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Dempsey, Johannsson charged with fueling USA Gold Cup success

With Jozy Altidore no longer in the team, Jurgen Klinsmann has turned to a new pairing to lead the line.

ATLANTA -- It took about a half-hour to see why Aron Johannsson stepped into the starting lineup to partner Clint Dempsey in CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal victory over Cuba on Saturday.

United States coach Jurgen Klinsmann made the bold decision to release Jozy Altidore from his roster last week and thrust Johannsson into a prominent role for the remainder of the tournament. The swap -- focused on the usual responsibilities, if not the direct roles after Chris Wondolowski and Gyasi Zardes started at forward in the final Group A match against Panama -- exchanged established production for largely untapped potential.