With Copa America Centenario just around the corner, FourFourTwo USA sat down to think long and hard about the best players in U.S. Men's National Team history to proudly wear the crest over the years. Two Sounders - one current and one former - made the final cut.
Players were judged on five major criteria: Impact on the USMNT, skill set, successfulness of club career, pioneering status and something they cite as 'intangibles' (but we're sure this means how 'awesome' they are). After the votes were tallied, former Sounders and USMNT goalkeeper Kasey Keller made the cut at ninth place and current designated player Clint Dempsey clocked in at fourth.
Keller had 102 caps during his time with the USMNT, which spanned from 1990 to 2007. The Olympia, WA native began his professional career in Europe before signing with the Rave Green ahead of the team's inaugural season. Keller hung up the gloves in 2011 as MLS' Goalkeeper of the Year and has since moved on to join ESPN's broadcasting team as well as the Sounders'.
Dempsey's USMNT career started back in 2004 and since his debut, he's earned 124 caps and netted 49 goals, just eight shy of Landon Donovan's USMNT scoring record. Dempsey appeared in the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups and is the first American to ever score in three World Cups. Since joining the Sounders back in 2013, the forward has scored 31 goals in 75 games.
