Photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com
Clint Dempsey has had a tremendous year, and now he's got the hardware to prove it.
Dempsey was named the Futbol de Primera U.S. Soccer Player of the Year on Wednesday, winning the award for the second time in his career. Among Dempsey's highlights with the national team this year was scoring a team-leading three goals at the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Dempsey, who also won the award in 2006, bested Tim Howard and Landon Donovan, respectively, to garner the most votes among selected media and snap Donovan's four-year winning streak. Howard finished second in the voting for the fourth time in the last five years. In addition to the 2006 award, Dempsey had finished third in the voting in 2008 and 2010.
What did you think of Dempsey's year? Surprised by any of the voting at all? Who else do you think had a standout year among those in the U.S. player pool?
Share your thoughts below.
Is this just awarded from International play or can any American receive the award, like for say Friedel
sure Spectrycakes, whatever you say 😉
ndeed
Congratulations Clint!
direct competition with each other when they are playing on the same team together at the same time??? come on, that’s absurd LOL
+1, well said
The honest answer is that Dempsey plays in hyper-results oriented England for a medicore team battling almost every game against equal or better opposition and has hopes of making a big money tranfer to a Champions League team. On the other hand, Donovan is playing for an MLS team almost always better than its opposition and apparently has little desire to test himself elsewhere. I just don’t think Donovan’s heart is in it all the time in MLS, which is why he’s generally looked better for the USMNT. I don’t think anything is “wrong” with him per se, but I do think that Dempsey is clearly the more complete player now and has made the USMNT his team.
I think you need to go back and look again. People were all over Clint for his lackadaisical play out there in those first few games. Meanwhile, LD was busting his butt. And it’s not just about the goals and assists; LD was THE driving force, even Clint said it. We’ll just have to disagree about 2009.
But as I said, 2011, definitely Clint is the clear winner. And I’m actually hoping the Galaxy win it all this year so LD can move on (I don’t think he’ll think about leaving until he wins another championship) and head to Europe; I’m hoping Klinsi can exert some influence and somebody forks over the money to buy him. It would be fun to see him over there for a few years.
And given that, there can be no doubt. Under Klinsman, Dempsey IS the #10. LD has never excelled at that position and is a remote backup there at best.
Will be interesting to finally see them both on the field together. If DOnovan is played at the right wing with Shea on the left, we could have a very dangerous attack.
Congrats Clint.
Again I’m on the USMNT side. I love them both and for that matter I want Stu, Jozy, Bradley, and the rest of them to be better than Clint and Landon. I just seems that others have gone on to bigger challenges and improved and even Landon went to Everton and stepped is game up
People need to be on “teams” so they can feel better about themselves.
haha i laugh at the person who said donovan can be one of the top 2 players in the planet. He is no where near messi or ronaldo’s level haha.
I have a feeling both Donovan and Dempsey know they are in direct competition whenever they are on the pitch together. Donovan was Top Dawg for years and Dempsey from 08 and on has become a legitimate leader on the field. Dempsey is our talisman
Bocanegra cries when he hears that. Though i believe you’re right
Indeed. I don’t understand why the two must be linked so often. Donovan was the man for a long, long time. Dempsey has now come into his own and is getting plaudits. Why drive a wedge between the fans when one isn’t needed?
Dolo would be up their too. Probably the best US defender of all time.
Dolo did have a monster year. Good point.
Dempsey will go down as the greater US player to play in Europe. All he has to do is either finish his career with Fulham or leave them to play for a CL team
Well deserved!
Landon and Howard get all the attention ink by the mainstream media and casual sports fans…
But true soccer fans know that Dempsey is our best player. Most technical US player since Ramos and has quietly had the best career overseas by an American already.
shame. Best player for us at the Gold Cup and one of our best players at the WC. At least he’s making $2million a year at Hannover.
Hmmm. Donovan sure for 2010. 2009 I don’t see it. They both played sorta decent in the beginning of the Confed Cup and then turned it up in the last 2.
Dempsey had 3 goals and an assist.
Donovan had 2 goals and an assist.
exactly. Donovan is the best USA player ever but he needs to challenge himself. He could perhaps be 1 of the top players on the planet, but we’ll never know if he stays in MLS. I’m sure Everton would still go for him or some team in Spain or France or italy.
Ummm, yeah, other than Klinsi saying he wishes he had a whole team of Landon Donovans.
Gonna have to disagree. Donovan deserved it in 2009 and 2010. He was THE driving force for the national team in qualifying and in the Confed Cup. Though Clint got the Bronze ball, even National Team players were saying LD was deserving. Landon showed up and played in every game of the competition; Clint decided to play the last 2 or 3.
I agree that Clint definitely deserves to win it this year. No one else came close. Well done, Clint.
I didn’t mean to tear down Landy just have noticed that the two seem to have diverged a bit. I love them both and was just wondering why Clint has pushed further and Landy has regressed a little. Hopefully it is just an ankle thing and he’ll get healthy but I think top competition would push Landy further than another year in MLS.
Absolutely no beef with Dempsey winning — but this means Steve Cherundolo gets to keep the title of most-underappreciated USMNTer of all time.
Klinsmann has said he does it based on position, and given WHERE on the field Dempsey has had success with the NT recently, I would have to imagine Clint will wear 10.
Competition is a great thing. Imagine in 20 years there will be people discussing the
Donovan vs Dempsey battle and how either or both led us to glory in 2014
It will be interesting to see who gets the #10 jersey when Clint and LD are in the lineup at the same time. I can’t imagine it would sit well with LD to see Clint on the same field with that jersey.
There are a number of players I would have been happy with winning it….obviously he is one of them.
Donovan has played most of the year with a bum ankle that has increasingly gotten worse and messed him up. He’s had an off year. It had nothing to do with not heading back to Everton.
Why do people feel they have to put down Donovan in order to uplift Dempsey? It’s ridiculous. Donovan has won it previously because he deserved it then.
Dempsey won it this year because he deserved it.
Well done, Clint. If only your “fans” would learn how to be gracious winners. Clint and LD are not enemies.
And who says that Furman University doesn’t produce talent!
maybe Dempsey will join a CL team next year.
I don’t see Donovan starting for us at the 2014 WC but I do see Dempsey starting. It’s a good thing to see Klinsmann not favoring any of the big stars of our team
So true. Donovan excelled at the WC. He should have headed back to Everton or even to Man City or Arsenal as they definitely wanted him after the WC. Shame on him for not pushing himself.
Tim Howard should have won in 2008. Dempsey deserved it in 2009. Donovan deserved it in 2010. and Dempsey definitely deserves it this year.
The only competition was Howard, but Howard hasn’t met his own lofty standards as fully as he did before and up to the England game. Dempsey has taken off. He’s already become for many an all time favorite.
I respect Donovan, but Dempsey has been the best and most talented American since 2006.
Dempsey should have won in 2009. He was awarded the 3rd best player at the Confederations Cup award. surely it counts.
Dempsey has done something that Donovan has never done. He has excelled in Europe on a consistent basis for several years. He has a chance to even join a CL team. Mark it. He’ll be playing CL football in a year.
What is with Donovan lately?? I agree without a doubt that Dempsey should have won because ever since the Ghane game at the world cup Landycake seems to have regressed why Dempsey has improved for club and country. I just don’t see it there as much as I used to. Maybe this is what happens as speedy guys age. Hopefully Clint will give us 4 more good years.
About damn time. Dempsey, we love you man.
Clint Dempsey = the best American soccer player who doesn’t play goalie 🙂
Dempsey should have 6 of these already. What a shame that Donovan gets it every year by default. Dempsey should have won every year since 2006.
Well said 😉
Well deserved.
No doubt he deserves this honor.
Well Deserved!
No doubt! Clint is the man.