News that Clint Dempsey will not play for the rest of 2016 is frightening. He has a significant issue with his heart. That is a major off-field problem that can only be addressed by medical doctors. What the Seattle Sounders have already figured out is how to play without their Designated Player - they’ve done alright.
Head Coach Brian Schmetzer turned to Nicolas Lodeiro as his central creator/scorer rather than Clint has scorer/creator. That left one open space in the attacking band. Alvaro Fernandez and Cristian Roldan have been given the nods for that role in those matches.