Gregg Berhalter was hired Sunday to coach the U.S. men’s national team, making him the first person to run the Americans after playing for them at the World Cup. Berhalter, who spent the past five seasons as coach of Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew, represents a generational change for an American team staggered by its failure to reach this year’s World Cup after seven straight appearances at soccer’s showcase. A native of Englewood, New Jersey, Berhalter grew up in Tenafly and played alongside future U.S. captain Claudio Reyna at Saint Benedict’s Prep in Newark. Berhalter’s Columbus teams succeeded despite one of the league’s lowest payrolls. “They try to keep the ball. He’s got idea and a style of play that they stick to,” U.S. goalkeeper Brad Guzan said. “That guidance will be important going forward.” The 45-year-old was long viewed as the front-runner for a job that stayed open for nearly 14 months. He is the second youngest coach for the Americans in four decades; Steve Sampson was 38 when he took over in 1995. “He is a coach that is learning at all times,” said U.S. general manager Earnie Stewart, who made the decision approved Saturday by the U.S….