KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- In the end, Gregg Berhalter's strategy worked and while it wasn't much fun to watch, the payoff could come later in this Gold Cup for the United States men's national team.
Heading into the group stage finale against Panama, both teams had already secured their spots in the quarterfinal. The main questions centered on the order of finish and who each team would face next, but there were deeper issues as well. The games in the knockout stage take place at an accelerated pace -- just two full days separate the quarterfinals from the semifinals -- and there is the matter of getting rest for the presumed starting lineup.