TUKWILA, Wash. ā Seattle Sounders forward Clint Dempsey isnāt exactly accustomed to a super-sub role.
With the addition of Peruvian striker Raul Ruidiaz and Will Bruin leading the team in goals, however, Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer suddenly finds himself with more starting-caliber forwards than spots on the field. And for the first time since he signed with the Sounders back in 2013, Dempseyās place in the starting XI is not a given.
Dempsey hasnāt started since Seattleās 3-2 defeat to the Portland Timbers on June 30. Heās made three substitute appearances in five games since, sitting out the other two while working back from a groin injury. The Sounders host New York City FC on Sunday (5 pm ET | ESPN - full TV & streaming info)
āThereās just the squad rotation, itās a lot of [different] things that we factor in,ā Schmetzer told reporters after a recent training session. āAt home, when you can be on the front foot, you donāt have to defend as much, does he come and give you good minutes? Sure. On the road, a little more conservative approach, thatās the way we might [handle] it.ā
Having a surplus of forwards certainly qualifies as a good problem to have. But Dempsey is famously ruthlessly competitive and remains one of the Sounders' most proven and lethal finishers.
Would he really be accepting of a regular substitute role?
āClint is a team guy,ā Schmetzer said. ā[He] wants the team to be successful. I think heās still a member of the group weāll need to rely on to help us win some more games. Itās going to get crowded. If youāre talking about Ruidiaz and Clint and Bruin and Ozzie [Alonso] coming back, Gustav [Svensson] coming back, Roman [Torres] coming back ā those are going to be tough choices. But itās good choices.
āWill and Deuce have done a great job [scoring] over their time here. You add another guy [Ruidiaz] to the mix, itās always good news.ā
Itās also an issue that may very well solve itself with more time, both on the training ground and in games.
While Dempsey has yet to establish a rhythm this season with just one goal in 902 minutes, he also hasnāt had a weapon as dynamic as Ruidiaz that can soak up attention from opposing defenses and open up space to get the chances heās made a career out of finishing. The hope for Schmetzer is that the increased support Ruidiaz provides could lead to a spike in Dempseyās production.
Bruin, meanwhile, brings a different skill-set to the table but has said heās experienced and comfortable with a two-striker setup that could potentially materialize.
āItās all just a matter of time,ā said Schmetzer. āTheyāre all three very, very talented soccer players so the longer theyāre on the field together, the more they get to know the things they like to do, where they want the ball, how they want to the ball, itāll all come ā itāll come together pretty quickly.ā