By IVES GALARCEP
Clint Dempsey has never made it a secret that playing UEFA Champions League Soccer is the biggest remaining unaccomplished goal of his career.
On Sunday, he showed just how badly he wants to achieve that goal.
Dempsey played arguably his best game of the season, scoring a goal and setting up an Emmanuel Adebayor winner to help lead Tottenham to a 2-1 victory vs. Stoke City on Sunday.
Dempsey equalized for Tottenham in the 20th minute with an outstanding goal courtesy of a terrible Stoke City clearance attempt. He one-timed a left-footed shot from 30 yards out, into an open net after Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic came out to the top of the penalty area to deal with a ball that Jermaine Pennant wound up clearing right to Dempsey.
Dempsey had some more magic to deliver late in the match when he raced onto a pass in the penalty area and picked out Adebayor on the back-post for the 83rd-minute winner.
Tottenham win vaults them ahead of Arsenal for fourth place and the final UEFA Champions League place that goes with it. Arsenal has a game in hand and faces Wigan on Tuesday. Spurs can clinch fourth place with a victory in their season finale vs. Sunderland if Arsenal drops points in their final two matches, against Wigan and a Newcastle side that clinched relegation safety on Sunday with a win vs. Queens Park Rangers.
Here is video of Dempsey’s goal:
What did you think of Dempsey’s performance? See Tottenham beating out Arsenal for the final Champions League place?
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