HAVANA — Clint Dempsey scored late in the second half and the United States held on to beat Cuba 1-0 in a sloppy and low-energy World Cup qualifier Saturday night, their first match on the communist-run island since 1947.

Half of the lights at rain-soaked Pedro Marrero Stadium went out in the 86th minute, causing a brief delay before the final minutes, when which Cuba nearly tied it after a free kick.

But the U.S. held on in the gloom to win its third straight road qualifier and take the lead in Group One of the semifinals in the North and Central American and Caribbean region

In the 39th minute, Oguchi Onyewu sent a pass into the box from midfield and Dempsey jumped up with two Cuban defenders, one of whom mistakenly headed the ball straight to Brian Ching.

Ching, a Kamehameha alum from Hale'iwa, held off a defender and dropped the ball to Dempsey, who was all but unmarked when he netted from 12 yards out.

A thunderstorm soaked the field two hours before kickoff, making for swampy field conditions. Footing and ball control was difficult for both teams.

The U.S. embargo meant there were almost no Americans in the stands, though a few officials from the U.S. Interests Section, which Washington maintains in Havana instead of an embassy, organized a special trip to the game. A few brave souls even came with faces obscured by sunglasses and bandannas patterned like the American flag to prevent retribution from the U.S. government.

Cuba began the second half with a flurry of chances but failed to put a shot on goal until the 56th minute, when Pedro Silvio fed substitute Aliani Cervantes on the left side for an unmarked hard shot that U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard had to dive to stop.

The U.S. controlled the ball well after that, slowing down the tempo and keeping the Cubans off-balance on offense just enough to make their lead last.

In the 88th minute, Howard had to make a diving save to his left when a free kick got loose and squirted toward the net.

Soccer has almost no following on this baseball-crazy island, but the political overtones of a home game with the Americans piqued interest. Pedro Marrero's official capacity is around 20,000, though only about 8,000 were on hand and officials didn't open large swaths of seating.

The venue is nearly 80 years old and plagued by poor lighting and a crumbling grandstand roof that officials were still scrambling to repair hours before Saturday night's game began.

The field lights went out completely during warmups and then some went out again in the 86th minute, shrouding half the field in darkness. Officials stopped play briefly, then ordered it to continue.

The stadium announcer mistakenly introduced starting U.S. midfielder Maurice Edu as American star Freddy Adu who was not with the team for this trip.

Fans booed when the Americans took the field, then screamed long and loud from the start of the contest, chanting "cu-cu-cu-Cuba!" A small section banged a drum and danced for long stretches, a practice common throughout the Caribbean and often seen during baseball games here.

Tickets cost just 1 peso, a bit more than 4 American pennies, and many students and young communist groups got in without even paying that, bused in for extra support by the government.

In that 1947 contest, a friendly in Havana, the United States fell to Cuba 5-2. But they have not lost since, now improving to 6-0-1 against the Cubans.

The United States, ranked 28th in the world, is trying to earn a spot in its sixth straight World Cup. Cuba is tied for 92nd and has not played in a World Cup since 1938.

The top two teams in the group that also contains Trinidad and Tobago and Guatemala will advance to the six-team finals. Three teams qualify for the 2010 World Cup, and the No. 4 team meets the fifth-place nation in South America for another berth.

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Lineups:

Cuba: Reysander Fernandez, Jeniel Marquez, Silvio Pedro, Carlos Francisco, Jaime Colome (Pedro Faife, 51st minute), Jorge Clavelo, Jensee Munoz (Alian Cervantes, 46th minute), Luis Villegas, Hebiel Cordoves, Roberto Linares (Leonel Duarte 66th minute), Odelin Molina

United States: DaMarcus Beasley, Carlos Bocanegra, Michael Bradley, Steve Cherundolo, Brian Ching, Clint Dempsey (Sacha Kljestan, 76th minute), Landon Donovan, Maurice Edu, Frankie Hejduk, Oguchi Onyewu, Michael Orozco, Heath Pearce, Tim Howard.