Clint Dempsey is expected to start on Saturday, U-20 World Cup qualification is within reach for the Baby Nats and the USWNT win their SheBelieves opener.
Deuce is about to be loose in MLS
The 2017 Major League Soccer season starts Friday. The Seattle Sounders are on the road Saturday, taking on the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium. It appears one Clint Dempsey will be in the lineup for the defending champs. According to the Seattle Sounders official site, head coach Brian Schmetzer has indicated Dempsey will probably be in his starting XI.
This is obviously exciting news for Sounders fans and USMNT fans alike. While it seems playing a full 90 minutes is still a ways away for Deuce, getting the nod for the first league game is a tremendous step.
What does this mean as far as his USMNT playing situation? Well, as I’ve mentioned before, Dempsey will not take part in the massive March World Cup qualifiers against Honduras and Panama. But, should he continue his recovery at the current pace, one would assume he’d be in Bruce Arena’s roster come June, when the USMNT face Trinidad & Tobago and Mexico (scared face).
Deuce was the US captain before being sidelined with an irregular heartbeat toward the end of last year. That allowed the real, actual captain of this team, Michael Bradley, to receive the armband. I love Dempsey, don’t get me wrong, but has there ever been an American player more perfect for USMNT captain than MB90? He’s had his struggles — at both the club and international level — since returning to MLS, but he’s still far and away the clear choice for the armband.
As for Dempsey, he still has to have an impact for the USMNT during this World Cup cycle. He can sometimes disappear from matches, but he’s always a threat to pop up and score a ridiculous goal, or, at the very least, destroy the ankles of a defender. Case in point: this is probably my favorite nutmeg of all time:
As Arena once famously said, “he just tries sh*t.” Dempsey is unique among US players in his generation because of this: he can pull of a spectacular, game-changing moment. No one in the current USMNT depth chart has shown a penchant for doing this, at least not yet. That’s why Deuce was sorely missed in those dreadful opening matches of the Hexagonal, and that’s why he must make his way back into the USMNT squad. It’s hard to see how the USA qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia without him.
U-20s on brink of qualification after huge win over Mexico
The US Under-20 Men’s National Team hadn’t beat Mexico in 31 years. Thirty. One. Years. A powerful header from captain Erik Palmer-Brown changed all that. The Baby Nats beat their dreaded rivals 1-0 on Monday, bringing them to the edge of qualifying for the U-20 World Cup in South Korea.
The USMNT have steadily improved since the loss to Panama in their opening match of the U-20 CONCACAF Championship a week and a half ago. The team from that loss looked nothing like the team that pressed the crap out of Mexico all over the field on Monday.
If Mexico managed to find time on the ball it appeared as if they had nowhere to go. Most of the time, however, a US defender or two closed them down as soon as they received passes. The athleticism and commitment from the little Yanks was something to see. Mexico only managed three shots, none of which forced a save out of US keeper Jonathan Klinsmann.
With the ball, the US pushed the pace in attack and kept their opponents pinned in their defensive half. Fulham’s Luca de la Torre was particularly active, bombing forward with the ball and creating turnovers in midfield.
GOAL United States, Erik PALMER-BROWN No. 5 | @ussoccer @miseleccionmx #CU20CRC pic.twitter.com/j4RHP6h8HY
— Concacaf Español (@ConcacafEspanol) February 27, 2017
Brooks Lennon, a front-runner so far for player of the tournament, provided the assist to Palmer-Brown in the 29th minute from a corner. It was the first goal allowed by the Mexicans during the tournament; this was also their first loss in their last 20 regional championship matches. The US looked likely to find a second goal, but the Mexican keeper did well to parry chances from Lennon, Jeremy Ebobisse and Jonathan Lewis.
The Baby Nats now have a few options to make it to the championship final, and therefore the World Cup: they can advance with either a win or a draw against El Salvador on Friday.
Failing to qualify from this position would be a monumental flub and would certainly cost Tab Ramos his job. However, the US manager appears to have his side in good form and in good spirits, and, oh yeah, one measly point away from the World Cup.
Next: Premier League interesting rankings
Extras
The USWNT started off the SheBelieves Cup in fine form, knocking off defending Olympic gold medalists Germany 1-0. Jill Ellis deployed an interesting 3-4-1-2 formation. Not much came of it in the first half, but the Americans’ advantage in strength and speed became more pronounced in the second half as they began to trouble the German back line.
Lynn Williams scored the eventual game-winner (see above) in the 56th minute after Christen Press picked an opponent’s pocket and then damn near beat the entire German defense en route to crushing a shot off the crossbar. Williams eventually slotted home.
The US will face England on Friday and France on Tuesday to finish off the round-robin tournament. Hopefully Ellis continues to give new(ish) players chances to get on the pitch with the established vets.
Emerson Hyndman continues to endear himself to the Rangers faithful, scoring this stoppage-time winner against St. Johnstone on Wednesday:
EMERSON HYNDMAN STOPPAGE TIME MATCH-WINNER https://t.co/Jx7h57dRus (via @andys_tache) https://t.co/aXcvYrgBpf
— Stars and Stripes FC (@StarsStripesFC) March 1, 2017
What a beauty. Hyndman has been a bright spot for the struggling Scottish club — currently in third place in the league — since joining on loan from Premier League side Bournemouth in January, scoring three goals. Are you seeing what I’m seeing, Bruce?