SEATTLE -- Three thoughts on the Seattle Sounders' 2-0 Western Conference semifinal win against the Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
1. Dempsey turns in one for the ages
There had been speculation prior to kickoff as to whether this could be Clint Dempsey's final match at CenturyLink Field. It is the Sounders' call whether or not to pick up the 34-year-old's team option for 2018 -- and after earning close to $3.89 million this season, that decision is going to be agonized over in the front office.
Dempsey's arrival in the summer of 2013 was a watershed moment in the modern history of the club, a personification of its long-term ambitions.