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COLUMBUS, Ohio — The United States national team put itself back on track to qualify for the final round of Concacaf World Cup qualifying when it earned a 1-0 victory over Jamaica on Tuesday night.

On Friday, the United States lost in Jamaica, 2-1, and that defeat made Tuesday’s game even more important. A loss or even a tie would have put the Americans’ chances for World Cup chances in jeopardy at this early stage of qualifying.

In the loss four days ago, the biggest weakness for the Americans was the midfield, which struggled to create chances and move the ball forward. The three midfielders that Coach Jurgen Klinsmann elected to play were predominately central defensive midfielders and, as a result, the team looked disjointed and was unable to play wide.

Klinsmann took several corrective steps in Tuesday’s rematch. He removed Maurice Edu and Kyle Beckerman from the starting lineup, along with forward Jozy Altidore, and played Danny Williams, Graham Zusi and Jose Torres in their place. Also, the veterans Carlos Bocanegra and Steve Cherundolo returned to the back line after missing Friday’s game.

The changes improved the team’s overall performance tremendously. The passing was crisper and the Americans were able to maintain possession with ease until Jamaica pressed late in the game. The game should give Klinsmann a clearer picture of how the team should come together in the future.

Here are the grades for the individual performances (players are graded on a 1-10 scale, with 10 being the best and 1 being the worst):

Tim Howard: Howard was not tested much on Tuesday night but came up big whenever he was needed. His save on Rodolph Austin in the second half bailed the team out when they were caught napping. His distribution was also solid. Rating: 6.5

Steve Cherundolo: The Mayor of Hannover, as he is affectionately known at his German club, has been a veteran of the U.S. team for more than a decade. He has played many solid games for the team over the years but this may have been his best performance. Klinsmann admitted that the team needed to play better on the outside and Cherundolo gave him both offense and defense when the team needed it most. Rating 8.5 and Man of the Match

Carlos Bocanegra: The captain returned after missing Friday’s game. His club situation has been a mess with him only leaving the bankrupt Rangers on the last day of the transfer window in August. If there were any concerns about his lack of sharpness, he put them to rest with a strong outing against an athletic Jamaican team. Rating: 7

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Geoff Cameron: Cameron only began to make a presence on the national team this year but he is now entrenched in the starting lineup. He is both good at distribution and solid at handling a team with speed and strength. Rating: 7.5

Fabian Johnson: After an off night against Jamaica on Friday, the German-born Johnson was better on Tuesday. It still wasn’t his best game but he did help the U.S. move forward on the left flank and was active on both sides of the ball. Rating: 6.5

Danny Williams: Ever since he joined the national team last October, Williams has not been given the chance to play his natural position in the center as a defensive midfielder. On Tuesday, Williams was finally given that chance and it paid off in an enormous way. He forced turnovers and helped transition the ball into the attack quickly. He almost scored a spectacular 30-yard goal but it rattled off the post. Toward the end he shifted to the right side and didn’t look as comfortable. Still, it was a great outing, and he will surely play centrally again soon. Rating 7.5

Graham Zusi: No player helped his case more than Zusi, who was the only M.L.S. player in the starting lineup. He looked comfortable in the team and greatly improved its possession, and he seemed to have a nice chemistry with Cherundolo on the right side. Zusi was both solid playing wide but also when he moved centrally. He had been a fringe player in the past but he should be part of the team moving forward. Rating 7.5

Jermaine Jones: Jones struggled mightily on Friday night but on Tuesday he was given the chance to play with midfielders able to possess the ball and move forward. Not surprisingly he moved forward better and was more inspired. Defensively he played a solid game covering a lot of ground and frustrating the Jamaicans. It is no secret that he is a physical player and he used it to the Americans’ advantage in the win. Rating: 7.0

Jose Torres: After Friday’s terrible midfield performance, Torres was called upon to add more possession and creativity. He did not play a bad game but he was the weak link in the midfield. He turned the ball over too many times and probably wasn’t as involved as Klinsmann would have liked. Rating 5.5

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Clint Dempsey: It was surprising that Dempsey went a full 90 on Friday after not having a preseason in Europe because of his falling out with his former club, Fulham. The fact that he went 90 minutes again on Tuesday was even more surprising, but mostly because of how he played. In the second game, Dempsey covered a lot of ground as he drifted back into the midfield to create plays and aid in defense. He then made several runs to move all the way forward into the attack. It is clear that there is still some rust but he put in an incredible effort when considering all factors. Rating 6.5

Herculez Gomez: After being left off the national team for the first 10 months of Klinsmann’s tenure as coach, Gomez scored a terrific free kick that may have saved the team’s World Cup hopes. Yes, it should have been saved but Gomez hit it well from distance. He was also regularly involved in the attack and should have earned a penalty in the sixth minute when he was taken down in the box. Rating: 7.0

Substitutes

Brek Shea: The F.C. Dallas winger has not had a good year and he did not affect the game other than a few strong moments. Rating: 5.5

Maurice Edu: After being removed from the starting lineup after Friday’s poor performance, Edu had another off night and was a liability on the field yet again. It would not be surprising if he was not with the team for its final two qualifiers in this round next month. Rating: 4.5

Jozy Altidore: The AZ forward was active when he got onto the field and showed a lot of effort for the 10 minutes he played. Unfortunately, the U.S. had taken its foot off the pedal and Altidore wasn’t able to really have an impact. Rating: 5.5

Coach

Jurgen Klinsmann: It was a mixed night for Klinsmann after not having an effective game plan on Friday. The positive is that his starting lineup was effective in possession and creativity. He also had a plan to attack from wide positions using the fullback tandem of Cherundolo and Johnson. His adjustments after the United States took the lead were not good. He brought on an ineffective Edu for Zusi, who was still playing well. He then took Williams out of central midfield and moved him onto the right wing where he has repeatedly shown to be a liability. There is no question, however, that it was an improved U.S. team and for that, Klinsmann deserves credit for addressing some serious problems from Friday. Rating: 6.5

Columbus, Ohio: I have never given a rating to a venue or a crowd, but Tuesday’s is worth noting. On Sept. 11 and with the U.S. team needing a win, Columbus put together maybe the best crowd ever for the national team. The atmosphere was electric and it clearly gave the team a boost of energy. Rating: 10

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