Seattle Sounders forward Clint Dempsey was named MLS Player of the Week for Week 24 after his brace against the Portland Timbers in their 3-1 victory this past Sunday. This is the first time that Dempsey has been named MLS Player of the Week in 2016.
Dempsey scores Seattle's first goal on a penalty
After a scoreless first half that saw both teams with chances to take an early lead, the first goal didn’t come until the 61st minute after midfielder Cristian Roldan earned a penalty after he was fouled in the box by Vytautas Andriuskevicius. Dempsey took the ball and placed it on the spot and buried his kick to the right of a diving Jake Gleeson. Dempsey was able to atone for his missed penalty the week before against Nick Rimando and Real Salt Lake.
Dempsey doubles the lead late in the second half
After Portland had a few chances to tie the game, Dempsey put it away in the 81st minute to secure his brace. After receiving a pass from Roldan in the final third, Dempsey took two touches and fired his shot from just outside the 18-yard box to the lower right side of the goal past a diving Gleeson. Dempsey was able to take his shot with relative easy as Steven Taylor decided to lay off and not press Dempsey. This allowed Dempsey yards of space and made it too easy for the U.S. international.
Dempsey on fire as of late
After scoring only three goals in his first 14 appearances for the Sounders, Dempsey has scored five goals in his last three games. Three weeks ago, Dempsey scored all three goals in Seattle’s 3-1 victory over Orlando City. Dempsey know has eight goals on the season and is tied for the team lead with Jordan Morris. Dempsey also has now scored eight goals against the Timbers since arriving in Seattle back in 2013.
What’s next
Dempsey and the Sounders travel to BBVA Compass Stadium to take on the Houston Dynamo this Wednesday. Dempsey will look to lead Seattle to their fourth straight win against the last place Dynamo. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:00 pm ET.
The MLS Player of the Week is selected each week of the regular season by a panel of journalists from NASR. The group consists of members of print, television, radio and media.