Better second time around
Reds know what’s in store with Dempsey at full strength for rematch with Sounders
As Toronto FC players were asked about the difference between the Seattle Sounders team that beat them in last year’s MLS Cup final and the squad they will face in Saturday’s rematch at BMO Field, one name was mentioned often: Clint Dempsey.
The 34-year-old forward’s 2016 season ended prematurely when he was shut down in late August because of an irregular heartbeat. He returned this year after a pair of surgical procedures and scored a team-high 12 goals, plus three so far in the post-season.
“Clint’s been in all the big matches,” Reds defender Justin Morrow says of the former U.S. national team captain. “He’s experienced a lot in his career and he has tons of skill and talent to go with it, so he can hurt you at any moment.”
That lethal touch on the attack is something TFC will have to pay keen attention to, adds Reds midfielder Michael Bradley.
“Clint enters into the equation in a big way, in terms of his ability to make goals and set up goals, to turn plays that seem like nothing into danger,” says the American-born TFC captain, who has long played alongside Dempsey internationally.
Offence was something the Sounders lacked in last year’s final, which they won in a penalty shootout after120 minutes of scoreless open play in which the visitors failed to put a shot on target — a Major League Soccer first.
Having to watch that final from the sidelines was tough for Dempsey, who recalled getting more and more nervous as the game progressed. He had the chance to celebrate on the field post-game, as blue and green confetti littered BMO Field, but it wasn’t the same without hav- ing played.
“Happy to be back playing again and have an opportunity to battle in the game,” he said this week.
In pre-season action this year, Dempsey started to feel like his old self, confident that the heart problem was behind him.
The more he played, the better the veteran of eight MLS campaigns — bookending a stint in the English Premier League — felt about his chances of extending his career.
“You do appreciate it a little bit more, but I’ve kind of been someone who has always never really taken much for granted,” Dempsey said. “I’ve always been racing against time. I feel like I started a little bit later than some of my peers, but happy with what I’ve been able to accomplish and there’s more work to be done.” Dempsey and Toronto’s Drew Moor played together at Furman University. When Moor went through a heart scare of his own this season, Dempsey was there to help — sharing what he knew about treatments and the recovery process.
“We had a good conversation,” Dempsey told The Canadian Press. “I told him what my experience was and just let him make his own decisions on what he wanted to do. It’s good to see him back out on the field.
“It’s always scary to have any type of heart issue, but I was glad that we were able to talk about it and maybe make his decision a little bit easier.”
While Dempsey couldn’t play the second half of last season, Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said he had a hand in their playoff run nonetheless — supporting his teammates despite his personal battle. “I thought he took adversity and he dealt with in a professional way,” said Schmetzer, who calls Dempsey’s comeback a “magnificent achievement.”
“We can never understand exactly all of the things that he had to go through to get himself back on the field.”
Dempsey remains tenacious inside the box with a scorer’s touch plus an eye for the pass, while leading by example — the same player he has always been, the coach added.
After working so hard overcome his heart problem and with no guarantee that he will have another chance to play in an MLS Cup final, Dempsey is taking Saturday’s shot at backto-back titles very, very seriously.
“He is absolutely hungry to get out on the field and to make a contribution to the team, to help the team win,” Schmetzer said. “So, in that sense I think you will see vintage Clint Dempsey — a very motivated, very deadly goal scorer when he’s motivated.”