Player Ratings: Mexico (0) vs. U.S. (0) Who says scoreless ties are bad for soccer? The one played by the United States and Mexico on Tuesday night in Mexico City was as good as they come. Intense. Contentious. Suspenseful. Thrilling. The Americans will view the tie as a win. The Mexicans will look back at the draw - their third in a row to open the final round of qualifying - and only see it as more points lost. Take a look at Jeré Longman's report from the Azteca here. To pay tribute to an effort that left some speechless, we offer one-word player ratings - supplemented, of course, with praise and criticism as needed. Final Score: Mexico 0, United States 0 Starters Brad Guzan: Clean Two games and two clean sheets for the Aston Villa keeper. Can't ask for more, yet he still delivered: sure-handed, assertive and even a bit physical (ask Jesus Zavala about that). Klinsmann has always said he wants competition for every position. Never really thought Tim Howard's place was one of those up for grabs. Grade: 7, with a one-point bonus for second straight shutout. Geoff Cameron: Solid Did his job after some heavy pressure early, especially after Graham Zusi started to double back and provide some needed help. Timmy Chandler still has more upside at right back; maybe having Cameron pushing him might draw some more of it out. Grade: 5.5 Omar Gonzalez: Commanding A foot in the right place, over and over. A clearing header on what seemed like every ball lofted into Guzan's area. A (comparatively) veteran effort leading a young defense. A coming-out performance in a job he may hold for the next decade. Grade: 8 Matt Besler: Surprising Few expected Besler to start, and many expected the worst when he picked up a silly yellow card before 20 minutes were gone. One got the sense early that Besler was a bit timid, a step slow and unsure of himself - doing just what he was told but not leading. But Gonzalez did enough for both of them, and Besler found his footing and helped him keep a meticulous high line that flummoxed the Mexicans - a welcome surprise for a pairing that had only a January camp and a few days of practice in March to get to know each other. Grade: 6, with half-point deduction for the yellow. DaMarcus Beasley: Gritty If the Costa Rica game was an exhibition of Beasley's versatility - playing out of position but still getting forward - the Mexico game was all heart. When he was shoved, he shoved back. When he was caught out, he hustled. He was knocked down and stepped on and tested in every way. But he never gave in. Grade: 5.5, with the same deduction as Besler. Maurice Edu: Fortunate As in fortunate to have finished the game on the field after his ankle-chopping clearout of Javier Aquino in the penalty area in the 76th minute. Inserted into the destroyer role usually filled by Jermaine Jones, Edu - by allowing the Mexicans so much space to work in the midfield - made you long for the in-your-face omnipresence of the player he was replacing. Michael Bradley: Disciplined Bradley was Bradley again: cool and confident, dangerous coming forward and always in the right spot in his own end. He might have had the Americans" best chance, bursting into the area after a neat exchange of quick passes in the first half, but a defender arrived just in time to break it up. Unflappable is another good word for Bradley most nights; Tuesday was no exception. Graham Zusi: Indispensible With two plays alone - his backtracking tackle deep down left wing on Andres Guardado in the first half and his 30-yard run to nick an open header off the head of Angel Reyna in the 72nd - Zusi made a case for man of the match honors. Because those two moments might have saved the game, we can overlook the fact that he was nearly caught out of position on both of them. Grade: 5 Clint Dempsey: Absent What was your favorite play by Dempsey on Tuesday night? Struggling to think of one? So is everyone else. Sometimes he has nights like that. Herculez Gomez: Tireless He offered little going forward but provided vital help to Beasley after his early yellow card. Finding a way to contribute defensively when his primary task - attacking - didn't materialize showed a spirit and teamwork that should be applauded. Forward Jozy Altidore: Lonely There's not a lot to do as a forward when the opponent is tormenting your back four, outshooting your side by 17-1. Altidore won points for some good hold-up play, some nifty footwork and the pass that sprung Bradley on his great chance, but lost some for letting his emotions - in the form of gestures and body language - get the better of him before his early exit. Substitutes Eddie Johnson: Negligible He replaced Altidore in the 55th minute but offered little more than a fresh set of legs. Brad Davis: Invisible I know he came on in the 71st minute, because I saw it happen. Never saw him again after that, except for when he picked up a yellow while surrendering a dangerous free kick in stoppage time. Grade: Meh Brek Shea: Late A Klinsmann favorite, he was sent on with about 10 minutes to try to win a few headers in his own box. A blond-haired victory cigar, even if it was only a tie. Jurgen Klinsmann: Secure Secure in his opinions. Secure in his choices. Secure - once again - in his locker room. And now secure - without question - in his job. He'll be the U.S. coach when next year's World Cup rolls around. After grabbing four of a possible six points with a makeshift roster in the past five days, and with four home games in the remaining seven qualifiers, it now looks as if he'll have a team to coach in Brazil. Grade 7.5 How did you rate the performance of the U.S. players in Tuesday's game? Share your comments below.