Make room for Deuce.
On Saturday evening, Clint Dempsey's first-half equalizer tied Fredy Montero's club scoring record for MLS regular-season action. It was his 47th goal for the Sounders in league play, including his first of the 2018 campaign. Like so many other goals in his illustrious pro career, Dempsey's perfect timing knocked home a cross from close range. It also gave the Sounders a point in a 1-1 draw against the Chicago Fire.
"It felt good to score; it was a great play," Dempsey said after the match. "[Harry] Shipp played a good ball to Will [Bruin], who cut the ball back well. All I did was tap it in. Anytime you get good service in the box, it's always great as an attacking player because it gives you more opportunities to score."
Dempsey, 35, will look to kickstart into form after Saturday's tally. It was his first goal in the regular season since last September, by far his longest scoring drought as an MLS player. With Víctor Rodríguez nearing back to full strength and Nicolás Lodeiro going a full 90 minutes against the Fire, it's evident the offensive corps is finally ready to move forward as a unit.
"It's been a tough year for me personally, but for the whole team," added Dempsey. "We've had a lot of injuries and it's been difficult to create chances. We're getting guys healthy and you can see we are creating more, hopefully more goals will come for everybody."
With a 3-8-3 record and just 12 points through 14 matches, the Sounders have put themselves in a precarious position as the season rolls into the summer months. In seven days, the Sounders face the Portland Timbers in the biggest match of the season to date.
"We've got to treat every game like it's a final," said Dempsey. "Hopefully we'll get some points and make a late push to try to get into the playoffs."
