One year.
It’s been one magical year since the one and only Clint Dempsey decided to return to Major League Soccer with your very own Seattle Sounders FC.
There have been some highs (lots of them), there have been some lows (less of them) along the way but it has been a fantastic ride, one that is just beginning.
Given the special anniversary of Clint’s signing, a look back at some of the year’s highlights with No.2 in Rave Green seemed appropriate…because frankly, it’s been great having him in Seattle and MLS.
It all started in late July of 2013 when the #DempeyWatch hashtag took Twitter by storm. Sightings of Clint at airports and news of his departure from Tottenham Hotspur. The whole country was on the edge of its collective seat clambering for more information about whether the USMNT captain would return to MLS after a seven-year absence.
Then this…
August 3rd, 2013: The news dropped, the world stopped.
August 4th, 2013: The next day, following the announcement, Clint was officially unveiled to the 40,000-plus fans at CenturyLink Field ahead of the Sounders match with FC Dallas. More on the whirlwind signing.
August 10th, 2013: In his first match as a member of the Seattle Sounders, the club went on the road to Toronto and came away with a solid 2-1 victory.
August 17th, 2013: The following week, Clint made his return to his home state of Texas in a disappointing 3-1 defeat.
August 30th, 2013: This was really funny in Columbus, which would later play host to a vital World Cup qualifier between the USA and Mexico, one the home side would win by the storied 2-0 scoreline.
September 7th, 2013: In the match, Clint won his 100th cap as a player for the United States of America.
October 27th, 2013: It took a little while longer than he may have hoped, but Clint’s first goal in Rave Green came in the regular season finale against the LA Galaxy in a 1-1 draw.
December 20th, 2013: After the Sounders untimely exit from the MLS postseason, Clint’s USA standing became even more solidified as he was named to the country’s all-time best XI.
December 24th, 2013: On Christmas Eve, Dempsey was loaned to his former club Fulham to help it stay afloat in the Premier League. Given that it was only two months, Clint wasn’t able to help as much as he would have hoped and the Cottagers were relegated.
March 9th, 2014: Clint’s loan with Fulham ended with enough time for him to return to the Sounders lineup for the opening match of the 2014 season - a 1-0 victory over Sporting KC at CenturyLink Field.
April 5th, 2014: In arguably his biggest match as a Sounder to date, Dempsey scored an emphatic hat trick at Portland to help the club draw 4-4 with the Timbers. Absolutely unbelievable match.
April 12th, 2014: The scoring didn’t stop there for Dempsey as the American notched a pair of goals in his second match in Texas in the club’s 3-2 victory over FC Dallas.
May 1st, 2014: Another two goals and two assists later, Clint was named the MLS Player of the Month for his outstanding month of April.
May 22nd, 2014: We knew it was coming. Clint was named to the USMNT 23-man roster for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Joining him was the Sounders fantastic defender DeAndre Yedlin.
June 16th, 2014: Not only did Clint become the first American to score at three straight World Cups…but he also scored the fastest goal in U.S. Soccer World Cup history in the 2-1 win over hated Ghana.
June 22nd, 2014: Despite a gut-wrenching late equalizer from Portugal, Clint was able to score a second goal in Brazil with the help DeAndre Yedlin. What a thriller that match was.
July 1st, 2014: It was a tough one to swallow, but the USA bowed out of the World Cup at the Knockout Stage following an extra time defeat at the hands of Belgium.
July 13th, 2014: What a return to Rave Green it was for Mr. Dempsey who was a focal point of the Sounders 2-0 victory over the Portland Timbers at CenturyLink Field in front of over 60,000 fans.
July 19th, 2014: Oh, and he also was named the cover athlete of EA Sports’ FIFA 15…with none other than Lionel Messi.
August 3rd, 2014: 365 days later, it still doesn’t seem real.
Not a bad year, really.
