#DARSports: Is Clint Dempsey the Greatest North American Soccer Player?
By Speed on the Beat (@SpeedontheBeat)
(Ed. Note: Now, before you bite my head off for calling it "soccer" versus "football," know that both terms seemingly are growing in popularity. Sooooo, yeah. Don't be a hipster elitist a-hole. Also, we're talking ACTIVE players, so no Alexis Lalas or Landon Donovans, or Brian McBrides)
I'm not sure how many of you out there keep up with soccer outside the occasional World Cup game at the bar, but it's a pretty amazing sport. Dry, but amazing. I'm admittedly biased because I have actually played the sport on a intramural and grade school level, so I know the passion and intricacies which go into getting on the pitch and actually performing at a winning caliber. As you get further up the ranks, that passion and those intricacies multiply in importance, to the point where, if you don't keep your head bouncing around like a soccer ball while maintaining your composure, all is lost.
Which brings me to the title question: is Clint Dempsey the greatest soccer player from North America? Before we begin, let's take Tim Howard out the question. Why? The guy's a gift from Pele, Messi, and Lev Yashin (look him up). He's, for all intents and purposes, Superman when it comes to being an American goalie. Plus, that'd be too easy to say "screw Dempsey, it's Howard all the way." Let's make it a fair competition.
Dempsey has played for storied clubs Fulham and Spurs. He's second on the all-time USMNT scoring list (behind Landon Donovan). He's in the top ten for assists for the USMNT. Plus, he's been critical in keeping soccer in the minds of Americans after Beckham retired and whenever people have that post-World Cup lull. Yes, Javier Hernandez (Chicharito) has played for Man U and Real Madrid, but many who don't keep up with soccer wouldn't know who he is. Same with others in this argument (that's more the fault of some Americans not really rocking with soccer as much as they probably should)
That's, of course, not to say that Dempsey is the greatest because he's known. That'd be like saying LeBron deserved MVP this year because he's LeBron. However, being well-known doesn't hurt Dempsey's case. Therefore, I'd have to argue that yes, Clint Dempsey is the Greatest (Active) North American Soccer Player. Plus, he raps, and doesn't sound like a complete ass when he does it.
(Ed. Note: Now, before you bite my head off for calling it "soccer" versus "football," know that both terms seemingly are growing in popularity. Sooooo, yeah. Don't be a hipster elitist a-hole. Also, we're talking ACTIVE players, so no Alexis Lalas or Landon Donovans, or Brian McBrides)
I'm not sure how many of you out there keep up with soccer outside the occasional World Cup game at the bar, but it's a pretty amazing sport. Dry, but amazing. I'm admittedly biased because I have actually played the sport on a intramural and grade school level, so I know the passion and intricacies which go into getting on the pitch and actually performing at a winning caliber. As you get further up the ranks, that passion and those intricacies multiply in importance, to the point where, if you don't keep your head bouncing around like a soccer ball while maintaining your composure, all is lost.
Which brings me to the title question: is Clint Dempsey the greatest soccer player from North America? Before we begin, let's take Tim Howard out the question. Why? The guy's a gift from Pele, Messi, and Lev Yashin (look him up). He's, for all intents and purposes, Superman when it comes to being an American goalie. Plus, that'd be too easy to say "screw Dempsey, it's Howard all the way." Let's make it a fair competition.
Dempsey has played for storied clubs Fulham and Spurs. He's second on the all-time USMNT scoring list (behind Landon Donovan). He's in the top ten for assists for the USMNT. Plus, he's been critical in keeping soccer in the minds of Americans after Beckham retired and whenever people have that post-World Cup lull. Yes, Javier Hernandez (Chicharito) has played for Man U and Real Madrid, but many who don't keep up with soccer wouldn't know who he is. Same with others in this argument (that's more the fault of some Americans not really rocking with soccer as much as they probably should)
That's, of course, not to say that Dempsey is the greatest because he's known. That'd be like saying LeBron deserved MVP this year because he's LeBron. However, being well-known doesn't hurt Dempsey's case. Therefore, I'd have to argue that yes, Clint Dempsey is the Greatest (Active) North American Soccer Player. Plus, he raps, and doesn't sound like a complete ass when he does it.
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