Why Dempsey has surpassed Donovan
By Doug McIntyre
ESPN INSIDER
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The argument is over. The incumbent has conceded. On Wednesday, what many U.S. fans already believed became official: Clint Dempsey has surpassed Landon Donovan as King of American Soccer.
If there were any lingering doubts, Donovan himself dispelled them in front of a quartet of national media outlets during a rare, 30-minute conversation during which the national team's all-time leading scorer and longtime leading man essentially passed the baton to Dempsey on the eve of the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign.
"Everybody talks about who's better, Clint or Landon," Donovan told the group. "I'm happier probably than anybody when he's succeeding … he still has that crazy hunger to succeed."
No doubt about that. With 23 goals in all competitions for Fulham this past season, including 17 in the English Premier League, Dempsey is coming off the greatest season an American has had overseas, and he'll be the focal point for the U.S. attack as the long road to Brazil 2014 begins. And while Donovan, at 30, concedes he's now on the downslope of his own stellar career (props to SI.com's Grant Wahl for winning the transcribing race), Dempsey is convinced his best days are ahead of him.
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"I just keep pushing to be better, to better myself, no matter who I'm playing for, whether it's for my club or country," Dempsey told Insider in a one-on-one interview at the team hotel. "You want to make the most of the time you have left in your career."
At 29, Dempsey is right in his prime. His name has been linked to a host of top-end Champions League mainstays -- Arsenal, Chelsea, AC Milan -- over the last 12 months, and with less than a year remaining on a Fulham contract he has no intention of extending, the odds of him transferring to one of Europe's elite clubs this summer are high.
In the meantime, Dempsey is looking forward to getting back on the field for the U.S. for the first time since his goal beat Italy in Genoa in February, and to playing the role his has under Jurgen Klinsmann so far.
"I enjoy playing withdrawn forward with the national team," said Dempsey, who was deployed mostly as a left midfielder in a 4-4-2 formation for the Cottagers last season. "It's a position that allows me to be closer to goal. When you play left mid, you have more defensive responsibility. I would say I enjoy my role with the national team more than Fulham because I'm closer to the goal."
Alas, American fans might get to see much of Dempsey during the national team's three upcoming home games. The Texan arrived in Florida last week still nursing a groin injury that ruled him out for the final weekend of the English season, and he has yet to train with the rest of Klinsmann's squad. He won't play against Scotland in Jacksonville on Saturday and is questionable for next Wednesday's Washington, D.C.-area tilt against Brazil, a team he's scored against twice in three games.
"You never want to miss games, but the qualifiers are definitely the priority," says Dempsey, who played through the injury for most of April and May. The U.S. opens World Cup qualifying against Antigua in Tampa on June 8.
"It just makes sense to get it right and not risk further damage, get the inflammation down and get back because we've got a lot of games coming up."
Whenever he returns to the lineup, it will be as the U.S. national team's undisputed star.
Notes
• Goalkeeper Brad Guzan believes his Aston Villa teammate Eric Lichaj was "a little unlucky" not to get the call from Klinsmann this time around. "To have the confidence of a manager in the Premier League to say 'I'm going to play you out of position, play you as a left back, at a club like Aston Villa [which was] fighting relegation' I think it says a lot about him," Guzan said.
• Few U.S. diehards have forgotten the open net Chris Wondolowski missed from point-blank range against Guadeloupe during last summer's Gold Cup, but the San Jose Earthquakes striker is convinced he'll convert any similar chances that could come his way in the upcoming matches. "To be honest, I put too much pressure on myself last year at the Gold Cup," said Wondolowski, the top scorer in MLS over the past three seasons. "Now, I'm more confident in my ability at this level after having the opportunity last year, and I know the guys a lot better. It's a faster game, sure, but it's still the same game."
• Santos Laguna's Herculez Gomez joined the group in Orlando on Wednesday, and Michael Parkhurst was scheduled to arrive Thursday, one day after helping Nordsjaelland win the Danish title, which guarantees the club a spot in the group stage of the Champions League next season. The initial 27-man U.S. roster will be cut to the final names 23 on Friday.
By Doug McIntyre
ESPN INSIDER
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The argument is over. The incumbent has conceded. On Wednesday, what many U.S. fans already believed became official: Clint Dempsey has surpassed Landon Donovan as King of American Soccer.
If there were any lingering doubts, Donovan himself dispelled them in front of a quartet of national media outlets during a rare, 30-minute conversation during which the national team's all-time leading scorer and longtime leading man essentially passed the baton to Dempsey on the eve of the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign.
"Everybody talks about who's better, Clint or Landon," Donovan told the group. "I'm happier probably than anybody when he's succeeding … he still has that crazy hunger to succeed."
No doubt about that. With 23 goals in all competitions for Fulham this past season, including 17 in the English Premier League, Dempsey is coming off the greatest season an American has had overseas, and he'll be the focal point for the U.S. attack as the long road to Brazil 2014 begins. And while Donovan, at 30, concedes he's now on the downslope of his own stellar career (props to SI.com's Grant Wahl for winning the transcribing race), Dempsey is convinced his best days are ahead of him.
<offer></offer>
"I just keep pushing to be better, to better myself, no matter who I'm playing for, whether it's for my club or country," Dempsey told Insider in a one-on-one interview at the team hotel. "You want to make the most of the time you have left in your career."
At 29, Dempsey is right in his prime. His name has been linked to a host of top-end Champions League mainstays -- Arsenal, Chelsea, AC Milan -- over the last 12 months, and with less than a year remaining on a Fulham contract he has no intention of extending, the odds of him transferring to one of Europe's elite clubs this summer are high.
In the meantime, Dempsey is looking forward to getting back on the field for the U.S. for the first time since his goal beat Italy in Genoa in February, and to playing the role his has under Jurgen Klinsmann so far.
"I enjoy playing withdrawn forward with the national team," said Dempsey, who was deployed mostly as a left midfielder in a 4-4-2 formation for the Cottagers last season. "It's a position that allows me to be closer to goal. When you play left mid, you have more defensive responsibility. I would say I enjoy my role with the national team more than Fulham because I'm closer to the goal."
Alas, American fans might get to see much of Dempsey during the national team's three upcoming home games. The Texan arrived in Florida last week still nursing a groin injury that ruled him out for the final weekend of the English season, and he has yet to train with the rest of Klinsmann's squad. He won't play against Scotland in Jacksonville on Saturday and is questionable for next Wednesday's Washington, D.C.-area tilt against Brazil, a team he's scored against twice in three games.
"You never want to miss games, but the qualifiers are definitely the priority," says Dempsey, who played through the injury for most of April and May. The U.S. opens World Cup qualifying against Antigua in Tampa on June 8.
"It just makes sense to get it right and not risk further damage, get the inflammation down and get back because we've got a lot of games coming up."
Whenever he returns to the lineup, it will be as the U.S. national team's undisputed star.
Notes
• Goalkeeper Brad Guzan believes his Aston Villa teammate Eric Lichaj was "a little unlucky" not to get the call from Klinsmann this time around. "To have the confidence of a manager in the Premier League to say 'I'm going to play you out of position, play you as a left back, at a club like Aston Villa [which was] fighting relegation' I think it says a lot about him," Guzan said.
• Few U.S. diehards have forgotten the open net Chris Wondolowski missed from point-blank range against Guadeloupe during last summer's Gold Cup, but the San Jose Earthquakes striker is convinced he'll convert any similar chances that could come his way in the upcoming matches. "To be honest, I put too much pressure on myself last year at the Gold Cup," said Wondolowski, the top scorer in MLS over the past three seasons. "Now, I'm more confident in my ability at this level after having the opportunity last year, and I know the guys a lot better. It's a faster game, sure, but it's still the same game."
• Santos Laguna's Herculez Gomez joined the group in Orlando on Wednesday, and Michael Parkhurst was scheduled to arrive Thursday, one day after helping Nordsjaelland win the Danish title, which guarantees the club a spot in the group stage of the Champions League next season. The initial 27-man U.S. roster will be cut to the final names 23 on Friday.
