The United States Men’s National Team struggled in the final third, but managed to nab one goal off a set piece by Herculez Gomez and defeated Jamaica 1-0 on Tuesday.

Following the victory, U.S. returns to the top of Group A standings with Guatemala. Jamaica is third based on goal differential, as all three nations sit on seven points after four games. Play resumes on October 12 when the U.S. travels to Sir Vivian Richards Stadium for a clash with Antigua and Barbuda.

USA Player Ratings:
GK Tim Howard, 6: Made his first and only save in the 80th minute on a long range effort by the Jamaicans.

D Steve Cherundolo, 7: After missing the first game against Jamaica, Cherundolo looked like a revelation on the right side, showing off his experience and guile. He read the game well, and was deadly combining on the right flank with Graham Zusi, particularly in the game’s first 20 minutes.

D Geoff Cameron, 6: The midfielder/center back wasn’t really called into action too often but looked solid and stable when called upon. He’s certainly given Klinsmann plenty of reasons to start him again.

D Carlos Bocanegra, 6: For some reason, Bocanegra was all too eager to give up corner kicks and other set piece opportunities to Jamaica late. U.S. survived the chances, but against sharper opposition that kind of defending will not cut it.

D Fabian Johnson, 6: The all-action left back was much better this time around, getting forward early and often, providing the U.S. with much-needed width down the left flank. Nearly grabbed a goal as well.

M Danny Williams, 7: Looked very comfortable in the defensive midfield role he started in, and saw an incredible first half blast hit the crossbar. After Klinsmann shuffled the lineup with second halfs subs, Williams played on the right -- not his best spot -- and was predictably muted.

M Graham Zusi, 7: Arguably, he could have done better with his chances in the first half, but overall it was a great night from the former Maryland Terp. The flow of U.S.’s attack definitely suffered when he exited the game.

M Jermaine Jones, 6: There are few players in the world as frustrating as Jones. While he’s athletic and can cover tremendous ground, he makes risky challenges and gives coaches reason not to trust him almost every game. Looked good when Jamaica sat back and didn’t really challenge the U.S., but can’t say the same in the second half.

M Jose Francisco Torres, 6: The midfielder did not have many memorable moments, but was an important piece for the comprehensive first half dominance by the U.S.

F Clint Dempsey, 6: Questions need to be asked about why he is playing 90 minutes in back-to-back games when he has barely trained in the last couple of months, but that is not Dempsey’s fault. That falls on the manager’s decision. He gave his all despite his legs and lungs asking for respite.

F Herculez Gomez, 6: Herculez scored the lone goal on the night on a nice free kick from distance, but he did struggle at times holding possession against more physical Jamaican defenders.

Substitutes:
M Brek Shea, 5: His antics off the ball drew more attention than anything he accomplished while the ball was in play. The uber confident Shea who was fearless when running at defenders seems to be a distant memory.

M Maurice Edu, 6: The former Rangers man stepped into the middle of the park and had some timely interceptions, but he struggled to keep possession moving forward and relied on Howard as his outlet pass.

F Jozy Altidore, 4: There were very few positives to Altidore’s ten minute appearance. He gave away the ball easily, he looked tired after only a few seconds, and he did not provide any linking play for the midfielders.

Observations:
Three points is all that counts after this one, but once again there were troubling signs. After a tremendous first half performance -- easily the best 45 minutes put forth by the U.S. men under Klinsmann -- the level dropped off significantly after the break, and crashed down to earth once Gomez scored.

Worst of all was Klinsmann’s substitution decisions towards the end of the game, as he moved Danny Williams out to the right, where he never looks convincing, and kept Clint Dempsey on the field for 90 minutes. By the end of the game, a clearly exhausted Dempsey made it look like the U.S. were playing down a man. The final whistle provided relief, as the Reggae Boyz were climbing into the run of play.

However, at the end of the day, it’s the result needed. And World Cup qualifying, while never easy, doesn’t have as strong of a sense of panic about it.

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