Penalty preparation more important than ever as Germans collapse under spot-kick pressure

VANCOUVER, June 29 : Germany's shootout defeat by Paraguay on Monday sent shockwaves around the soccer world as a team previously thought invincible from the spot came up short in a stunning upset, marking the first time they have lost on penalties at a World Cup.

In a nerve-jangling climax, Kai Havertz, Nick Woltemade and Jonathan Tah all failed to convert their kicks for Germany after the match had ended 1-1.

There was pressure too for the Paraguayans, who had to bounce back from throwing away a two-goal lead in the shootout before Jose Canale fired home to send his side through to the last 16 - and the Germans home. 

For Geir Jordet, professor of football and psychology at the Norwegian School of Sports Science and author of a book called "Pressure: Lessons from the psychology of the penalty shoot-out", penalties are one of the ultimate tests of mental strength and preparation. 

"The best penalty takers are specialists, who have worked relentlessly for years to perfect their kicks. This skill always has a technical component - how to hit the ball to get it to where you want it to go," he told Reuters shortly before the Germans were dumped out of the tournament. 

As the knockout stage picks up momentum, coaches and players are being asked about practicing penalties and what they are doing to recreate the high-pressure atmosphere, but Jordet believes that question misses the target. 

"It is almost impossible to recreate the exact conditions of such a big occasion; the better question in my opinion is rather, to what extent can pressure be recreated and does that have an impact on the outcome?" he said. 

"There is a lot of research on so-called pressure training, which shows that training with some anxiety will have an impact