The United States Men's National Team (USMNT) is incorporating penalty kick practice into its routine as a critical measure against a potential World Cup exit via shootout. The team has observed recent upsets in the tournament, such as Germany's loss to Paraguay and the Netherlands' defeat against Morocco, both decided by penalty kicks.
Defender Chris Richards acknowledged the gravity of these outcomes, stating, “In the moment I was a fan, then I realized that we’re also in the same tournament. We saw two upsets [Monday], so we’re making sure that we don’t allow that to happen to us.” The experience of Germany's Jonathan Tah, who missed a crucial penalty, serves as a cautionary tale.
During a press conference Tuesday in San Jose, Calif., U.S. players and head coach Mauricio Pochettino confirmed that penalty kicks have become a regular part of their training. Pochettino noted, “We know it’s impossible to replicate the stress, pressure and emotions of that situation, but we are trying.” He indicated that he would determine the order of penalty takers if a shootout occurs.
Potential candidates to take penalties include Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Gio Reyna, Tyler Adams, Malik Tillman, Sebastian Berhalter, and Alex Freeman. Balogun, the team's leading scorer, has a career record of 17 successful penalties out of 25 attempts. Pepi has made eight of ten career penalties, while Reyna is perfect from five attempts. Adams has made his only attempt for the U.S. in a previous tournament.
Goalkeeper Matt Freese, nicknamed "Matty Ice," is considered a significant asset in penalty situations. Freese, who previously conducted research on penalty-kick analytics at Harvard, has a history of strong performances in saving penalty kicks. He stated, “Penalties are my thing,” after saving three against Costa Rica in a past match.
The USMNT has a historical record of 6 wins and 5 losses in penalty shootouts. Despite this, the team has never faced a penalty shootout in a World Cup match. Whether this streak continues or the team is put to the ultimate test remains to be seen.
