When the Seattle Sounders shut down Clint Dempsey for the remainder of the year as he recovers from an irregular heartbeat, they weren’t the only team affected.
Dempsey is the United States men’s national team’s second all-time leading goalscorer and has been an integral part of its DNA for the past decade. As the team prepares for its match against Cuba in Havana on Oct. 7 - the first of two friendlies during the international break - it must do so for the first time since Dempsey has been officially ruled out.
“We all heard about Clint about a month ago and obviously our first thought was that we hope it’s not career-ending and we hope that he’s OK because after soccer there’s a lot more to life,” said midfielder Sacha Kljestan. “He does have four kids to take care of. I hope he’s doing OK and I hope we see him back on the field.
“Not having him here we miss a big part of the attack.”
The Sounders initially announced Dempsey’s condition on Aug. 26. He traveled to the East Coast for a procedure, returned to training on Sept. 14 and then left the team again to have more tests done. Seattle ruled him out for the remainder of the season on Sept. 27 with the hope he can return in 2017.
Sounders General Manager and President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey said that he has been in contact with U.S. Soccer and they are on the same page regarding Dempsey’s health and recovery. The USMNT reached the Hexagonal last month in 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying without Dempsey, but his United States teammates are continuing to wish him well.
“[Dempsey’s] life is more important than each game of football,” forward Jozy Altidore told reporters in Spanish. “It’s bad news for everyone. I hope everything goes well for him. The priority is his life.”
U.S. manager Jurgen Klinsmann has called in fellow Sounders forward Jordan Morris for the team’s two friendlies. After Cuba, the U.S. will host New Zealand in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 11 before beginning the Hex on Nov. 11 against Mexico in Columbus, Ohio.
