Clint Dempsey surpasses expectations for the U.S. men’s team.
Clint Dempsey had to be talked into taking the free kick that finished off one of his greatest nights in a U.S. men’s national team uniform.
Early in the second half of last week’s World Cup qualifier against Honduras, the U.S. had just been awarded a restart outside the penalty area. Dempsey tried to give it to Jozy Altidore. Altidore intervened.
“I wasn’t even going to take it,” Dempsey said. “Jozy was like, ‘Take it!’ I was like, ‘You know what? What do I have to lose?’ ”
Simply by being written into the starting XI, Dempsey was playing with house money. With his performance Friday night, he raised the stakes.
Coach Bruce Arena said in late January that “it would not be realistic” for Dempsey to participate in March qualifying games, which continue Tuesday night against Panama in Panama City. If anyone can surpass expectations, however, it is Dempsey.
The team’s No. 2 all-time leading scorer had been sidelined since August with an irregular heartbeat. He tried to come back in the fall, but doctors quickly determined it was too early.
Shortly before the MLS season began, he was cleared to begin full training with Seattle Sounders FC. As the preseason wore on, it looked like he was capable of more. Eventually, he made headlines by starting for Seattle in the season opener against the Dynamo.
Dempsey even scored that night while playing all 90 minutes.
Arena said his opinion of Dempsey’s availability changed as he watched each of his three games with Seattle.
“It was impressive the way he kept improving,” Arena said. “In checking with his fitness coaches there, we knew he could play. He played late Sunday afternoon in Seattle. He comes in late Sunday night (to U.S. team training camp in San Jose, Calif.). Monday, he does a little bit of training, and he feels good. It was remarkable. I said, ‘He’s gotta play.’ ”
Dempsey scored his first goal in the 32nd minute on a play seemingly only he could have pulled off. He chested down a pass from Christian Pulisic in the penalty area and had a defender pulling him down. As Dempsey fell, he stretched out his right leg to hit a shot past the goalkeeper.
He scored again in the 49th minute when he ran onto a through ball from Pulisic and then touched it around the charging goalkeeper before finishing into the empty net.
Five minutes later, Dempsey scored on the free kick from 24 yards away to bring his all-time U.S. men’s team goal total to 55, two behind Landon Donovan’s mark.
Dempsey said he has no plans to celebrate any records he sets. Rather, he cares most about helping the U.S. climb out of its hole in the Hexagonal so it can qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Being back on that stage would be significant for Dempsey, considering how far he has come in six months. While undergoing two procedures for his heart condition, he was not sure he would play again.
Now that he is back, it looks like nothing ever changed.
“You don’t know how things are going to work — if you’re going to come back for Seattle and if you’re going to do well enough to get called back into the U.S. team,” Dempsey said. “You want to be in the games and still can make an impact. There are moments when you’re sitting at home and you’re praying and hoping things will work out. I am blessed I can keep going.”