USMNT coach Berhalter urges team to stick to the process for crucial World Cup qualifier vs. Panama

ORLANDO — As the U.S. men's national team prepares for Sunday's World Cup qualifier against Panama, and with the possibility that the U.S. could clinch a spot in Qatar, manager Gregg Berhalter has a simple message for his players: Stick to the process.

«I preach to the team about just one game at a time, sticking to the process doing the small things, doing the process orientated things and the results will come,» he said on a Zoom call with reporters on Saturday. «That's how I'm looking at this as a coach also. We're just doing our final preparations like we always do. And that's what it is. It's honestly not more than that.»

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The U.S. finds itself in second place in the eight-team, final round of World Cup qualifying out of Concacaf, ahead of Mexico on goal differential. A win for the U.S. on Sunday will ensure Berhalter's team make the World Cup as one of three automatic qualifiers, if Costa Rica fails to win at El Salvador. A draw will be enough should Costa Rica lose.

Costa Rica's match will end before the U.S. takes the field. Berhalter said, «We'll certainly be paying attention» to the result, but added he wasn't sure it would change the U.S. team's game plan.

But Berhalter and the U.S. want to do so by winning, though it will require the team to overcome a few obstacles. The U.S. expended tremendous energy in last Thursday's 0-0 draw with Mexico, which took