The U.S. men's national team is in must-win mode tonight as it takes on Trinidad & Tobago in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying (7pm, ESPN Classic, Telefutura).

With four teams separated by one point atop the CONCACAF standings, the Americans need to win tonight in Port of Spain in order to assure keeping pace with Honduras, Mexico and Costa Rica.

The U.S. team has yet to win a road qualifier during this cycle, but it takes on a T&T squad currently in last place in the qualifying standings, with a modest 1-1-1 home record.

I will be providing commentary throughout the evening so please feel free to follow along here, and as always, you are welcome to share your own thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action (Commentary after the jump):

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FINAL– That's all for tonight. Feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and relief in the comments section below.

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FINAL– Tim Howard deserves Man of the Match, though Ricardo Clark merits consideration for that great goal. Jonathan Bornstein gets the "Most Improved Award" for a strong showing under a lot of pressure. Trinidad intended to go after him with Tinto and Bornstein stepped up to the challenge.

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FINAL– USA improves to 5-2-1 in qualifying, good for first place (for now) with 16 points. Trinidad & Tobago is eliminated, but it has nothing to be ashamed of after a pretty solid performance today. If they play that way to close out qualifying, they very well could knock off one of the group leaders.

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FINAL- USA 1, Trinidad & Tobago 0. Americans fought hard, overcame a bad first half, and eventually did enough to beat Trinidad & Tobago with a much better second half.

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93rd Minute– Bornstein hits one at his own net but Howard is all over it.

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93rd Minute– Trinidad down to seconds.

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92nd Minute– One minute left. Here comes Trinidad. Stolen, here comes USA.

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90th Minute– Three minutes of stoppage time.

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90th Minute-Spector is hurt. No subs left.

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90th Minute– Trinidad throwing everything at the USA defense.

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88th Minute– Donovan JUST over. Great sequence nearly leads to a goal for the USA.

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87th Minute– Spector clears away (apparently he's not useless in the air).

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87th Minute– Trinidad with four forwards on the field right now. Trinidad with a corner.

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84th Minute– Jason Scotland is in the match for Noel.

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83rd Minute– Spector with some pressure that forces a Trinidad turnover. Seven minutes left.

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81st Minute– Stuart Holden is coming in for Dempsey. Some good work from Dempsey after the goal.

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80th Minute– Edwards earns a corner kick.

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79th Minute– Corner is wasted, we've got 11 minutes to go.

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78th Minute– Dempsey misses JUST wide. USA corner.

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77th Minute– Ching in for Davies. Ching will do better to get to the long balls from the back.

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76th Minute– Baptiste with a shot high.

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75th Minute– Jones with a free header right at Howard.

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74th Minute– Dempsey goes high with a shot from 16 yards out. Probably should have laid it off.

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72nd Minute– So much more work from Dempsey since the goal.

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71st Minute– Keon Daniel came in for Trinidad earlier and now Kerry Baptiste is coming in. Some attacking subs for the hosts.

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70th Minute– Nice work from Feilhaber to break up a Trinidad possession. Dempsey looks much better now playing up top.

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69th Minute– Nice sequence from the Americans. Could Trinidad be feeling the fatigue of such a strong first half?

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68th Minute– US midfield suddenly looks so much more organized and efficient.

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66th Minute– This might not be a revelation, but Jonathan Spector is pretty useless in the air, which is why people need to stop seeing him as an option in central defense.

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65th Minute– Funny to see two players in Dempsey and Clark come together on that goal sequence. With Dempsey moved up top, will we see him show that late-game energy he showed in the Confederations Cup?

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64th Minute– SAVE HOWARD! Punches away an Edwards shot from long range.

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63rd Minute– Feilhaber comes in for Altidore as the sub changes Bob Bradley's plans.

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63rd Minute– Clark with a Rocket from 30 yards out.

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62nd Minute- GOAL USA!!! RICARDO CLARK WITH A BLAST!!!!!!

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60th Minute– There we go. Benny Feilhaber and Stuart Holden coming in. I would imagine it's for Clark and Dempsey.

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58th Minute– Edwards sends the free kick high.

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57th Minute– Onyewu rushes a bad long pass, then gets whistled for a foul on Jones. That one could have been called either way. 

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57th Minute– Trinidad looks to be tiring. Could the Americans poach this one late?

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55th Minute– Solid game from Michael Bradley tonight.

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54th Minute– Dempsey tries to meg a defender, loses the ball, and here comes Trinidad.

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53rd Minute– Trinidad breaks out but Glen's attempt at a curling shot is wide.

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52nd Minute– USA with a counterattack but Altidore's pass can't quite reach Davies.

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51st Minute– Clark stripped, leads to a Trinidad counter. Getting tougher to justify leaving Clark in this match.

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49th Minute– Dempsey with some good work to track back and break up a Trinidad attack.

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47th Minute– Edwards and Bornstein collide hard. Bornstein gets the worst of that one.

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46th Minute– And we're back. No changes.

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HALFTIME– Some credit goes to T&T head coach Russell Latapy for choosing to attack the Americans on the flank with Edwards and Tinto. The US defense is struggling with their speed on the flanks, which still doesn't explain why they can't
control possession.

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HALFTIME– When was Alexi Lalas on a deserted island?

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HALFTIME– Nice commercial touting USA at the 2010 World Cup. What's worse? The fact that the add is a tad premature, or that the highlights the commercial showed look nothing likw what we saw from the Americans in the first half tonight?

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HALFTIME– Just when you thought the USA looked suspect in beating El Salvador, they sleep-walk through the first half of what is basically a must-win game. Where's the urgency? Haven't seen many signs of it. The Americans can thank Tim Howard for not trailing right now.

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HALFTIME- USA 0, Trinidad & Tobago 0. Trinidad had more of the chances, but the Americans will walk in knowing they can still win a game they could easily be trailing right now.

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45th Minute– SHOT SAVED by INCE. Donovan with a shot on goal and a kick save by Ince.

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44th Minute– Bornstein does well to stop Tinto, but Donovan gives it away on the counter.

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43rd Minute– Shot is WIDE. USA fans have gotten their hearts tested this past few days, huh?

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42nd Minute– Jones draws a foul on Onyewu, and now another dangerous free kick for Trinidad.

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39th Minute– Wow, referee Joel Aguilar just flat missed a call that would have been a USA corner kick.

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38th Minute– Bob Bradley's not known for making rash decisions, but it wouldn't shock me if a double sub was coming at halftime. The Americans need some energy.

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37th Minute– SAVE HOWARD!!!! A Diving save to stop a very good free kick from Trent Noel.

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37th Minute– Trinidad with a free kick from distance.

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35th Minute– Decent sequence from the Americans, but can't find a chance.

Bradley has been pretty steady in midfield so far.

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34th Minute– USA lucky to avoid a penalty call as a ball bounced in their area.

USA off to ANOTHER slow start. Someone get them coffee before the next game.

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33rd Minute– Glen with a header wide. He's giving Bocanegra all he can handle.

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31st Minute– Americans showing some life in attack now. That ball off the crossbar woke up the U.S. attack.

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30th Minute– WOW, Trinidad off the crossbar! Cornell Glen's chip hits the woodwork after terrible defending of a throw-in.

Altidore SHOT ON GOAL SAVED!!!

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28th Minute– Clark's not off to a good start either. He's been fortunate that Trinidad hasn't really gone after him.

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27th Minute– There is no offensive flow from the Americans so far. Dempsey and Donovan have provided little.

SAVE HOWARD! Jones with a close header. Too easy for Trinidad.

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26th Minute– There is Edwards, showing up on the right flank. Draws a foul from Bornstein.

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25th Minute– Dempsey looks sluggish so far, light passes and not much energy. Stuart Holden may be called in sooner than expected.

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23rd Minute– When will we see Feilhaber? Considering how little Trinidad is working through central midfield, I say soon.

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22nd Minute– Trinidad is using Tinto and Edwards as playmakers and they're stretching the American defense. Can Bornstein and Spector hold up under this pressure?

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21st Minute– Dempsey with another turnover, not a great start for him.

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20th Minute– Davies with a shot, but the low dribbler goes right to INce.

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18th Minute– Corners galore for the USA. Will they make one count?

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17th Minute– The Lawrence-Altidore match-up is an enticing one for the Americans because Altidore has the speed to burn the veteran T&T captain.

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16th Minute– Americans BARELY catch Trinidad offside. Putting your faith in CONCACAF linesmen/refs is never advised.

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14th Minute– Davies forces another corner.

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12th Minute– Trinidad looks dangerous at moments on the counter. Americans need to stop giving up possession so easily.

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11th Minute– Trinidad with a dangerous counter off the USA corner. Howard runs out to break up the danger.

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10th Minute– Davies comes right back to earn a corner.

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9th Minute– Davies with a bad touch, showing some rustiness early.

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8th Minute– Tinto has shown some flashes early. Bornstein  will need a stellar performance tonight. It's clear that they're going right at him.

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7th Minute– Donovan with a turnover in midfield, leads to a T&T break, but they can't put one on goal.

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5th Minute– T&T, looking to send long balls to their speedsters up top. US back-line has the experience to keep their line high and organized.

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4th Minute– Edwards is working the left flank tonight. Spector will have to deal with some serious speed on that side if Edwards stays there.

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3rd Minute– Bornstein tested early on. Does well.

Will the central midfield control this game for the USA?

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1st Minute– Glen proving to be a handful early. He's a strong and deceptively fast forward.

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1st Minute– And we're off.

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PRE-GAME– Dempsey-Samuel should be an entertaining match-up as well between two EPL fixtures.

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PRE-GAME– Can Ricardo Clark ever not stare at the camera during the anthem?

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PRE-GAME– I say it every time. What beats the American national anthem being played on steel drums?

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PRE-GAME– Fair Play ceremony before the match. Trinidad is one venue where fans are a bit more well-behaved, and the team itself isn't chippy, so Fair Play shouldn't be a problem tonight.

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PRE-GAME– It's a hot one in Trinidad tonight. Fitness will be key tonight. Can the Americans put together a strong 90 minutes? Having a fresh Onyewu and Clark should help.

The man to watch for T&T tonight is Kenwyne Jones. He's a beast up top and Onyewu-Bocanegra will have their hands full. Jones-Onyewu will be fun to watch.

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PRE-GAME– For those keeping track, T&T's centerbacks (Lawrence and Abu Bakr) are 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-4, and neither is considered that quick. Charlie Davies has to love this match-up.

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PRE-GAME– Here is Trinidad & Tobago's lineup:

————-K. Jones—–Glen——————-

Edwards——Noel——–Leon————Tinto

Samuel—–Lawrence–Abu Bakr———-Spann

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No Keon Daniel and no Jason Scotland for the Soca Warriors.

T&T look like they will go with Haydon Tinto on the right flank, with Edwards playing right back. Russell Latapy knows what kind of problems Landon Donovan can present and has loaded up that side of the field. Now will Bornstein be able to deal with Tinto, a tricky winger? Should be interesting.

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PRE-GAME– This will be a key match for Michael Bradley, who hasn't played to his usual standard in the past two matches. With Clark as his partner, you can expect Bradley to get into the attack more tonight. I think some folks have forgotten that he can score a goal or two if given the chance.

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PRE-GAME– One popular question right now is "Why not Spector at left back? He plays there for West Ham." Yes, this is true, but Spector provides no service on the left at West Ham and the way he's serving up crosses on the right I'm not sure how you move him. I really did think we'd see Chad Marshall tonight, but you can see why Bradley would want his team's spine to be Bradley and Clark in front of Onyewu and Bocanegra. Trinidad will struggle to break that down (though T&T may have more luck on the flanks).

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PRE-GAME– If Bornstein has a great game tonight and shuts down Edwards you can bet that I'll take credit for inspiring him with my "Bornstein's not the answer at left back" piece for ESPN.com. And no, I haven't changed my opinion on that one. Here's hoping he proves me wrong.

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PRE-GAME– While you can argue that the Bradley-Clark tandem spells a defensive approach to the match, I think it's safe to say we will see plenty of Spector overlapping on the right and the attacking quartet of Altidore, Davies, Dempsey and Donovan. The Donovan-Davies combination was especially intriguing in the last match. It should also be noted that Altidore has improved his first touch and passing vision quite a bit. At least that's how it looked on Saturday vs. El Salvador. Something tells me the Americans will generate chances tonight.

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PRE-GAME– Here are tonight's subs for the USA: Brad Guzan, Chad Marshall, Steve Cherundolo, Jose Francisco Torres, Benny Feilhaber, Stuart Holden and Brian Ching

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PRE-GAME– Here is the USA starting lineup

—————-Davies——–Altidore———–

Donovan——————————–Dempsey

—————–Bradley—–Clark—————

Bornstein—-Bocanegra—Onyewu—-Spector

———————–Howard——————–

The one surprise in that group is Mr. Bornstein getting the nod again. That could wind up a smart move, or a disastrous one. I thought we would see Chad Marshall in the middle, with Bocanegra at left back, or Spector at left back and Steve Cherundolo at right back, but Bradley goes with his fastest (though shakiest) fullback to deal with Trinidad's Carlos Edwards. Bornstein will need to play MUCH better than he did vs. El Salvador on Saturday, a match he looked very uncomfortable in. Something tells me Landon Donovan will look to dominate that side of the field and force Edwards to help defensively.

Charlie Davies is healthy enough to start, which should cause problems for a suspect Trinidad back-line.

Bradley and Clark get the call in central midfield. Not really a surprise, though I'm sure we'll see Benny Feilhaber and/or Jose Francisco Torres pretty quickly if the Americans are trailing at halftime.

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PRE-GAME– Reports out of Trinidad have the crowd looking like a small one. Without a packed house to contend with, the Americans have to be feeling good about this road tilt. Certainly a far cry from their previous three road qualifiers.

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PRE-GAME– What lineup would I use tonight? I'd probably go with the same eleven that beat El Salvador, with Onyewu replacing Bornstein in the lineup. I do hope we see Jose Francisco Torres more tonight.

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PRE-GAME– No, the Americans can't clinch a World Cup berth tonight. That isn't likely to happen until the final matchday. What is the best-case scenario tonight? Probably a Honduras-Mexico tie and an El Salvador upset of Costa Rica. If those results happen along with a USA win, the Americans will be feeling much better about things heading into their next qualifier in Honduras.

A worst-case scenario? A USA loss, Costa Rica win and Honduras win (because Mexico has an easier final two matches). Let's not think about this scenario.

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PRE-GAME– Kick-off is set for 7:11pm for those of you who might get to your TVs and computers late.

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PRE-GAME– Where are you watching tonight's match? Heading out to a soccer bar, or staying home for this one? Something tells me there will be a lot of nervous folks watching from their homes.

My match prediction? USA 3, Trinidad & Tobago 1.

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PRE-GAME– T&T has its own lineup questions, including which strikers will head coach Russell Latapy go with. You figure Kenwyne Jones is a lock, but will he partner with Bobby Zamora, Jason Scotland or Cornell Glen?

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PRE-GAME– We're less than an hour from finding out who the U.S. team will start tonight. Plenty of possibilities. Is Charlie Davies healthy enough to start? Will Benny Feilhaber get another start? Will Chad Marshall?

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