On a personal level soccer has never been a sport but more of an outlet where I can release stress and feel rejuvenated. Although because of the increase in workload of studies and more demands of my courses I have been able to give less time to it, I still follow all league matches and try to remain as up to date about my favorite teams as possible. I have been following the Seattle Sounders FC in the Major League Soccer,and I think that the team has immense potential. In particular I have been following Clint Dempsey who is a midfielder and has been known for his ability to throw quick goals.
Clint Dempsey, whose real name is Clinton Drew Dempsey, has been playing soccer since childhood. He started for the Dallas Texans after which he played for Furman University’s men’s soccer team. He went on to become the captain of the team and also the highest scorer. In the year 2004, he was selected to join the Major League Soccer Club New England Revolution. With this team he made a record of scoring 25 goals in only 71 appearances. In 2005, he contributed ten goals in 26 games and nine assists,and he is also credited with scoring the winning goal in the Eastern Conference Final in the MLS Cup Final. Clint Dempsey has had a very engaging career in club soccer,and he has been part of some of the best national as well as international clubs and teams. He has played for New England Revolution, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur. He is also the captain of the Unites States National team for soccer. (Landis JR, Koch GC, 1977)
His style of play is very engaging and his technique, which he uses as a midfielder, sets him apart from the rest of the players. He has played in the center, upright and up front nanosecond striker,and he has displayed exceptional ability to score goals from a long distance. However his ability to score goals from a shorter distance is also remarkable,and he is known for scoring goals against two major international teams immediately after he was moved forward. He has also scored repeatedly with diving headers and that too in crowded situations.
He has also built a reputation for himself for fierce play because of his close controlled dribbling skills and the tenacity with which he approaches midfield. For the Seattle Founders alone in the year 2014 he has made four appearances and scored six goals while in 2013 he made 12 appearances and scored one goal. Owing to his remarkable scoring record he has won the US Soccer Athlete of the Year award three times in the years 2007, 2011 and 2012. (Gréhaigne JF, Mahut B, Fernandez A., 2001)
He also holds the record for the then fastest goal in the 2010 World Cup Qualifier when he shot a goal within 53 seconds and beat Barbados with an 8-0 victory. For this season MLS has recorded Clint Dempsey at the number one rank for the highest number of goals in this season. Although his fierce play has raised concerns amongst the teams,I can see that this tenacity is required on the field,and this urges him to keep his energy and tempo up.
Works cited:
Gréhaigne JF, Mahut B, Fernandez A. Qualitative observation tools to analyse soccer. Int J Perform Anal Sport 2001; 1(1): 52- 61.
Landis JR, Koch GC. The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics 1977; 33: 1089-91.
