No player in United States soccer history has demanded as much attention as Clint Dempsey. Whether it’s on the field where teams invariably have to be built around him or off the field where seemingly every marketing campaign puts him front and center, the team’s style has been closely linked to Dempsey basically ever since he scored his first World Cup goal in 2006.
As you might imagine, this has had its pluses and minuses. On one hand, Dempsey has come through in big games over and over again while leading the United States to some impressive finishes in big tournaments.