The United States can head into a key stretch with some added confidence.

Clint Dempsey scored twice in a five-minute span of the second half and moved into second place on the US career scoring list, helping the Americans edge a second-string Germany team, 4-3, in an exhibition game on Sunday.

Preparing for three World Cup qualifiers in a 12-day span beginning on Friday, US coach Jurgen Klinsmann watched the Americans take a 4-1 lead and hang on to beat the team he helped win the 1990 World Cup as a player and coached to the 2006 semifinals.

The match, which drew 47,359 to RFK Stadium, commemorated the 100th anniversary of the US Soccer Federation and followed a 4-2 loss on Wednesday to a first-string Belgium in Cleveland.

"The feel-good factor is amazing," US goalkeeper Tim Howard said. "The crowd was great, on the centennial anniversary. It was amazing to be a part of that game, and obviously to beat Germany was special."

Jozy Altidore put the Americans ahead in the 13th minute with his first international goal in 1 1/2 years, and the lead widened to 2-0 three minutes later on an own goal by No 4 Germany goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who misjudged a backpass.

Heiko Westermann cut the deficit for the three-time world champion Germans in the 51st, and Dempsey made it 4-1 with goals in the 60th and 65th. The Americans' defensive frailties were exposed late when Max Kruse and Julian Draxler scored their first international goals.

With 35 international goals, Dempsey moved one past Eric Wynalda on the American career list and pulled within 14 of Landon Donovan.

"You're going to look back on the career and be proud of what you've done," Dempsey said. "But at the same time ... your teammates help you. They put you in positions, and they help create chances for you, and you've just got to finish them off."

Dempsey has five goals for the US this year and 13 since Klinsmann took over as coach in July 2011.

"He has the drive. He has the hunger," Klinsmann said. "He's not satisfied today scoring two goals against Germany because he won't be satisfied if he doesn't score against Jamaica."

The Americans play on Friday at Jamaica, on June 11 against Panama in Seattle and on June 18 versus Honduras in Sandy, Utah. The US (1-1-1) is third in the six-nation final round of North and Central America and the Caribbean with four points, one behind Panama (1-0-2) and trailing Costa Rica (1-1-1) on goal difference. Honduras (1-1-1) is behind the US on goal difference, while Mexico (0-0-3) has three points and Jamaica (0-1-2) two.

(China Daily 06/04/2013 page23)