SEATTLE — It had to be him, didn’t it?
After missing the entire Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs with an irregular heartbeat and the first leg of this year’s Western Conference Semifinals because of suspension, Seattle Sounders forward Clint Dempsey recorded a second-half brace on Thursday to oust the Vancouver Whitecaps and lift the Rave Green to the Western Conference Championship for the second straight year.
“He’s been ready for a month,” Head Coach Brian Schmetzer said of Dempsey. “Big-time players make big plays. Tonight you saw Dempsey make some big plays. The first goal was a really good effort from distance.