By RYAN TOLMICH
The beginning of Clint Dempsey’s time in Seattle was, by most accounts, underwhelming.
Despite the lofty price tag, the American international failed to live up to his paycheck in his opening campaign. Scoring just one goal in his first nine matches was ruled unacceptable. His time on loan in Fulham was viewed as falling short. His lack of production leading up to this summer’s World Cup left many wondering how much impact the Texan would bring against the world’s top teams. Overall, Dempsey was struggling over a period of time where he needed to be thriving.
However, Dempsey’s performance in this weekend’s 4-4 draw with the rival Portland Timbers surely quieted critics and served as a demonstration of exactly what the Sounders star brings to the table.
Dempsey showed off his goalscoring ability, netting a hat-trick that gives both Seattle and United States fans a little bit of relief. He showed his stamina, having played just 72 hours prior in a friendly with Mexico. But most importantly, Dempsey showed off his heart, as Dempsey’s come-from-behind hat-trick was enough to earn his team a draw, as well as personal recognition as this week’s SBI MLS Player of the Week.
Dempsey beat out a field of candidates that included Diego Chara, JeVaughn Watson, Michael Bradley and Jeff Attinella for this week’s honors.
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What did you think of Dempsey’s performance? Which player impressed you the most in Week 5?
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