Nacogdoches, Texas is a mighty long way from Craven Cottage…and the oval ball maybe slightly more popular than the round ball - but rest assured, the 30,000 odd residents were probably ‘hooting and a hollering’ while line dancing down Main Street after a stunning performance by their favorite son, Clint Dempsey on Saturday.
Just how good was ‘Deuce’ against Spurs – well, in my humble opinion, he played the finest game an American outfield player has ever produced in the Premiership as he literally carried the Cottagers on his shoulders to a surprising and dramatic late draw.
One goal, an unstoppable thumping header plus two assists are his stats over ninety minutes but they don’t even come close to telling the true story. This was a performance that had energy, determination, class, trickery and most importantly a never-say-die attitude stamped all over it. I’m sure his club captain and fellow American, Brian McBride, was beaming from ear-to-ear like a proud Papa back here in the States as he rehabs his knee.
For sure, we’ve seen John Harkes, Claudio Reyna and McBride amongst others light up the green beige before but I don’t believe they’ve ever carried their side the way Dempsey did. It was almost ‘Maradona-esque’ circa World Cup 1986, which is ironic as the Argentine great was a favorite of Dempsey. If you’re going to model yourself on someone though why not pick the greatest player that ever lived.
Obviously I’m not putting Dempsey in that same bracket, however you can see certain similarities. The American has the confidence to take opponents on one-versus-one; he’s always prepared to try something different, he’s aggressive, he’s brave as a lion and he’s a team player - qualities that Maradona possessed in ####s.
I first noticed Dempsey playing for the national team in 2005 against Colombia. There were probably about seven thousand of us inside Titan Stadium, Fullerton but to be honest it felt more like one man and his dog down at the local park. Thinking back now perhaps that’s how Dempsey approached his first international start because he played with a street attitude – an attitude of no fear. The nerves you so often see from international rookies was non-existent – he believed that he belonged. His old New England Revolution colleague, Steve Ralston, may have taken the man-of-the-match award that night but it was Dempsey’s performance that made the biggest impression on me.
Strangely though, I don’t think his old national team boss, Bruce Arena quite fancied him. His playing time under Arena was spotty and rumors of a spiky temperament began to surface. Well, here’s a news flash, you need attitude, you need to be cocky, you need to feel that you’re the best if you’re going to make it to the top of the cut throat world that is top flight football. In a way Dempsey reminds me of his namesake, Clint Mathis, another highly skilled renegade, which could explain Arena’s reluctance to trust the Texan. Current USMNT boss, Bob Bradley hasn’t displayed that reticence yet and after Landon Donovan, Dempsey seems to be the next name penciled in on the team sheet and long may it continue.
The question for me is just how far does he want to take himself. The Premier League, week in and week out is the biggest showcase in the world but will a relegation dogfight be the best place to display his wares. BTW that’s not a knock on Fulham, just a fact because if they can’t start defending that’s the way the season will go down. When the pressure is on teams tend to play safety-first football and I’m afraid that Lawrie Sanchez may begin to see him as a luxury.
The perfect situation and one I believe that Dempsey will excel in is to mimic the displays of another Argentine great. Carlos Tevez, almost single-handedly carried Fulham’s London neighbors, West Ham, to Premiership safety last year. Dempsey has the ability to produce the goods as Tevez did - and who in American soccer wouldn’t be line dancing if the kid from Nacogdoches gets a dream move to one of the ‘big four’. Yes folks…he could be that good.
For me, Clint Dempsey is the anti-Landon Donovan. Big, confident, willing to pressure and track back when needed. When a big game arrives, I'd more likely expect Dempsey to show up. Unless we're playing Mexico or some CONCACAF cream puff, Landon is nowhere to be found. Plus Dempsey's move to the Premier League means he's willing to challenge himself to be a better player...while on the other hand Landon would rather be sunning himself at the beach in LA while playing for the WORST team in MLS. If you want the US to grow as a power in this game, the players on the National team NEED to play in Europe, not spend a few years there, cry about not playing, and go back to the US never to return to top flight football again. Landon, stop kissing your wrists and all that fairy nonsense before your penalties and maybe you might have made one against Pachuca, when the game was on the line. Let Beckham stay in LA and move to a REAL team. Trust me, they can lose with or without you. As for Clint, his performances mean that even if Fulham can't avoid relegation for the second year in a row, there will be some quality Premiership teams waiting to #### him up...now we need a few more to follow in his footsteps.
Football is not very popular in Nacogdoches, I know it is not even comparable in most Texas towns, but I might even say that soccer is more popular in nac-town, or at least it was when I went through
Clint is good and anyone from Nacogdoches should be proud to support him. He made a career move to better himself and his future in the game. US Soccer is not as popular, but it is getting there. The news column said many things...including, but not limited to, how proud it makes me to be able to say I know him and support him.
Last edited by nacmom on September 3rd at 4:31 PM.
Clint did really well. He's playing in his best position at long last, and competed all game, but talk of Maradona is absolutely ridiculous. He's played well for a couple of games, but is still turning talent into performances. It's touch and go: a lot of us think he'll make it, but a lot of supporters over here don't think he has what it takes for this league. I strongly disagree, I like the kid a lot, but articles like this are misinforming on a grand scale.
He has all kinds of ability, that's obvious, but his performance, while worthy of Fulham's man of the match award, was nothing out of the ordinary. It was very good, sure, but not special, not dominant in any way, just very good. We were all impressed with his determination (he was up against the impressive Kaboul but kept challenging), he scored a terrific goal and was directly involved in two more, but please don't oversell what he did.
I write a Fulham blog and go to all the games. I'm very pro-Dempsey and talk about him a lot, so if you're interested in a more balanced view of how this exciting young player is getting on drop on by. If you want to believe that he's turning the premiership on its head, well, good luck to you! Maybe as the season goes on...
Very proud of Clint. Having watched him play for the New England Revs before his break-out in 06, I knew he was a notch above the MLS league here. A great player to watch, he has grit, spirit, skill, good workrate and endless determination. I hope he continues to impress and gets to continue playing at this level - I think he can make it and go on to play in a top shelf EPL team (if Fulham doesn't mend their defense and slides into relegation).
Firstly, he didn't say he was the 2nd coming of Maradona...he just said he displays good Maradona qualities. There is a distict difference between saying they show positive qualities o####reat player versus saying he is in the same category. (Which is EXACTLY what Nick said.)
Secondly, It made my heart drop to know that McBride's season, and probably Premier League career is over. I would have loved nothing more than to see the two of them, McBride wearing the arm band, on the attacking end of the pitch together. I believe that makes 4 American players for Fulham, which by default makes me a fan.
Lastly, I love Landon, I really do. But he is just not clutch. I agree with the person who said Dempsey is like the anti-Donovan. Donovan is afraid to take on a defender, and doesn't have enough skill to compliment his speed. I mean, forget him missing the penalty. Had he put the Beckham cross away it never would have came to pentalties. He was a good 2-3 steps ahead of the defender. Great players put those kinds of opportunities away. Donovan does not step up in the clutch, Dempsey does. If this kind of thing keeps up, I would love for all of the talk about Donovan being the best American player to die down and bow down to Dempsey. Good luck staying in the Premiership, Clint! I wish you the best!
Dude, thats _totally_ bogus. I was at the Fulham Spurs game, a lot of us were calling for Clint to be substituted after 30 minutes. He was terrible until he scored, and after that he was mediocre.
Clint's a great player but totally a fish out of water when asked to play striker role. He's comfy as an attacking midfielder (where he scored the vital goal against Liverpool last season) but as a striker his positioning is all wrong and he drifts way too far down the field.
We like having Deuce in the team, but the best American to ever grace the Premiership? Deuce ain't a patch on Brian McBride. Not by a long shot.
This article is ####. Demspey had a good game, but that is it. He isn't even the best player on Fulham's team, not by a long strech. Konchesky and Smertin are holding the team together now. Kamara is coming into form. Healey poaches the occassional goal. Davis and Davies are not great, but they are reliable (and I think Davies is grossly underrated). Dempsey scored a header off a set piece so this j--k-off declares his play "almost maradono-esque"? C'mon, was this your first soccer match? Get real. Go back and watch Dempsy miss sitters and make horrible passes in the first three games of the season. I'm not saying he isn't good but he has a lot to learn about competing at this level, and you have a lot to learn about analyzing and writing about soccer at this level.
It is a sad day when Deuce plays a blinder, has a role in all 3 FFC goals,
and still gets criticized by his own fans.
Scored 2 goals and helped set up 2 more in your last 2 matches!
How silly do those FFC fans feel
for calling for him to be subbed after 30 minutes?
I agree, he is not at his best being played as a target man like McBride.
He is not that kind of player. He is an attacking player wired to create, dribble and/or finish plays;
not a player who wants his back to goal.
However, if folks cannot discern what kind of talent Clint is, then they just do not
suss the game very well. Even playing out of position, he was the best player
on the field for you ungrateful lot!
He not only had a role in the 3 goals,
he was all over the pitch, had silky skillful moments in taking long balls, passing,
a deft touch here and there and made very difficult balls look easy to take. Got stuck
in and helped his sometimes shambolic midfield and defense.
This is not even mentioning his aggressiveness, passion and fearless attitude
in going for headers and getting battered about.
Fulham are a side with several holes in the team, but Clint is not one of them.
Fabregas does not even complete every pass and he is the best passer in the premiership!
How you can be so overly critical is just hard to figure?
Deuce was easily MOTM and to note otherwise is a bit daft, IMO.
He was the spark for the team and worked his arse off-- Only to get rollicked
by his own fans.
Time will tell if he will have the impact of a McBride. Mcbride is a special man, forget
the football
Way too over the top Webster. Apparently you are not afraid to go out on a limb.
Comparing Clint to Maradona even qualifying as you did is beyond ridiculous. However you did directly compare Clint to Tevez, not even close either, sorry, CLint does not have the ability to do what Carlos did last year. Not there.
You are setting him up for failure. These unrealistic comparisons and goals are what get your England team flogged in the press.
Who will break into the 'B4' and who will avoid the drop. So many questions will be answered over the next nine months because it's back - the greatest show on earth - The Barclays Premier League.
