on because Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman were so effective running the ball, combining for 119 yards and a 4.4-yard average.Denvers

WASHINGTON -- 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 U.S. career scoring list, helping the Americans edge a second-string Germany team 4-3 in an exhibition game Sunday. Preparing for three World Cup qualifiers in a 12-day span beginning Friday, U.S. 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 year of the U.S. Soccer Federation and followed a 4-2 loss Wednesday to a first-string Belgium in Cleveland. "The feel-good factor is amazing," U.S. 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 lead 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. 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. "Youre going to look back on the career and be proud of what youve 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 youve just got to finish them off." Dempsey has five goals for the U.S. this year and 13 since Klinsmann took over as coach in July 2011. "He has the drive. He has the hunger," Klinsmann said. "Hes not satisfied today scoring two goals against Germany because he wont be satisfied if he doesnt score against Jamaica." The Americans play Friday at Jamaica, June 11 against Panama at Seattle, and June 18 versus Honduras at Sandy, Utah. The U.S. (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 U.S. on goal difference, while Mexico (0-0-3) has three points and Jamaica (0-1-2) two. The top three nations qualify for next years tournament in Brazil, and the No. 4 team faces Oceania champion New Zealand in a home-and-home playoff for another berth. "Now the road gets long," Howard said. "Morale, motivation, feel-good factor, thats going to play a huge role, and I dont think it can be understated. Because going down to Jamaica is not going to be easy." While the U.S. improved to 3-6 against Germany by beating Die Mannschaft for the first time since 1999, the Germans used just one player who started in their last World Cup qualifier, against Kazakhstan in March. Germany was missing its contingent from Champions League finalists Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, and from Real Madrid, which finished its season Saturday. Klinsmann made four changes to his starting lineup, inserting right back Brad Evans, central defender Matt Besler and midfielders Michael Bradley and Fabian Johnson. Right back Geoff Cameron was dropped along with central defender Clarence Goodson, and midfielders Sacha Kljestan and Brad Davis. Johnson, a German-American starting in midfield instead of at left back, was limping and was replaced by Davis for the second when the second half began. Dempseys run led to the first goal, when he made a crossfield pass to Graham Zusi, who one-timed a cross to Altidore. He moved away from defender Per Mertesacker and sent in a right-footed volley from 8 yards. The 23-year-old Altidore, who set a record for Americans in Europe by scoring 31 goals this season for the Netherlands AZ Alkmaar, got his 14th international goal and first from the run of play since June 14, 2011, against Guadeloupe. His only goal since Klinsmann took over had been a penalty kick at Slovenia on Nov. 15, 2011. "This is a maturing process, and it will continue," Klinsmann said. "Hes still young -- we often forget how young Jozy actually is because hes been around so long already." With the Americans pressuring high following a goal kick, Benedikt Hoewedes played a backpass to ter Stegen, who allowed the ball to roll off his right foot and into the net. Westermann scored his fourth international goal when he peeled off Omar Gonzalez for an open 7-yard header on Kruses corner kick. Dempsey restored the two-goal lead after Jermaine Jones played a long ball to Altidore, who collected it and sent a one-hop pass across the field. Dempsey connected with a right-footed shot from about 10 yards. Five minutes later, Dempsey took advantage of Lukas Podolskis failure to close down his space and scored on a bending, 24-yard left-footed shot. Unpressured by Gonzalez and Besler, Kruse beat Howard from 20 yards. Draxler scored after Howard sprawled to his right and parried Sidney Sams long-range shot into his path. "Toward the end we kind of hit a wall," Gonzalez said. "We stopped possessing the ball, and thats when Germany just came at us." NOTES: The U.S. will play Guatemala in an exhibition at San Diego on July 5 ahead of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. ... Roberto Moreno of Panama will referee Fridays World Cup qualifier in Jamaica. Roberto Garcia of Mexico is the referee for the June 11 game and Enrico Wijngaarde of Suriname for the June 18 match. ... 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DENVER -- Quarterback Matt Ryan and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan have plenty more in the vault than just superstar receiver Julio Jones -- and maybe theres a lot more to these Atlanta Falcons than just some early season feasting on the NFLs defensive dregs.The Falcons deciphered Denvers dazzling defense and wrecked Paxton Lynchs first NFL start with a 23-16 win over the Broncos on Sunday, snapping the Super Bowl champs nine-game winning streak with a dominant and perhaps prescient performance.They did it without coming close to the numbers that Ryan and Jones put up last week when they became the first duo in league history to sport a 500-yard passer and a 300-yard receiver in the same game.A week after setting a franchise record with 503 yards passing in a runaway win over Super Bowl 50s other participant, the Carolina Panthers, Ryan threw for 267 yards Sunday and only two of those (covering 29 yards) went to Jones.Today, they came out and doubled me. They took me away and they were like, `All right, youre not going to beat us today, said Jones, adding he welcomed such attention because everybody else is going to step up.That, they did.Using a steady diet of I-formation runs and short passes that put Denvers linebackers in coverage, the Falcons (4-1) handed the Super Bowl champs their first loss since Dec. 20 at Pittsburgh and left the Minnesota Vikings (5-0) as the NFLs last unbeaten team.The Broncos (4-1) were on their heels having to respect the play-action because Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman were so effective running the ball, combining for 119 yards and a 4.4-yard average.Denvers No Fly Zone defense was unimpressed with Jones becoming the sixth 300-yard receiver in NFL history. They dismissed that performance as a bad day by the Panthers, and they stifled Jones all afternoon in Denver.Not that it mattered.Coleman, who played despite having sickle cell trait, which can sometimes be exacerbated at altitude, showed off his breakaway speed by catching four passes for 132 yards to go with his 31 yards on six carries. He caught a 31-yard touchdown pass following Ricardo Allens interception at the Denver 42 in the third quarter that made it 20-3.That sequence sent some flustered fans streaming for the exits as the Falcons finished off the Broncos, who hadnt lost at home since Dec. 13 against Oakland.The Broncos dont have much time to digest the loss. TThey play at San Diego on Thursday night, and their hope is that Trevor Siemians bruised left shoulder is healed by then.ddddddddddddLynch, the 26th overall pick out of Memphis last April, got the starting nod because Siemians bruised A.C. joint in his non-throwing shoulder was still bothering him a week after he was flung to the turf in Tampa.We just didnt think he was ready, Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said before he was taken via ambulance to a hospital because of flu-like symptoms.Actually, it was Lynch who showed he wasnt ready Sunday.He completed 23 of 35 passes for 223 yards with a late TD to Demaryius Thomas and an interception. He was sacked a half-dozen times, including 3 1/2 times by outside linebacker Vic Beasley, who burned right tackle Ty Sambrailo on three of those takedowns.Lynchs footwork was a mess and his overthrows and misfires ruined any chance the Broncos had of capitalizing on the leagues 30th ranked defense, including the NFLs next-to-last pass defense and a patchwork linebacker corps .Im upset obviously because we lost but Im happy I got the first one under my belt, Lynch said. If I get put in this situation again, Ill play better.PROTECTION PROBLEMS: It didnt help Denver that right tackle Donald Stephenson (calf) was deactivated for a third straight week. Ty Sambrailo was repeatedly burned by Beasley before the Broncos moved right guard Michael Schofield over and inserted Darrion Weems.GROUNDED GROUND GAME: The Broncos ground game has ground to a near standstill ever since Stephenson and tight end Virgil Green pulled calf muscles in Week 2. After averaging 141 yards and 4.7 yards a carry in their first two games, the Broncos nosedived to 75 yards and 2.8 yards a carry in their last three games.MILLER TIME: Even in defeat, Von Miller got to the quarterback. He recorded a sack and now has 6 1/2 on the season.LAST GASP: Brandon McManus kicked a 45-yard field goal with 14 seconds left to get the Broncos within a touchdown but his onside kick was smothered by Falcons tight end Levine Toilolo, and Ryan took a knee in victory formation.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton ' ' '