Why Gregg Berhalter's seat could get hotter following loss to Panama

United States head coach Gregg Berhalter.

USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter's job could be on the line following a disastrous loss to Panama at Copa America on Thursday night.

The U.S. blew a costly opportunity in the 2-1 loss. If it had beaten Panama, it could've qualified for the knockout stage of the tournament. Now, it must beat Uruguay on Monday and get some help to avoid elimination.

To cut Berhalter some slack, American goalkeeper Matt Turner — who has 24 clean sheets in 41 appearances — suffered a lower leg injury in the first half, and Ethan Horvath replaced him at halftime.

However, Panama outplayed the U.S., logging a higher possession rate (73.6%), more shots (13) and more chances created (nine).

The U.S. also made several mistakes. An offside penalty on American defender Tim Ream overruled a Weston McKennie goal in the fifth minute, and a red card on Tim Weah limited the U.S. to 10 players for the rest of the match. It's fair to expect better execution from a team that ranks 11th in the world, per FIFA.

Michael Dominski of The Athletic reported that this marks the third time Panama (No. 43) has beaten the U.S. in 27 meetings. Two of these three losses have come under Berhalter.

Berhalter, of course, could still save his job if the U.S. bounces back and clinches a spot in the knockout round. The team has seemingly regressed, though, which doesn't inspire confidence. Per ESPN, the USMNT has lost three matches in 2024, equaling its total from 2023.

The Athletic's Paul Tenorio noted that this U.S. squad has been dubbed a "Golden Generation," as it includes stars like winger Christian Pulisic. Perhaps it needs a change to unlock its potential.

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