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Tuesday Kickoff: Dempsey finishes fourth in FWA voting, Rangers hit hard & more

Dempsey (Getty Images)

Clint Dempsey's tremendous season for Fulham has not gone unnoticed overseas after all.

After being left off the Professional Footballers' Association Premier League Team of the Year, Dempsey took fourth in the Football Writers' Association voting for Premier League Player of the Year.

Arsenal striker Robin van Persie, who won the PFA's Player of the Year award, doubled up with the FWA POY trophy as well, finishing ahead of Manchester United's Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes and Dempsey, respectively. Van Persie matched Rooney's 2010 feat of winning both awards. Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry were the previous two players to do that, each winning them twice (Ronaldo, 2007-2008; Henry, 2003-2004).

For Dempsey, his 16 Premier League goals are tied for fourth behind only Van Persie, Rooney and Manchester City's Sergio Aguero.

Here are a few more stories to get your day going:

RANGERS HIT WITH TRANSFER BAN

Times are not getting any easier at Glasgow Rangers, and that could make for a mass exodus of players when the summer transfer window opens.

The financially strapped Scottish power was hit with a one-year transfer ban, and former owner Craig Whyte was banned from Scottish soccer for life after being found guilty by the Scottish Football Association of a number of financial violations.

The club's administrators are still seeking a viable ownership group to take over Whyte's majority stake in the club, but that could be made a bit tougher with the fact that any prospective owner won't be able to bring in new players for a year and that current players will be sold for lower transfer fees than normal to help the club generate the funds necessary to pay off all of its debt and sanctions. That means that Americans Carlos Bocanegra, Maurice Edu and Alejandro Bedoya could be on the fast track out of Glasgow within the next couple of months.

Rangers can, and are likely to, appeal the punishment.

BECKHAM'S PLACE AT OLYMPICS NOT GUARANTEED

Plenty believe that David Beckham's place on the Team Great Britain roster is a sure thing, but TGB manager Stuart Pearce is taking a more step-by-step approach before anointing Beckham as one of his overage players. Pearce will be making a visit to the United States to see Beckham play before ultimately making his decision.

"I'll know a bit more about David Beckham's chances when I go to the States and see him," Pearce told the BBC. "He's been a great ambassador, but that's no guarantee he'll get in the squad. I'm picking on form and merit alone."

After a slow start to the season for the Los Angeles Galaxy, Beckham has picked up his play over the last two games, scoring a Goal of the Week against Portland before setting up the Galaxy's first goal in their 2-1 win in Colorado over the weekend.

SCHALKE: ALL FINE BETWEEN JONES, HUNTELAAR

Schalke is playing down notions of in-house strife after U.S. national team midfielder Jermaine Jones and striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar reportedly fought during a training session last week.

The two starters had to be separated by teammates during a practice prior to last weekend's 1-1 draw against Augsburg, a match that both players started. Huntelaar scored the game-tying goal for Schalke, who sit two points clear of Borussia Monchengladbach for third place in the Bundesliga with two matches to go. A third-place finish would seal automatic entry into next season's UEFA Champions League group stage, while finishing fourth would put the club into the qualifying round.

The fight is not the first at a training session for a U.S. soccer player in recent years, as Oguchi Onyewu and Zlatan Ibrahimovic had a well-documented one in Nov., 2010, while both were playing at AC Milan, with Onyewu breaking one of Ibrahimovic's ribs in the skirmish.

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Happy to see Dempsey get recognized by the FWA? What's your take on everything going on at Rangers? Hope to see Bocanegra, Edu and Bedoya get out of there ASAP? Think Pearce is just blowing smoke and that Beckham is a shoo-in for the Olympic roster? What do you make of Jones and Huntelaar getting into a fight?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. “SPL is still better than MLS and a lot of leagues so ”

    I think you would get a lot of debate on that. They are two very different leagues. And if they are it ain’t by much.

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  2. The FWA and the PFA writers awards appear to be similar to MVP Awards or the Heisman Trophy in American sports. And these awards all share a common characteristic or flaw, depending on your point of view.

    They are all a little light on specific criteria other than being “the best player” that year, whatever that means.

    There is no requirement that you have to play more than 50% of the games, score x number of goals or points, win so many international caps, not beat your wife or girlfriend, etc., etc.,. On the positive side it makes for lots of controversy
    But on the negative side, the competition is a popularity contest, almost completely subjective.

    For example Scholes is on there because many people feel his “unretirement ” gave Manchester United the boost it needed to take the lead and probably win the title yet again.

    And while it may not be fair it should be clear to all of you that the big clubs, the ones going for honors will always dominate. It’s no different with any of these awards.. I mean you don’t really believe the best actor always wins the Oscar every year do you?

    It is no different in America. Some QB from Disco Tech. or Wassamatta University might be leading the nation in every offensive category worth mentioning and smashing every record in the books but he will always be at a competitive disadvantage in the race for the Heisman Trophy to some guy from Alabama, Ohio State, Florida or USC.

    Fulham is not a big club, never will be and is unlikely to win anything other than a Cup or two. Why do you suppose Dempsey wants to leave?

    If he had had this year for one of the big four don’t you think he would have placed much higher in these awards?

    Of course this means people tend to get into debates on the issue which is no doubt intentional.

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  3. SPL is still better than MLS and a lot of leagues so people who know the game would pray Rangers returns sooner rather than later. Old Firm Derby is Top 3 in the world so we don’t need or want Rangers to go down. They just have to find a buyer/owner willing to invest long term.

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  4. Relax, it’s not that they didn’t recognize Dempsey. He didn’t get enough votes. He wasn’t going to get enough votes to out muscle Yaya Toure or David Silva; that’s not going to happen – both have been World Class. Scotty Parker and Bale are quite suspect to me that they made the team. Dempsey over Bale surely even with Spurs slipping faster than slippery slopes. Parker over someone like Alex Song who has been phenomenal for Arsenal in midfield this season was another head scratcher. But it all comes down to votes.

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  5. I know for a fact Dempsey had 1 PK to complete a hat trick this year, but it may have been in the Europa league or FA Cup.

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  6. this has to be the beginning of the end for Rangers. at least as a massive club. it also means the SPL is even more of a joke now.

    sounds like Jones and Klaas are fine. S happens.

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  7. Only someone who cared more about the club than profits would buy a team like that. So maybe the SFA wants to keep out foreigners and opportunists. Certainly Rangers look like a long term project now.

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  8. Ruiz is out injured and Dembele has only really started to click since they dropped him back. But I agree they have some real talent on the side. The other impressive stat is Dempsey’s 6 assists this year.

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  9. Using the Android Ap FotMob you can get this infor pretty quickly. Van Persie has 27 goals w/ 2 being PKs, Rooney 26 (6), Aguero 22 (3), Dempsey 16 (0), Yakubu 16 (4), Ba 16 (2), Dzeko 13 (0), Adebayor 13 (2), etc.

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  10. I see your points and perhaps I worded it wrong. I think it’s a bit unfair though to say that Clint single-handedly carried the team. I would imagine he and his teammates would beg to differ. He was certainly their best player, but they have a quality team with some very good players, and plenty of experience. That’s not to take anything from Clint as he had an amazing season. And also, sure it’s easier for Scholes to have an impact, but quite frankly he was the impact for United. When he came back, United won every game he’s started in except for this past weekend against Everton. He’s the player who has impacted the rest of United, not the other way around. Even though I don’t agree he should have been voted on since he only played half a season, there is a reason they voted him third. His impact since coming back has been nothing short of amazing…

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  11. I certainly know this award is based on one season, and I thought I had implied that Scholes shouldn’t have been voted third, or even been voted on period since he only played half a season. I’m glad that Dempsey got some recognition. I was just stating that while Scholes is better, I know there will be plenty of people who will take it the wrong way, and point out that Dempsey had a better season. And what I mean by overall skill is that just overall abilities as a soccer player. Obviously you can’t directly compare Dempsey and Scholes as they have different roles on their teams…

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  12. K Bone – over a career, Scholes is better than the Deuce. However, this is not a career award, it is for this year.

    I am admittedly a Yank homer – but Clint should have been voted over Scholes, and it is an embarassment that the players didn’t recognize him at all in their poy awards.

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  13. The awards are based on one season.

    And your first sentence indicates that you are talking about THIS season.

    So I don’t undertand what you mean by “…not based on one season”

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  14. You may be talking but trust me, not many are listening. First, comparing a center midfielder and a striker to determine who is “better” is a ridiculous thing to do. Second, resting your decision on “overall skill” is about as ambiguous a determining point as one could have. What does that even mean? That Scholes has better foot skills than Dempsey? If that’s your logic then Mauro Formica is better than both Scholes and Dempsey. Third, this list is based on one season, so making a statement “not based on one season” is off topic. Fourth, Scholes is on this list because he’s a United “legend” who came into the midfield during the mid point of the season, just before United went on their run to the top. He’s scored some big goals and played well. But there’s no question that Scholes’ place on this list is because he is one of England’s favorite sons. Fifth, it’s a little easier to have an impact playing at Manchester United, who have a roster of world-class players. Clint – pretty much single handedly – carried a Fulham (with no world-class players) to the top half of the table. Get over yourself.

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  15. Anyone else feel like this move by Scottish FA detracts from the goal of trying to have another entity take over Rangers? Makes the valuation of the club a little scewed for the upcoming year, and far less attractive. Who would want to buy a team like that?

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  16. I think his service is pretty good considering a team of their wage scale. Duff, Ruiz and Dembele. With those 3 and Dempsey one could argue that besides Man City, Fulham are one of the best teams in the league for attacking talent.

    I might be showing a little american favortism but they have impressed me all season long besides the first few games with Ruiz (and obviously after the injury).

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  17. While Scholes is much better than Dempsey and his impact on United has been phenomenal and surprising, he has only played half the season. Cisse has been ridiculous in half a season too. I’m surprised he was voted third. And please, if anyone is going to argue that Dempsey is just a good as Scholes, just shut up. I’m talking overall skill here, not based on one season…

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  18. totally wrong…. he he clapped his hands and raised his fist to the crowd…. I think he thought he was going to nab the winner but Senderos rose over him… Clint is the consummate professional and loves Fulham…

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  19. I think he’s starting to feel the eyes and the transfer spotlight on him. Anyone see how he didn’t even look the slightest bit happy that his team put in a winning goal against Wigan?

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  20. could be? but taking the piss is a british saying… just like the many american sayings that find thier way over seas… what is your point… oh i get it you are one of those people that feel america is arrogant enough to alter the rules of the game, terminology of the game, and the way people should speak? strive to hard to be authentic, but you look like a poser.

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  21. Just stunning to consider who is ahead of Dempsey in scoring this season (and what kind of service those players get from their teams).

    Bravo Clint!

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  22. Yeah, a little ridiculous Scholes is on this list, and above Dempsey for that matter. But hey it’s England what do you expect.

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  23. Is the FWA actually the Football Whiteboy Association? As a Yank it’s good to see Dempsey up there, but I think that Demba Ba (who has scored as many as Dempsey) deserves a higher place as well, perhaps replacing Scholes. Ba’s goal-scoring has fallen off lately, but he’s played a crucial role in Newcastle’s ascension to 4th. Also think Aguero deserves a look over Scholes.

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  24. LMAO

    Funny, seriously Stuart Pearce is taking the piss outta everyone. He knows damn well that Beckham will captain 1st ever and only time we’ll see it Great Britain Football team. adidas won’t see it any other way nor will the Olympics and the man has earned the damn right with all he’s done for his national side.

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  25. Does anyone know goal totals for RVP, Rooney and Aguero without PK goals included? I know Demps only has 1 PK goal in his 16 league goals this season so I wonder how his 15 goals from the run of play stack up against those other guys…

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