USMNT Pool: Penalty Kicks (PKs) - Take your pick!

That’s a great idea. Low risk of injury. Provides some closure for the game. Gives players and coaches an opportunity to simulate a higher stakes game. And it’s entertaining for the fans.

 

I must wait for my wife to suggest any good idea before I do. She’ll assume it’s a bad idea if I’m the one who suggests it. With that in mind, we’d probably be better off not suggesting this before some European does.

 

Suggest the opposite and see if she suggests what you wanted as a reaction.

 

How about TJ Oshie?

 

Randomly enough, Austin Trusty has converted more than a few shootout penalties.....particularly in Sottish Cup action.

 

That was Robinson's first ever goal in the Premier League.

His penalty was so calmly taken! Ice in his veins!!!

 

With the way this World Cup has gone, this PK taking issue has become more and more important.

Here's the challenge. After 120 minutes..................how many of Pulisic, Dest, Balogun, etc. are even on the field. Those are the guys to be substituted during the game.

Who would our penalty takes actually be after 120 minutes in the summer heat? Its Pepi, Aaronson, Reyna, and Berhalter. Its the guys coming off the bench.

..............this is what we were seeing yesterday. Germany had taken off Undav. They'd taken off Wirtz. They'd taken off Sane. They'd taken off Nmecha. So they started penalties with Havertz, who'd just played a difficult 120 minutes in the Boston heat, and he missed. Then by the 3rd or 4th taker, they were using guys who don't take penalties. I was watching Waltemade walk up to take his penalty and thought to myself "this oaf doesn't look lik he wants to do this." Of course he missed. Then when they got to their 6th, they were using Tah of all people.

 

I realize this comment is a couple of months old…but penalties mess up the two hour broadcast window. Though to be fair…what really screws it up is extra time….but that would be the issue. It would require a half hour post game for friendlies in every broadcast to accommodate a penalty window

 

it’s more fair to have overtime and test the depth of both teams and their subs. More fair chance to win it on the field.

 

I’m not sure how that’s relevant to my comment…or the comment I was responding to….which was it would be a cool idea to have all international friendlies end in PK’s. I was pointing out the broadcast logistics challenges to that.

 

From memory, I think Arfsten has made some for the Crew in shootouts. Leagues Cup and Campeones Cup come to mind.

But I'd go:
1. Pulisic
2. Pepi
3. Reyna
4. Zendejas
5. Wright
--------------
6. Balogun
7. Aaronson
8. Jedi
9. Arfsten
10. Richards
11. Berhalter

 

Yeah that's not happening.

And an

If Antonee is on the field, he might be moved higher up.

I remember a penalty he took earlier this year for Fulham, which was fire.
I don't know if he does it often (probably not), but that was a perfect penalty.

I don't think Pulisic is a 120 minute player at this point. He's off if we're talking penalties against Bosnia.

We can look at penalty conversion statistics for players on transfermarkt.

How many penalties has Gio Reyna taken in first team club soccer.........????

The answer is one. That was against Bochum in 2022.

So we have all of these guys we're listing as penalty takers and we have NO IDEA if they're even any good at it.

Brenden Aaronson?

According to transfermarkt, Brenden Aaronson has taken one penalty in his career. That was in the Austrian Bundesliga.

This is why the "lottery of penalties" is the way it is.

If Sergino Dest is on the field, what is his penalty record? Nonexistent.

 

You know who actually has a surprisingly good track record on penalties? Trusty.

 

True. Although in this day and age the answer might just be "this one is going into the books as a draw, switch over to our streaming service to see the penalty shootout, stay tuned here on ESPN for Tigers-Mariners"

 

Amazing story out of the Germany camp that 4 guys refused to take penalties. Captain Joshua Kimmich apparently asked Goretzka twice whether he wanted to take the sixth penalty, the latter refused.
Inside Germany’s penalty drama during loss to Paraguay - Yahoo Sports

This is the epitome of what we don't want to happen. Just go in with a plan. A flexible plan because you're not quite sure who's going to be on the field. But go in with a plan.

 

I mean ideally you'd have the whole squad ranked 1-26 and you just go down the list depending on who happens to be on the field.