Rookie of the Year Clint Dempsey

Congrats to Clint, he really looked the part this year. He's got to be one of the coolest headed players I've seen.

 

YES! He really deserves this. I know a lot of people were saying Marshall should, but it was easy for Marshall to look good when he team won the Supporters' Shield (and then ultimately embarassed themselves against us ) Clint stepped up and performed this year. Well deserved.

 

x1,000,000

Fantastic news. One of the only consistent bright spots in an otherwise (end of season playoff run-up notwithstanding) craptacular season. Hope this is a sign of many years of good work for both us and the national squad ahead.

 

Even better is that Marshall was second in the voting and Adu was 3rd. They really got this one right.

 

Bravo, Clint. Effin-fantastic-tissimo!
Oh yeah, Eph-U, Freddie Adu!

Revolution midfielder Clint Dempsey named MLS Gatorade Rookie of the Year - Dempsey tops finalists Freddy Adu and Chad Marshall for award

Foxborough, Mass. - Major League Soccer announced today that New England
Revolution midfielder Clint Dempsey has been named Gatorade Rookie of the
Year for the 2004 season. Dempsey, the Revs' first-round selection in the
2004 MLS SuperDraft (8th overall), becomes the first New England player to
win the award while a member of the Revolution.

Dempsey, born and raised in Nacogdoches, Texas, signed with MLS as part of
the Nike Project-40 program, after three standout seasons playing for the
Furman University Paladins. He posted scoring totals of seven goals and one
assist (15 points) in 24 games in his rookie season.

A broken jaw kept Dempsey out of the 2004 Sierra Mist All-Star game after he
was named to the Eastern Conference squad for the July 31 match in
Washington, D.C. Over the course of the league campaign, Dempsey performed
for head coach Steve Nicol in several positions, including both attacking
and defensive midfield roles and at forward.

Dempsey won the Rookie of the Year award despite missing five games due to
the jaw injury and he played on a sprained ankle, injured on August 28, for
much of September. He took the league by storm in the first three months of
the season, scoring six of his seven goals before being placed on the
injured list. Dempsey scored his seventh goal on October 16 in the Revs' 2-1
win over the Chicago Fire that clinched a third consecutive playoff berth
for New England.

Dempsey topped Columbus Crew defender Chad Marshall and D.C. United
midfielder Freddy Adu, the other two finalists, for the Rookie of the Year
honors. The award was announced today at the annual MLS Media Luncheon at
The Home Depot Center Stadium Club in Carson, California. The 2004 MLS Best
XI and Commissioner's Award will be announced on Saturday, Nov. 13 during
the MLS Gala Awards Party at the Universal Studios Globe Theatre.

Revolution forward Pat Noonan will be present at the MLS Gala Awards Party
to receive his trophy for sharing the 2004 Budweiser Scoring Championship
with the MetroStars Amado Guevara. Noonan scored 11 goals to go with eight
assists for 30 points on the season.

Dempsey is the third player on the current Revs roster to win Rookie of the
Year honors. Midfielder Steve Ralston (with the Tampa Bay Mutiny in 1996)
and defender Jay Heaps (Miami Fusion, 1999) are both previous recipients of
the prize.

MLS Cup 2004, the League's ninth championship game, will be played on
Sunday, November 14 at The Home Depot Center. MLS Cup 2004, featuring D.C.
United and the Kansas City Wizards, will be televised live on ABC Sports at
3:30 p.m. ET.
In celebration of their 10th season of play in Major League Soccer,
Revolution season tickets prices for 2005 are rolled back down to the
original price levels from the Revolution's inaugural MLS season in 1996.
Center Circle season ticket memberships for the 2005 season are just $9.00,
$13.50, or $18.00 per ticket - the same exact prices from 1996. Call
1-877-GET-REVS for tickets.
--REVOLUTION--

 

At the risk of becoming public enemy #1 around here, I think they got this one wrong. Dempsey is a fine fine player, but a strong case can be made that Marshall should be a Best XI player. I saw most NER games this season, and I don't think Dempsey consistently played to the same level Marshall did. Marshall was a dominant player on the defensive side of the ball, and had one or two of his shots off the post gone in, this award goes the other way.

That said, what a fine rookie class this turned out to be. Adu, Marshall, Dempsey, Gros, Cochrane, Wingert, Parke. All of those guys should have nice long careers.

 

Congrats Clint! As I've expressed previously, I would also have been happy had the award been shared by Dempsey and Marshall: both had excellent first years, and hopefully, shuld be fixtures in the league and hopefully the USMNT in the future.

 

Ditto. I look forward to seeing you get your first Cap shorthly and being part of the Revs MLS Cup Winning Team in 2005

 

Congrats to Clint!

Didn't see much of Marshall, but from what others are saying, I'm sure he could have won also. Adu I did see a bunch of, and I think he needs a bit more development, so he rightfully misses out. Adu will probably go far though, so he's got no problems.

 

C'mon, fess up. You're just pissed off becaus you are stuck with "Coach of the Year" Greg An-clueless for at least another year. Maybe he'll make Marshall sit the bench next time you have a crucial game

Seriously, either player could have won it, and I wouldn't have had a problem if it had gone to Marshall. I'm just glad Adu didn't win it.

Tom

 

Like many said it could have gone either way but Dempsey played at a level that could have had him considered for MVP early on in the season (pre-injury). Sucks for Columbus who will have a tough reason for firing Andrulis, but then again LA was able to do it.

 

I can't wait to see him play for the Nats! Totally deserved award.

 

Couldn't disagree more. Dempsey by far was the deserved ROTY. He didn't play like a rookie and stepped in when more experienced players were missing with no drop off in talent. That being said, I do think that Marshall had a very good year and that Gros for DC was always tough. Freddy-mania? Didn't deserve to be on the field in some games and most certainly didn't deserve to start. I was impressed with the poise of this young player and DC has always had a good track record of developing young talent.

 

I thought that Marshall played well, and could have easily won the award. But before he was injured, Dempsey was one of the best players in the league. Playing a game or two with a broken jaw before he had it wired shut and fighting through that ankle injury may have taken away from his consistency, but I like that kind of toughness.

 

So does Bruce Arena like that kind of toughness. I think there is a good chance we could see Clint in the game against Jamaica next week.

Clint is so good that I think some European teams are probably already inquiring about his availability.

 

Congrats to Mr.Dempsey!!
And I agree with what has been previously posted above to the effect that Clint was the deserving party in the end.

After expressing excitement with his winning this award, I was waiting for some publication to print this:

"CLINT TICKLED BY ROY"

(ok...so, maybe not)

 

Congratulations for a well deserved honor. Now go shoot 10,000 penalties.

 

For some interesting perspective, go check out the Crew boards: Dempsey's not nearly getting as much love there as Marshall is here.

 

In the past I've noted that the average post on the Crew Board is strongly contaminated by anger, resentment and jealousy

 

So no difference from here then!

 

Photo courtesy of Andy Mead, and further MLS Cup Weekend photos here:

http://www.ibiblio.org/footy/2004/1112_mls_media_ajm.php

 

Photo taken yesterday?
Dodgy haircut from 1975.
Where are the mutton chops?