That sure felt good, didn’t it?

It may not have erased what happened in Couva 20 months ago, but the U.S. men’s national team’s 6-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago went a long way in restoring some pride and belief in the side ahead of their final match in Gold Cup group play. Next up is a date with Panama, who are level on points and will pose a much larger challenge than the Soca Warriors. Kickoff from Sporting Kansas City’s Children’s Mercy Park is set for 9 PM ET and the action will be broadcast on FS1 and Univision Deportes.

The Yanks secured a berth in the next round on Saturday with their resounding victory, but top spot in Group D is on the line this evening. A win or a draw would see Gregg Berhalter’s men capture first place and punch their tickets to take on surprise quarterfinalists Curacao in Philadelphia, while a loss would have them face Group C winners Jamaica.

The biggest question heading into Wednesday’s matchup is whether or not Berhalter will make any significant changes to the lineup after finding so much success, particularly in a five-goal second half. He offered no concrete answers when asked if he would rotate players ahead of the knockout round. 

“That’s a good question, and to be honest I don’t have experience with that,” Berhalter said concerning the possibility of squad rotation. “It’s the first time we’re going through it so we’re going to have to figure it out. We know that the tournament is a lot of games in a short period of time. So there’s going to have to be some balancing. Part of it was getting some guys off today to get them some rest. That’s going to be an interesting problem that we’re going to have to solve.”

Panama will be the stiffest test yet for the U.S. They have been going through a rebuilding phase and have been playing under interim managers since their first World Cup appearance a year ago, but they have experienced no difficulties in finding the back of the net through two games. Six goals scored while starting four different strikers should have the U.S. back line on high alert.

There’s plenty of history between the teams and no love lost in recent years, as well as familiarity among those plying their trade Major League Soccer. Los Canaleros have made the Gold Cup final on two occasions (2005 and 2013), and both resulted in losses to the USA. More recently, Panama became the only team to defeat the Yanks in group play with a 2-1 result in Tampa in 2011. Four of their players currently suit up in MLS: Omar Browne (Montreal Impact), Harold Cummings (San Jose Earthquakes), Michael Murillo (New York Red Bulls), and Roman Torres (Seattle Sounders).

As they are set to meet for the eighth consecutive regional tournament, Berhalter expressed his respect for his team’s latest opponent and singled out Browne as a player who stands out and could have an impact for Los Canaleros.

“I really like Panama, I really do. They’ve been doing a good job. I like their defensive shape, I like their tenacity,” the tactician noted ahead of the battle for group supremacy. “They played a good game against Trinidad, scored some good goals, and I think it’s a good group. I like some of their younger players. Omar Browne, he’s in MLS, he’s done a good job and it’s a strong team.”