Ricardo Clark © Action Images

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The United States have 16 points to top the Concacaf region with two games left: October 10 at Honduras and October 14 against Costa Rica at Washington, D.C. Trinidad have five points and cannot qualify.

The top three teams in the six-nation group qualify for next year's tournament in South Africa. The No. 4 team advances to a playoff against South America's fifth-place finisher.

"It's huge. It's huge. It gives a little bit of space when things are getting tight in our group," Clark said. "We knew we had to come out in this game and get a win."

Clark had a special fan in the stands - his father, Lance, who was born in Trinidad.

"It was special to score a goal while he was watching," Clark said. "I just let it rip and I hit it on frame and it went in."

US coach Bob Bradley suggested his team's fitness paid off in the second half when the game opened up.

"This was a very important three points," Bradley said. "I felt that it was well earned because it was a difficult game. We spoke at halftime and we understood what kind of a game we were in. We raised the level in the second half."

Trinidad had the better scoring chances in a wide-open first half, though the United States also could have broken through on shots by Jozy Altidore and Landon Donovan.

Trinidad's Kenwyne Jones had an early chance in the 27th on a close-in header that US keeper Tim Howard scrambled to save. Two minutes later Trinidad's Cornell Glen lobbed a ball over Howard that hit the crossbar and bounded away.

"The sound of crossbar is the best sound in the world - I'm telling you," said Howard, who called it a "turning point" in the match.

The US had their best early chance in the 31st when Altidore drove a long shot straight into the chest of Ince.

Trinidad threatened again in the 38th on a 30-meter (yard) free kick from Trent Noel that Howard dived to save. Noel drove a nearly identical free kick just wide four minutes later.

Seconds into injury time, Donovan slipped through the defense off a pass from Altidore but shot into Ince's legs from 8 meters (yards).

Neither team made changes starting the second half with both teams hoping to score on counterattacks.

Clark's goal in the 62nd prompted US coach Bob Bradley to pull striker Altidore in the 63rd for another midfielder - Benny Feilhaber. Bradley was also getting ready to replace Clark with Stuart Holden.

"I had a feeling that it was going to be me," Clark said.

Midfielder Landon Donovan warned that the next match at Honduras will be critical.

"Honduras in Honduras is going to be a very different story than tonight," he said.

Lineups:

United States: Tim Howard; Jonathan Spector, Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Bocanegra, Jonathan Bornstein, Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark, Clint Dempsey (Stuart Holden, 81) Landon Donovan, Charlie Davies (Brian Ching, 76), Jozy Altidore (Benny Feilhaber, 63).

Trinidad and Tobago: Clayton Ince; Radanfa Abu Bakr, Dennis Lawrence, Jlloyd Samuel, Silvio Spann (Kerry Baptiste, 72), Trent Noel (Jason Scotland, 84), Clyde Leon, Carlos Edwards, Hayden Tinto (Keon Daniel 66), Cornell Glen, Kenwyne Jones.

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