We're already in a lot of trouble. We have played the most games of the teams around us. Seattle has 2 less games played and Portland has 3 more to play just to catch up to us. Vancouver is also only 1 point behind us with a game in hand too. ONLY good news here is we still have to play RSL, Seattle, and Vancouver. Those need to be wins or else we are out of the playoffs.
Dempsey retires pretty abruptly...The season is almost over so I don't understand why this timing? Donovan's record somehow stays in tact as well. I fully thought when Donovan retired all those years ago, his record would get crushed by Dempsey.
When your body lets you down... it lets you down. He was a punk. But when he was representing the USA he was our punk.
Yea I have a feeling his body just gave up on him. The way Dempsey plays means he doesn't really need speed to be effective. He is a good player who finds space, and can score goals from anywhere. This season he has had it rough. Huge drop off in quality, but I wasn't expecting him to retire just yet.
When I first saw the headline I thought it was the typical at the end fo the season. Effective immediately is odd. Was never the biggest Dempsey fan, but he scored a game winning goal away to United to finally win at Old Trafford after decades. Also a late game tying goal the same season against United. That will always be special.
I remember watching him play earlier this season against the LAFChivas, he looked like he did not want to be there. When he was playing with Obafemi Martins, that was a scary combination. They played off each other so well, I was relieved when Martins left Seattle.
Another end of an era. Kinda neat that D&D ended on the same amount of goals. Can't believe Beaz outlasted both.
Dempsey's retiring marks the end of a US era. An undisputed all-time great as far as American soccer players go; one of the best to don the US jersey, featured in some of the best USMNT achievements and had a distinguished club career, including more than 200 PL appearances. I would stop short of calling him a US legend, though 50+ PL goals is pretty damned impressive. It's a shame he finished out his international career amid such inauspicious circumstances, culminating in WC failure but didn't have much to do with that.
With that said, with both players now retired, how did their careers stack up? For the US - Head to Head (*indicates player holds all-time record): All time goals -- Tied (57)* All time assists -- Donovan (58)* All time appearances -- Donovan (157) Most goals in a game -- Donovan (4)* Most assists in a game -- Donovan (3, twice)* Most goals in a season -- Tied (9)* Most assists in a season -- Donovan (10)* Most pts in a season -- Donovan (24, 8 G, 8 A)* Most consecutive apps scoring a goal -- Donovan (4, twice)* Most consecutive apps with an assist -- Donovan (4, twice)* Hat tricks -- Donovan (3, vs. Cuba, Ecuador, Scotland)* Major titles -- Donovan (4 Gold Cups)* World Cup goals -- Donovan (5)* For two guys to be considered in contention for GOAT status, Dempsey never exceeded Donovan in a single category when it came to playing for the US and Donovan holds some records Dempsey never came close to touching. Dempsey also retired having never scored a single goal against Mexico. For club it gets more interesting, mostly because Donovan played very little at the top level, while Dempsey had some solid accomplishments in a top league. For club (*indicates player holds all-time record for American players): Major titles (overall) Donovan (6x MLS Cup*, 2x SS, 1x Open Cup) Dempsey (1x MLS Cup, 1x SS, 1x Open Cup) (Fun note on this one; Donovan holds both SS's from the leagues only two balanced-schedule seasons. Also, Dempsey did not play in the playoffs or final the season Seattle won their cup, due to a heart condition) MLS All time goals - Donovan (145)* All time assists - Donovan (136)* League Golden Boot -- Donovan (1) League MVP / POTY -- Donovan (1) League Best XI -- Donovan (7x)* Hat tricks - Donovan (5)* Club Golden Boot -- Donovan (7x) Club MVP / POTY - Donovan (4x) All time club goals - Donovan (113, Galaxy) All time club assists - Donovan (107, Galaxy) Top League All time goals - Dempsey (57, Premier League)* All time assists - Dempsey (??, Premier League)* Hat tricks - Dempsey (2, Premier League, FA Cup)* Club Golden Boot -- Dempsey (2x, Premier League)* Club MVP / POTY - Dempsey (2x, Premier League) Head-to-Head Results NE Revolution vs. LA Galaxy, MLS Cup 2005 - (Donovan/Galaxy, 0 - 1) Everton FC vs. Fulham FC, FA Cup Fourth Round 2012 - (Donovan/Everton, 2 - 1) Seattle Sounders FC vs. LA Galaxy, 2014 Reg. Season [result decided SS winner) - (Dempsey/Seattle, 2-0) Seattle Sounders FC vs. LA Galaxy, 2014 Conference Final (Donovan/Galaxy, agg. 2-2 on away goals)
I consider Donovan #1 and Dempsey #1b. Dempsey was a different player than Donovan, and it worked for the US. Donovan was more of an all around great player, whereas Dempsey was always a hard nose poacher.
I think Dempsey, particularly from maybe 2012 on, was more deadly in the box. It seemed for awhile that if you got the ball to him anywhere in the box, he'd finish. Over the same time, LD was getting used to being more provider. But overall, I think Donovan was in another class. The odd thing is Dempsey retires 2 goals away from Sounders' all-time goal scorer. While the US record is a longshot at this point, the Sounders record is probably within grasp.
The handwriting was on the wall, as long as Seattle is in the playoff hunt, Clint wasn't going to see the field. He had 1 goal and 1 assist in the equivalent of 10 games this year.
DCU upsets ATL, scoring 3 times, each against the run of the play. Don’t hate me for saying this but fun game to watch. Rooney has no speed left and even his shot is suspect but damn he can pass. Acosta and turn-coat Arriola with great games. For Atlanta - Almiron again showed he is MLS’s fastest player with the ball at his feet - a la Donovan in his prime. But unlike Donovan his shooting is hilariously bad at times. Guy has a mental block in front of the goal. He has 9 on the season but that’s only because he’s taken four million shots.
I think I owe Rooney an apology. He has revitalized DC completely. He seems to really be working with that team, and is doing significantly better than our #10. If DC can get 3-4 years of this from Rooney, I could see him being their Keane. He really has changed DC for the better.
If nothing else, at least LAG ruined one team's season: https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018...ge-time-july-home-loss-la-galaxy-brutal-slump
Pathetic. Every team loses points in the 90th minute at some point throughout an entire season. It sucks when it happens to you, but it happens.
Actually, I dislike New England more than any other team except LAFC, so their collapse is fine with me. I have always had the opinion that Robert Kraft is one of the cheap owners holding MLS back.
Robert Kraft probably shares your view. When I saw the presentation after the Patriots game where they reached the 2018 Superbowl (I believe it was officially called Superbowl XXIXIMIXIXMXIXIXMMIXVVIXMXIM) and he was introduced as "the best team owner is sports", I believe I actually blurted out without thinking "Oh **** off!!!!". He clearly cares about the Patriots, whereas the Revs are a thing to do with his stadium during the off-season.