USA Soccer World Cup Profile: Forward Clint Dempsey

Position

Clint Dempsey is one of the key players for the United States men's national soccer team in its 2014 World Cup campaign. The forward has been a fixture on the national squad for almost a decade. His fearlessness, aerial skill and ability to score quickly make him a potent goal-scoring threat.

World Cup Experience

Brazil will be Dempsey's third World Cup for the United States. His first was Germany in 2006, where he was the only American to score a goal. The goal tied the score with Ghana -- the team's first opponent in this tournament -- though the US eventually lost the game 2-1.

South Africa in 2010 was Dempsey's second World Cup. There he became only the second American to score in two different Cups, taking advantage of a goalie error to tie up the team's opening match with England. Dempsey managed what appeared to be another goal against Algeria. This one, however, was annulled by an offside call, though replay seems to show he was actually onside.

Club Experience

Dempsey currently plays for Major League Soccer's Seattle Sounders. The team signed him as a Designated Player from the Tottenham Hotspurs to a four-year contract in August of 2013. The deal carried a transfer fee of $9 million. The 2014 season will be Dempsey’s second year with the Sounders.

Dempsey started his professional career with the New England Revolution, also of MLS, back in 2004. He scored seven goals that season, going on to win MLS Rookie of the Year. With the Revolution, Dempsey was a scoring machine, with 10 goals in the 2005 season and eight more in his injury-shortened 2006 season.

His prolific scoring caught the attention of the English club team Fulham -- then of the English Premier League. The team recruited Clint Dempsey for $4 million, the largest amount ever paid for an MLS player up to that point. In March of 2011, Dempsey became the first American to score 10 goals in a season in the English Premier League.

Tottenham Hotspur, another English Premier club, recruited Clint Dempsey from Fulham in August of 2012. Success followed, as he helped the Hotspur club team reach the UEFA Europa League semifinals. Once his contract was up, Dempsey came back to the States.

The Latest

Clint Dempsey has been given the captain band once worn by Landon Donovan, who did not make the USMNT. Dempsey is an outstanding forward and leader with plenty of experience at soccer's top levels. He will play an important role in the Americans' 2014 World Cup run and should be watched closely.

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J.L. Herrera is a huge fan of football and has been following the Raiders since the 1980s during the LA era. J.L. is also a freelance writer and copywriter on the web. He taught English for a little more than a decade in Los Angeles at the secondary level. While writing for web-based news outlets, J.L. enjoys reading, creative writing, and watching sports. His work can be found on Examiner.com.