USMNT vs Panama: Gregg Berhalter to seek Qatar 2022 berth with intense rotation strategy, will he succeed?

Ahead of the USMNT's crucial match against Panama on Sunday in Orlando, Berhalter finds himself in need of a roster makeover. With Sergiño Dest, Reggie Cannon, and Dender Yedlin out of the team due to injury or suspension, Berhalter called in Chuck Moore to fill the void. Moore traveled to meet the team even though his club, Tenerife, was fighting for promotion to Spain's Segunda Division during this window.

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Rotation is something the team is preparing for, as 38 players have appeared so far during the World Cup qualifiers, with 21 of them playing 90 minutes or more.

Berhalter talked about how the best advice Bruce Arena gave to him was to never have your first team, so make sure your roster can fill at least 1.5 teams to form.

Is Berhalter's strategy a good one?

During World Cup qualifying, it is rare for a team to be available all the time. This cycle, the final round spanned nearly seven months in five different international windows, meaning that every team in CONCACAF must contend with irregular formats, injuries, and off-season schedules between Europe and the Americas. 

This is the main reason why U.S. Men's Team Manager Greg Berhalter has pushed the next-man-up mentality throughout the player pool and made sure that every player, whether on the roster or not, is aware of their place within the program. He had reached deep into the player meeting at times and everyone knew they could be called up at any time.

With this strategy in mind, USMNT players know that everyone has a chance to play in a game. Given the schedule, injuries, and number of games, the rotation can be very good when the coach's philosophy is very clear and the players believe in it.

USMNT win secures ticket to Qatar

A win for the Stars and Stripes against Panama would secure a playoff spot for the United States and if Costa Rica does not win, it would give them an automatic ticket.

Gregg Berhalter will apply his strategy and according to today's lineup, we will see the players he will rotate today to give minutes to new players and rest others.

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