Dempsey Signs for Seattle Sounders

[WolverineFFC]

I am stunned to be honest, but with the terms coming out, I get it.

Transfer fee the same as last summer roughly, an MLS record.

Huge contract, reported at $30 million over 4 yrs, an MLS record.

Playing in front of $40,000 fans a night in what is widely accepted as the best playing environment in North America in Seattle, part of the Northwest trio of teams.

Secures playing time ahead of the 2014 WC, likely his last.  

All in all, seems like a great deal for him, especially if he is ready to leave Europe.

Gonna be really difficult for all the "yank haters" who support the club going forward, considering one of us owns the club now...

[Ordar]

I'm stunned this has happened. Seems like Dempsey has given up. What a very strange move

[zander]

The Sounders are holding a 'special presentation' before their game with Dallas tonight, so I assume that the deal is completely tied up.

[MJG]

So anyone still want to go on about him being world class and good enough for a CL team/top 4 team?

[LBNo11]

...I cannot unlike Demps after all he did for Fulham, he had heart and gave 100% and scored some great and important goals for us-do we miss him - of course we do. Hated seeing him in a spurs shirt (at least it wasn't a Mickey shirt) so good luck to him...

[Count Berbatov]

He did wonders for you. But it was time for him to move on. That said, he was never going to make it at a big club. Sorry Spurs aren't the big club I was referring to, but he didn't have much of a chance there either..

[HatterDon]

I'll just have a look at the rest of the first page and see if there's a 3rd or 4th thread about this.

[Yellow Jacket]

I was wrong. Dempsey was lying. It wasn't about the Champions League. It was about money and the greater goal of being a successful USMNT captain. I'm not trying to make him a martyr but realistically his goals of CL have shifted. His wife could have also been tired of living in England. That was a minor tremor.

[Logicalman]

I was wrong. Dempsey was lying. It wasn't about the Champions League. It was about money and the greater goal of being a successful USMNT captain. I'm not trying to make him a martyr but realistically his goals of CL have shifted. His wife could have also been tired of living in England. That was a minor tremor.

Just leave it that he lied. CL football? He's just another potential football great that managed to mess his professional career up, for whatever reasons he might like to spout, I wouldn't believe him if he claimed the sun rises in the east every morning.

[Danitar]

Hope it was worth joining spurs Dempsey

[Logicalman]

.. and as for the USMNT, they did VERY without a hint of him this past Gold Cup. Klinsman has them playing the best I have seen them in many, many years, so very enjoyable to watch. If Demps walks back in, in place of Wondolowski, Shea or Donovan, I will be disappointed.

[Fulham76]

This is simple to explain - it's all about money. He has effectively been given the boot by spurs & knows he won't make it in to another champions league team. He's just turned 30 but is just about still able to demand a decent transfer fee & salary, which he's taken. Back home as well for his last big deal.

[Yellow Jacket]

.. and as for the USMNT, they did VERY without a hint of him this past Gold Cup. Klinsman has them playing the best I have seen them in many, many years, so very enjoyable to watch. If Demps walks back in, in place of Wondolowski, Shea or Donovan, I will be disappointed.

Uh that's the B team. Not the A team which Dempsey is a huge part of and they are at the top of the group. The Gold Cup is a cakewalk compared to the WCQ campaign. Sure, they did well but don't exaggerate. It's not about Demps walking back in. It's about who from the Gold Cup B squad will join Demps and his A squad. He's the captain for the national team. You know nothing about the USMNT.

Dempsey did lie but I'm not going to judge because if I had the option of a contract which is claimed that he will earn or a Champions League appearance. I know what I would pick. I would take the money and run. At the end of the day, this is all that matters for probably the majority of footballers. You only get one career. Make as much money as you can and sit on that for the rest of your life. Instead of having to work more common day jobs like us.

Spurs wanted him and were willing to keep him around. In fact, Adebayor was more likely to have been given the boot. Dempsey was the 3rd highes goalscorer on the team last year. He has a proven record as a goalscorer. His minutes would have been reduced no doubt but he was still in the plans. However, they as most clubs will always listen to offers and they found a nice deal to get their money back while Clint got moneybags in his eyes. His transfer away was just as his transfer in. Opportunistic.

[YankeeJim]

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Well, this is indeed a coup for MLS. Not because of Dempsey but because of all those who will now follow MLS in order to  find negative things about the man so as to start threads about  him on FOF.

[MisfitKid]

Good luck to him...
Hopefully he stay healthy playing on that crap turf the Flounders play on...   :008:

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

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Well, this is indeed a coup for MLS. Not because of Dempsey but because of all those who will now follow MLS in order to  find negative things about the man so as to start threads about  him on FOF.

Just like all those who went to Spurs message boards?

Look at this thread. There are hardly any negative posts and many who say that they would take him back.

What creates long Dempsey threads are inaccurate statements, dubious claims and wumming such as your post having an unfair and unpleasant dig at FoF posters.

[BarryP]

.. and as for the USMNT, they did VERY without a hint of him this past Gold Cup. Klinsman has them playing the best I have seen them in many, many years, so very enjoyable to watch. If Demps walks back in, in place of Wondolowski, Shea or Donovan, I will be disappointed.

You have a very dry sense of humor sir.

[Abbotsbury White]

He's a footballer its what he gets paid for,nearing the latter stages of his career I can understand the move considering the contract on offer,he got where he is with a lot of hard graft,fair play.In his early days with us he was not even a starter but again he did the hard shift and became a fans favourite,big shame the way it ended,could have stayed with us for 1yr more gone back to the States and would have gone down in FFC folkelore, I'm just grateful he wont be popping up and scoring a winner against us at the cottage,so long Deuce

[JHunter_Fulham4Life]

it is pretty crazy that move, would have welcomed him back here but good luck to him I guess

In many ways, it makes sense. MLS lost its major star when Becks retired, and Demps is one of the most recognizable stars in American football today. Brian McBride added at least four more years to his career moving back to MLS. Demps was never going to be anything but just another number at Spurs or the other "Big Clubs", moving back to us would have been seen as trying to erase a mistake (which it would have been), and the other EPL clubs where he WOULD have been a star wouldn't have had the kind of "spotlight effect" Demps wants. Going to a lower league helped Jozy Altidore become a star, and Donovan's success at LA Galaxy has made him a hot property in Europe again -- Everton would have signed him permanently if they'd had the funds, and it would have been a great marriage IMHO.

I was surprised when I heard it was Sounders, but it all came clear with some thought: LA Galaxy wouldn't have worked because he'd have been in Beckham's shadow; Red Bull NY already has its star in Henry, even though he's fading; and while Houston Dynamo or FC Dallas would have made more sense because Demps is a Texan, but Dallas is on the down and Dominic Kinnear is very big on the "No Stars" philosophy. (Hey, for him it works!) Sounders is the gold standard as far as MLS goes -- best manager, most consistent performance on the pitch, most money from an ownership standpoint, most insane fans by volume (if only because you can get more people into their ground than Portland can into their little bandbox), and they play truly entertaining football. Put Demps on the same line with Obafemi Martins and it'll be explosive.

It's a good move for him and a great move for MLS, who are usually losing American stars. If Sounders plays Red Bull or NE Revolution, I'm going!

[Logicalman]

.. and as for the USMNT, they did VERY without a hint of him this past Gold Cup. Klinsman has them playing the best I have seen them in many, many years, so very enjoyable to watch. If Demps walks back in, in place of Wondolowski, Shea or Donovan, I will be disappointed.

You have a very dry sense of humor sir.

Yeah, and don't we all know it - must be something with me moving south!! LOL