Pochettino locks in USMNT penalty order for Bosnia match
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- Mauricio Pochettino said Tuesday he and his staff have selected the USMNT's five penalty kick takers in order, deciding internally rather than asking players whether they felt confident: "It's going to be our decision, the No. 1, the No. 2, the No. 3, the No. 4, the No. 5."
- Pochettino said the final shootout lineup will hinge on in-game factors — who came off the bench, who played 120 minutes, and who is fatigued or hurt — calling it "impossible when you practice penalties to have the same feelings" as a real match.
- Defender Auston Trusty returned to training Tuesday after missing two sessions with an ankle issue, while Mark McKenzie has been getting treatment for irritation across three straight sessions; Crisitna Roldan has not trained since June 20 with a quad injury, though he's been doing individual work for several days.
- Goalkeeper Matt Freese built his case to start the World Cup by saving two penalties in last July's Concacaf Gold Cup shootout, a 4-3 win over Costa Rica after a 2-2 draw — a performance Pochettino pointed to as live penalty prep.
- Pochettino said penalty work has been a focus "throughout the weeks together, even before the tournament started" and confirmed the staff brought in outside consultants to rehearse shootouts.
- Defender Tim Ream declined to detail the team's specific preparations Monday, saying only: "We've been doing a lot of work on penalties... that's taken care of."
- The USMNT meets Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, July 1 at 8 p.m. ET at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, with the US listed at -263 on the moneyline against a Bosnia side making its tournament debut.
Why it matters: Pochettino is making the call on the five penalty takers himself rather than deferring to player preference — a notable reversal of the usual national-team norm — but the in-game fitness of Trusty, McKenzie, and Roldan could force last-second changes to both his starting XI and his shootout order against a Bosnia squad with nothing to lose.
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