How USMNT prepare for World Cup penalty drama: confidence, composure and consultants

Key Points:

• Germany and the Netherlands were both eliminated from the World Cup in penalty shootouts on Monday, with Germany losing to Paraguay after key players declined to take penalties, highlighting a lack of preparation by coach Julian Nagelsmann.
• US head coach Mauricio Pochettino revealed that his staff has partnered with external firms Neuro11 and Trackman to analyze penalty kicks and set pieces, aiming to equip players with tools to handle the pressure of shootouts.
• Neuro11 uses real-time EEG tracking to study players' brainwaves during penalties, while Trackman provides detailed data on ball movement, both contributing to enhanced training and performance.
• The US team, preparing for their last-32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, has never faced a World Cup penalty shootout but boasts several reliable penalty takers like Christian Pulisic, Ricardo Pepi, and Haji Wright.
• Despite observing varied and unorthodox penalty techniques in recent shootouts, US players prefer to stick to their own styles rather than mimic others, emphasizing confidence and individual approach over last-minute changes.