It’s surely too early to pencil him into the starting lineup for First Kick, but Clint Dempsey will see his first competitive action in about six months in the Seattle Sounders’ preseason opener on Saturday.
Dempsey will play start, ostensibly, as a No. 10 with Nicolas Lodeiro flanking him on the right and Alvaro Fernandez on the left. In reality, Dempsey will probably play more as a withdrawn forward while Lodeiro and Fernandez will likely be relied upon to do more of the midfield work.
We’ll also get to get our first extended look at Gustav Svensson, the Sounders’ most recent signing.