Now the real fun begins.

The United States men’s national took top spot in Group D thanks to a 1-0 victory over Panama and are now preparing for a date with Curacao in the quarterfinals. The Yanks have looked impressive throughout a flawless group stage and have yet to concede a goal, but let’s face it – this team was never going to be judged solely by their performances against inferior opposition before the knockout round. Despite a pair of subpar performances in the tune-up matches that cast doubt on the side heading into competitive play, the U.S. should and will always be settling for nothing less than the regional title.

Coach Gregg Berhalter went into the final group-stage match with a mountainous decision to make. On the one hand, he could field largely the same lineup in the hopes of further building chemistry and carrying momentum forward. On the other, he could make significant changes to give more players the chance to make a statement and rest those who have played the bulk of minutes thus far. He elected to go with the latter option, and we are left with much more confidence in this team than we had a few short weeks ago.

Squad depth perhaps stronger than first thought

Criticism of Berhalter’s final roster was rampant heading into his first competitive matches at the helm. Josh Sargent’s exclusion stole the majority of headlines, and the situation was exacerbated when news broke that Tyler Adams would miss the tournament through injury. An early knock to Weston McKennie only made matters worse once play had commenced.

Following two resounding wins, 11 new faces trotted out to take on Panama, who also fielded a revamped lineup with their passage out of the group already secured. In the end, the U.S. tactician claimed it wasn’t a difficult call to make.

"The decision to start 11 new players was an easy one, to be honest," Berhalter said concerning the decision to make wholesale changes. "We believe in the group. We believe in keeping the group together. We believe that everyone can contribute to this team, for the team's success, and we wanted to show that.”

Sure, it was a Panama B team, but a win and a shutout no less can never be written off. Team morale will have been given a significant boost thanks to Berhalter’s decision to put faith in all of the players at his disposal.

Time to end Curacao’s Cinderella story

The southern Caribbean nation had never scored a goal at the Gold Cup before this year’s edition. Things got off to a rocky start with a 1-0 loss to El Salvador, but a 40th-minute strike by Leandro Bacuna secured the biggest upset in recent tournament history against Honduras. That result was followed by another dramatic development, as Juriën Gaairi belted a Goal of the Tournament nominee against Jamaica in the final match to snatch a draw at the death and secure second place in Group C.

INCREDIBLE!!! WHAT A GOAL FROM CURACAO! ??????

Juriën Gaari scores DEEP into stoppage time to keep their knockout stage hopes alive! #GoldCup2019 pic.twitter.com/t4WRYKndjD

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 26, 2019

Curacao have already exceeded expectations and would love nothing more than to bring another Concacaf power crashing down. Unlike the U.S., they aren’t playing with the weight of "title or bust" and can go out and throw caution to the wind. The Yanks are superior in every position, but a strong performance will be needed once again to overcome an energized squad and progress to the semifinals.

Who starts up top against Curacao?

Jozy Altidore inched toward Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey on the all-time scoring list with his 42nd international goal and did so in dramatic fashion with an adept overhead kick from close range. When completely healthy, he remains the U.S.’ most complete striker and simply offers what no other frontman does with his physicality, holdup play, and finishing ability.

Nevertheless, Altidore is still working toward full fitness and sharpness following a hamstring injury. In his stead, Gyasi Zardes got the nod in the opening two matches and has three tallies to his name – not too shabby. The Columbus Crew striker did well to shake off a sloppy performance against Guyana (despite scoring a goal off his face) and was much more precise while notching a brace in the team’s 6-0 romp over Trinidad and Tobago. Berhalter’s biggest decision ahead of Sunday’s quarterfinal will be fielding the nation’s third-leading scorer or rolling with Zardes, who perhaps holds a slight edge of late.