EFL club plays Rock-Paper-Scissors to choose penalty taker

Coventry City went old-school in deciding a penalty taker by using a quick game of Rock-Paper-Scissors to award a spot kick representative. The two candidates were Callum O’Hare and Haji Wright, a striker representing the United States Men’s National Team. Wright won the penalty, but O’Hare had converted on his only penalty attempt of the season. Also, O’Hare is joint-second on the team in goals while playing out of the midfield. Haji Wright leads Coventry City with 11 goals this campaign.

Haji Wright would be the winner of the quick game between the two. He stepped up and comfortably slotted the ball away to pull Coventry level against Millwall. Speaking after the game, Wright discussed the game with O’Hare as Coventry went on to win the game, 2-1.

“So, I won the penalty, and me and Callum had a quick discussion about who was going to take it. We had a game of rock-paper-scissors.” Wright said. “I know Callum is amazing at taking penalties, he has that little stutter step, and he will probably score 90 percent of the time, but I am confident myself, so I wanted to take it. Luckily, I won the game of rock-paper-scissors. I went for rock! I had a little delay in my throw, but it is what it is.”

Wright went on to add that the competitive nature of both he and O’Hare has been beneficial for Coventry. The Championship club is currently sixth in the English second tier, which would be good enough for the Championship playoffs at the end of the campaign.

“We are both hungry players. We want to succeed, we want to show our quality on the pitch, and it was good to score and help the team.”

Rock-Paper-Scissors shows Wright’s successes at Coventry

Wright’s hunger has been instrumental in Coventry’s current league position. As stated, Wright leads Coventry with 11 goals this season, and his brace against Millwall secured a crucial three points this weekend. After falling behind in the first half, the penalty started Coventry’s comeback. Then, Callum O’Hare set up Haji Wright for the game-winning goal. O’Hare slotted the ball to Haji Wright on the left side. The American went with a low shot to the near post that beat Millwall goalkeeper Matija Šarkić.

It has not been overly smooth sailing for Haji Wright since joining Coventry this season. He opened the campaign with two goals in Coventry’s first 14 games. However, he has started to show more consistency at the front of the line. Four goals in his last five appearances with Coventry have played a massive role in the side shooting up the Championship table. At the 14-game mark, Coventry was 20th in the league table. Now, it is sixth and well in the picture to compete for promotion.

Success translating to national team appearances?

Haji Wright finding a rhythm with Coventry could mean more time in Gregg Berhalter’s side. Wright was on the World Cup roster in 2022 when he played for Antalyaspor in the Turkish Super Lig. However, his appearances with the Stars and Stripes are limited, and he only has seven total caps with the national team. That does include a pair of goals, including the only goal against the Netherlands in Qatar.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.