USMNT: Why Clint Dempsey’s Move Is Good for US Soccer

At first blush, Clint Dempsey's record MLS transfer from the EPL may seem like a nasty blow to American pride. Our biggest European football star called it quits on his European career. Of course, this follows the three most productive years of Dempsey's career. Three years that were anything but smooth sailing professionally but unarguably the three years that will define Dempsey's legacy—unless the gambit pays off and Dempsey plays a glorious swan song on the world's biggest football stage, the World Cup. We are sure to hear from Dempsey himself in the coming days, but for now we are left speculating why Dempsey would leave European football now.  His club situation is a mess, no doubt, but one would have to figure that if Gareth Bale leaves Tottenham Hotspur that Dempsey would have been a valuable talent for Andre Villas-Boas to call on. Why isn't Dempsey tempted by the challenge of helping fill Bale's size 11 Adidas? Even if White Hart Lane was a rotten place to continue his career, why not choose another European club?   Because he is more tempted by World Cup glory. And who can blame him? Since the 2010 World Cup, Dempsey made an average of 43.7 club appearances per year. Over that same time ...

Seattle Sound Jubilant Note as USMNT Captain Clint Dempsey Is Unveiled

The Seattle Sounders rolled out the red carpet in style to welcome new signing Clint Dempsey to the club. The United States captain has joined the Major League Soccer side after leaving Tottenham Hotspur following just one season with the North London club. But if the forward was in any doubt about his move to Seattle, the welcome afforded to the player by the club and almost 40,000 supporters inside CenturyLink Field will have assuaged his thoughts. The 30-year-old has cost Seattle a fee of around £6 million, according to BBC Sport, which is the same figure Spurs paid Fulham for his services just before the 2012 summer transfer window closed. Dempsey scored 12 goals in 43 appearances for Tottenham last season, but his first-team opportunities would have been limited this year following the arrival of Roberto Soldado from Valencia. Dempsey left the New England Revolution in January 2007 to join Fulham in the Premier League, and he went on to score 50 times in 84 league appearances for the Craven Cottage club. The forward was linked strongly with Liverpool and Aston Villa last summer before Andre Villas-Boas made him one of his first signings as White Hart Lane manager. Dempsey, who was born in Nacogdoches, Texas, will now link ...

Clint Dempsey Will Help Lead Seattle Sounders to Major League Soccer Playoffs

The Seattle Sounders will need to play very well in the coming weeks in order to make the postseason, and the addition of Clint Dempsey will certainly help the team's chances of finishing in at least fifth place in the Western Conference. Tottenham Hotspur announced Friday that it had reached an agreement to transfer Dempsey to Major League Soccer, per the official Twitter account for the club. Doug McIntyre of ESPNFC reports that the Texas native will be playing for the Sounders. The official Twitter account for Major League Soccer welcomed the star back: Dempsey played in MLS from 2004 through 2006 for the New England Revolution and was very successful. He scored 25 goals in 71 appearances with New England. He then went to play in England, spending the last five years between Fulham and Tottenham. In the Premier League, Dempsey scored 57 goals in 212 appearances. The American is most known in the United States for his play with the U.S. Men's National Team. He is second in goals in the team's history with 35 in 99 matches, according to USSoccer.com. He's been an impact player no matter which club he's on the pitch for, and that's likely one of the things Seattle ...

LA Galaxy vs. Juventus: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and More

Both the Los Angeles Galaxy and Juventus lost in the opening round of the International Champions Cup. The losses ended their hopes of winning the title and sent them into the consolation bracket for the remaining matches. The Galaxy actually trailed Real Madrid by just one inside the last 20 minutes before Karim Benzema scored to put the match out of reach. It was a showing worthy of praise from the event's only American club, but they simply didn't have the pieces necessary to pull off the upset. Juventus' loss to Everton came as a surprise due to the Italian squad's success last season. While they were able to equalize late in the match, they couldn't survive penalty kicks as the Toffees punched their ticket to the semifinals. All that said, it should be an entertaining encounter between two defending champions. Let's examine the key information for the clash, followed by a preview and match prediction.   Where: Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. When: Saturday, Aug. 3 at 10:30 p.m. ET (3:30 a.m. BT) Watch: Fox Soccer Channel Live Stream: Fox Soccer 2Go   Preview What made the Galaxy's performance against Real Madrid impressive was the fact they were able to keep it close despite Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane and ...

Clint Dempsey Will Join MLS’ Seattle Sounders

American soccer star Clint Dempsey is reportedly set to make a return to the United States this summer as his current club, Tottenham Hotspur, is finalizing a deal with Major League Soccer's Seattle Sounders, according to ESPNFC's Doug McIntyre. UPDATE: Saturday, August 3, at 12:20 p.m. ET by Sam Westmoreland From Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated:  ---End of Update--- UPDATE: Friday, August 2, at 8:50 p.m. ET by Ian Hanford From Pro Soccer Talk's Richard Farley: Multiple sources within Major League Soccer have informed NBC Sports’ ProSoccerTalk that Tottenham Hotspur will receive a $9 million transfer fee for the U.S. captain’s services – roughly 95 percent of the £6 million Spurs reportedly paid for Dempsey last summer.  To complete the unexpected move, Seattle have guaranteed the 30-year-old attacker $32 million over the next four seasons, making him one of the most expensive players in league history. The $9 million transfer fee will also be the highest paid in league history and the second major purchase made by the Sounders this summer. ---End of update---   UPDATE: Friday, August 2, at 8:22 p.m. ET by Ian Hanford From Ives Galarcep: ---End of update---   Original Text NBC's Pro Soccer Talk also reported that the U.S. international is bound for Seattle and would be formally introduced on ...

Is MLS Making Legitimate Progress as a League or Is It Just Treading Water?

David Beckham arrived in 2007 with the ambition to transform MLS into a prominent league. The Englishman's time in the states has come and gone but the question remains—is MLS making progress or remaining the same? While it may never boast the likes of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, realistic expectations of what MLS can become range greatly. After nearly two decades of play, it is easy to see where the league has made strides and where it has come up short. Following Beckham's arrival, the league announced expansion teams that began play in San Jose (2008), Seattle (2009), Philadelphia (2010), Vancouver and Portland (2011), and Montreal (2012), increasing the total number of teams to 19. Each location was purposeful. The Pacific Northwest, a previously untapped market, exploded into a hotbed of MLS rivalries. Their supporters capture a passion rarely found in American professional sports. Soccer-specific stadiums—a key component to fan experience—have sprung up across the country. Kansas City, Houston, Philadelphia and New Jersey all operate impressive new stadiums, while renovations transformed Montreal, Portland and Vancouver into improved venues for the game. The league's regular season attendance average increased from a stagnant 15,504 in 2006 to 17,872 in 2011 and a record 18,807 last season. ...

MLS Expansion 2013: Proposed New Clubs Risk Spreading U.S. Soccer Too Thin

Major League Soccer's proposed expansion by four teams in 2020 puts a lot of faith in the brand of the sport in the USA, but it's a substantial risk that could spread the league too thin. The best, most entertaining football America has to offer is battled out on the NFL gridiron, while the MLS takes a backseat in terms of major sports popularity. Regardless, commissioner Don Garber decided to announce at halftime of the recent All-Star Game that the league would expand by four teams in the coming years, per The Washington Post's Steven Goff: That game showcased the gap between U.S. soccer and others, as many of the MLS' best players were beaten comfortably 3-1 in a match against AS Roma, who finished sixth in Italy's Serie A. In order for the MLS to eventually approach the interest soccer has in the rest of the world as the planet's most beloved sport, the quality of the game needs to be the primary focus, rather than the number of teams. While bringing soccer to new U.S. markets could be a catalyst for enhancing its profile across the country, it's important that the game is being played at a high level in those instances. Given ...

MLS All-Stars vs. Roma: Most Impressive Performances in Exhibition Match

The best players in the MLS were no match for a middling Serie A squad, as Roma defeated the MLS All-Stars 3-1 Wednesday. In the match, the Italian club showcased more cohesion, which is not surprising considering the host squad was full of players who had rarely played together, if at all. There was also a great deal of skill from the winners that could not be matched. Still, there were impressive showings from both sides in this one, highlighted by the following players' performances.   Kevin Strootman, Roma After coming over from PSV Eindhoven in Holland, Kevin Strootman is expected to make a big impact for Roma this season. If he plays like he did against the MLS All-Stars, his new club will be very happy. The 23-year-old midfielder needed just four minutes to score the opening goal in the match and was able to make a consistent impact throughout the 90 minutes. He also showcased his passing ability with an assist on a second-half goal. Strootman is generally known for his defensive ability as a sure tackler who can stop opposing attacks, but he proved in this one that he could be a big help on the offensive end as well. As he continues to improve, he ...

MLS Expansion: Why It’s the Right Time to Add More Teams

At halftime of an otherwise unmemorable Major League Soccer All-Star Game on Wednesday night in Kansas City, MLS commissioner Don Garber announced the league's plans to add four more teams by 2020. Considering the league's recent gains on and off the pitch, this was the right move at the right time, with caveats. Together with New York City FC, which is set to begin play in 2015, the four new franchises will bring the league's total to 24. MLSSoccer.com reports: The league had previously held to the idea that a 20-team league was the sweet spot for the foreseeable future. MLS has added 10 clubs since the beginning of the 2005 season, and the recent addition of New York City FC—who begin play in 2015—will bring the league to 20. “These expansion clubs have brought new ideas that have contributed to our strategy for growing the league and the addition of new markets has expanded our geographic reach while increasing our fan base,” Garber said in a league press release. As the report indicates, Garber's announcement comes in the latter stages of an expansion boom for MLS. Besides the 10 new teams that have joined since 2005, the league has also benefited from the ...

MLS Week 23: Complete Schedule and 5 Things to Watch for This Weekend

Returning players will highlight the MLS Week 23 action. For some, the road back extended way beyond the rigors of a simple Gold Cup celebration. The MLS All-Stars were toppled 3-1 by AS Roma at Sporting Park Wednesday night. A goal from Omar Gonzalez—one of the worst rappers in recent memory—kept the All-Stars from being shut out in the first minute of stoppage time. Nine MLS matches will follow this weekend. But with so much action on tap, what warrants your attention? Read on to find out.   Note: Unless otherwise mentioned, credit all statistics to the official MLS Press Box Stats and Standings.Begin Slideshow