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U.S. Suffers First Defeat in World Cup Qualifying

Continuing the good vibes from one performance to the next can be tough, it turns out, when you switch out all your top performers.

That was one of the harsh lessons learned by the United States men’s soccer team on Sunday as it fell limply, 1-0, to Panama in its fifth qualifying match for the 2022 World Cup.

Things had looked so different last Thursday, when the Americans stomped to a 2-0 win against Jamaica in Austin, Texas. But with a quick turnaround between matches — and a third game to play on Wednesday night in Ohio — United States Coach Gregg Berhalter made seven changes to his lineup.