's what took me away from taking the penalty as I usually do and I ended up not converting it."
Fan Fury and Managerial Explanation
The decision to hand the ball to Paqueta instead of the confident teenager, Estevao, sparked a furious reaction from fans and pundits on social media. One fan on X quipped, "Paqueta should have asked Estevao for some penalty tips," while another account, @BrasilEdition, fumed: "We saw Estevao SMASH in the last penalty but no let’s have Paqueta do it!"
Manager Carlo Ancelotti shouldered the responsibility for the controversial call during his post-match press conference. "Paqueta was the penalty taker," Ancelotti explained to reporters. "For the second penalty, I changed because I wanted to take some of the pressure off Estevao, so I put Paqueta in, who usually takes them very well."
Despite the disappointment, the young Chelsea starlet, Estevao, displayed maturity in his response. "It was an order that came," he said. "I really wanted to take the spot-kick but the order came in. I supported my teammate so he could score the goal. Unfortunately, he missed, but heads held high."
Club Concerns and Immediate Consequences
The incident raises concerns for West Ham United, for whom Paqueta is a pivotal figure. The Hammers are relying on his creativity and goal threat in their quest to avoid relegation from the Premier League this season, with crucial fixtures against Liverpool and Manchester United on the horizon.
In an immediate blow to the club, Paqueta will be unavailable for this weekend's trip to Bournemouth as he serves a suspension for accumulating five yellow cards. West Ham fans will be hoping the backlash from this international setback does not leave a lasting psychological impact on their key midfielder.
