Djordje Mihailovic, USA Crush Panama 3-0 in Gregg Berhalter's Coaching Debut

The Gregg Berhalter era couldn't have gotten off to a better start.

The United States men's national team cruised to a 3-0 victory over Panama in a friendly on Sunday night at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, behind goals from Djordje Mihailovic, Walker Zimmerman and Christian Ramirez. It was a fantastic debut for Berhalter, who fielded a roster of MLS players.

Those players were up to the task. Mihailovic opened the scoring in the 40th minute after Nick Lima found him all alone atop the box with a low cross. Lima played the key role on the United States' second goal also, snuffing out a potential counterattack with a brilliant tackle before sending a pinpoint cross onto the head of Zimmerman, who guided the ball into the net to double the lead.

Ramirez made it 3-0 nine minutes later after Jonathan Lewis deftly beat a defender and smashed a cross into Ramirez's feet for an easy redirection and goal.

Berhalter's Tactics Already Invigorating USMNT

The United States wasn't perfect on Sunday night. Far from it. But the team mostly controlled the game from start to finish, successfully incorporating Berhalter's style of play, which is an excellent sign in the manager's first match.

The Stars and Stripes controlled possession, holding 66 percent. They created more scoring chances, with an 8-5 advantage in shots (6-4 advantage on target). While they were tentative at times in the first half and had to absorb Panama's pressure early in the second half, they appeared to grow into the game and made adjustments well, playing their best soccer as the game wore on.

Suffice to say, the early returns are positive:

Berhalter's system is reliant on playing out of the back, controlling possession with smart buildup play and using the wingers to put pressure on opposing defenses and creating opportunities inside the box with incisive crossing. 

That style of play—namely the wingers creating on the attack—was most apparent on the team's first and third goals:

It was never going to be the most polished performance, with a lineup composed of five players making their senior level appearances for the national team. And Panama didn't offer the stiffest competition either, a factor to keep in mind. 

But the United States played with a purpose and was tactically sound. The defense acquitted itself well, namely the fullback pairing of Lima and Daniel Lovitz. Michael Bradley anchored the midfield, showing he still has a place on the squad. 

The United States has a long way to go to erase the sour taste of failing to qualify for the last World Cup. But Sunday night was a positive first step.

Incorporating Christian Pulisic and Non-MLS Players Is Next Challenge for Berhalter

Because this friendly fell in a non-FIFA window, players in European and Mexican leagues were not available for Sunday's friendly. That meant Christian Pulisic, most notably, was absent, alongside players like John Brooks, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Josh Sargent and Timothy Weah. 

Pulisic and Brooks will unquestionably play a major role for the USMNT, while McKennie, Adams, Sargent and Weah are all talented young players who are expected to be major contributors but will have to earn their places.

For Berhalter, finding the ideal role for the country's exciting young talent will define his tenure. But the way a number of young and inexperienced players performed on Sunday night is a promising sign that Berhalter will be able to get the most out of the players he didn't have available against Panama. 

"Our job is to get the most out of the players and to give the public a reason to be excited," Berhalter said earlier in January, per Paul Tenorio of The Athletic. "I'm a fan also, and I can certainly understand the point of view of a fan who says, 'Man, we are on a bad run with the men's national team.' And our job is to restore that faith."

No player will be more important for Berhalter to grow and find a prominent role for than Pulisic, the talented Borussia Dortmund attacker who should be one of the focal points of the USMNT attack from the winger position once he joins the team. 

But another major question will be Berhalter either identifying and shaping a creative, facilitating midfielder—a player the United States simply doesn't appear to have at the moment—or building a system that can work without such a player while still best-utilizing talents like Pulisic and Weah.

It's the sort of task that has foiled USMNT managers in the past. A brighter future is dependant on Berhalter having those answers.

What's Next?

The United States will next face Costa Rica at 3:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 2 in San Jose, California.