Major League Soccer has nominated Seattle Sounders forward Clint Dempsey for 2017 MLS Comeback Player of the Year. An irregular heartbeat kept Dempsey out of the final third of the 2016 regular season and the entire run through the to MLS Cup Playoffs, but he returned mightily this year with a team-high 12 goals, the second-highest goal production in his eight MLS seasons.
Ahead of the Comeback Player of the Year announcement on Nov. 15, SoundersFC.com counts down Dempsey’s top five goals of the year to date.
No. 4: November 9
No. 3: November 10
No. 2: November 13
No. 1: November 14
No. 5
With the Seattle Sounders leading 3-0 against Minnesota United on Aug. 5 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis and already a goal in the bag, Dempsey wasn’t done. After a deep run down the left flank in the 72nd minute, Joevin Jones picked out Dempsey at the top of the 18-yard box. He cut to his left, faked a shot then cut back to his right and slotted a shot past goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth to secure the Sounders’ most convincing win of the year.