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The U.S. men's national team are off to the Concacaf Nations League final once again, but after narrowly escaping catastrophe in their 3-1 win in extra time over Jamaica on Thursday, changes to the lineup seem like a must for Gregg Berhalter ahead of Sunday's clash with Mexico.

The hosts went down in the first minute thanks to a goal from Gregory Leigh and struggled to break down a Jamaica side that prioritized defense after they took an early lead. The USMNT were able to level the score just seconds before the final whistle when Cory Burke scored an own goal, breathing new life into the team and providing the perfect runway for Gio Reyna to assist both of Haji Wright's extra time goals.

The 90 minutes in between Jamaica's goal and own goal, though, felt like watching Berhalter's plan slowly going awry. The USMNT had more than 80% of possession during that time and outshot Jamaica 20 to five, but put just four of their efforts on target and mustered only 1.35 expected goals. Berhalter admitted post-match that Jamaica's game plan nearly got the Reggae Boyz over the finish line because it's one that his team has consistently struggled with.

"The worst thing to do against a 5-4-1 is give up a goal," he said after the match. "You see how they protected the lead and were very compact and very difficult to break down. … it was a poor play by a number of players. Shut off, ball got behind us, rolling cross comes with plenty of numbers in the penalty box. The defending spaces were too big and really poor ball to give up."

Berhalter also identified the areas of improvement heading into Sunday's meeting with rivals Mexico in the Nations League final, especially since Mexico took a similar tactical approach to Jamaica in their 3-0 win over Panama on Thursday.

"The starting point for us is bringing the intensity to the game," Berhalter noted. "Second thing was we focused on wide combinations. We need more numbers wide. … The third thing was trying to get behind them more. There were moments when they were open when we need to put them behind and there are moments when they were compact and the balls need to be more precise, but nonetheless we need to get behind."

With the need to showcase their ability to improve on a quick timeline, here are a few players who should be in contention to start for the USMNT.

1. Haji Wright

This one almost goes without saying. Wright performed at a high level during his 57 minute shift on Thursday, showcasing that his 15 goal season with Coventry City has the potential to translate to the national team. He did well to unlock a tidy Jamaica defense and is perhaps best-positioned of the strikers in camp to do so again against Mexico. The competition for the USMNT's center forward spot felt like a two-person race between Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi, but Wright has not just better club form on his side, but a hot streak. It makes him an easy candidate to start on Sunday and if he keeps this up, jump to the front of the USMNT's striker line.

2. Gio Reyna

Reyna's inclusion might depend on fitness, but if he's able to play a serious chunk of time, he should probably do so from the start. There's little reason to play catch-up if the USMNT does not have to, and Reyna's ability to play a smart pass that can beat a sturdy defense was very much on display against Jamaica. He also came out of his 75 minute shift as the attacking player with the third-most touches, so he's clearly able to be an active member of the team's attack.

3. Tyler Adams

Adams played his first USMNT game since the 2022 World Cup and, during his 37 minute appearance, very much positioned himself as the tone-setting presence he can be at the base of the team's midfield. Berhalter admitted his cameo was down to a limitation on his minutes since Thursday's match was only his second since recovering from a hamstring injury that kept him out for nearly a whole year, but the head coach also said Adams will likely be involved on Sunday.

"We'll have to check with Tyler," he said. "We had to get past this first thing, his first minutes limitation. He will be limited for the next game but it will be increased so we'll probably use him."

If Adams is able to play a full half, or even more, it might be wise to start him for the same reason it could be a good idea to play Reyna. If a team's best players can get on the field together for even a half, it might be worth it to give them the first half in an effort to build a commanding presence in the match -- and potentially make it easier on their substitutes.

4. Sergino Dest

This one's also a little bit of a no-brainer, considering Dest only missed Thursday's game through suspension. Dest has hardly been an undroppable member of the USMNT and can be mistake-prone, but his understudy on Thursday, Joe Scally, did little to make his case and came off at halftime after an underwhelming showing. The right back spot remains Dest's to lose for the time being and as long as the player pool remains as is, he might be holding onto it for a while.