Yeah, Okay... We'll Talk About It, Too...

((HT: ESPN/FIFA))

The HQ had the feeling Twitter broke twice in, about, a half an hour Sunday when Clint Dempsey scored and then CR7 assisted in game-tying goal with ten seconds left in the USA-Portugal match for a salvaged 2-2 draw.

Let's relive that hell all over again, shall we...??? With analysis...


So, there's all the talk now of colluding with Germany Thursday so both advance (yeah, that NEVER has happened in the past) and Portugal can go home- which would be the biggest irony of it all.

The back line was a complete breakdown in the last possession and NBCSports analyzes with a Molly Ringwold reference
((HT: Dan Patrick Show/Audience Network))


Yeah, it feels like a loss- and with a country that has increased expectations- it should be...

Now, go and park that bus against Germany!!!

Clint Dempsey's Goal Broke Twitter

((HT: ESPN/FIFA))

It was the 5th-fastest goal in World Cup history and the fastest ever in the history of the US National Men's team. But Clint Dempsey caught the Ghanaian defense napping for this opener in competition


Larger issues are around Jozy Altidore's injured hamstring and Matt Besler wasn't too far behind in the 41st minute to go along with the shot Dempsey took to his nose- which is, probably, broken.

Cascadia Doesn't Disappoint... Again...

((HT: MLS/NBCSN))

The "Cascadia Derby" involves three cities in the Pacific Northwest- Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver- and the teams and cities do not like each other when it comes to soccer. Seattle and Portland, especially, share an intense dislike for one another...

And this dates back to 1975...

Here's what it's like to be a part of the Timbers Army on game day...
((HT: KICKTV))


The teams play each other three times in the MLS season- and round one was in Portland...

Safe to say, with all these moving parts, it was another slug fest...


The Timbers are still winless on the season, at 0-2-3, while the Sounders are now 2-2-1.

41 shots, 38 fouls, 14 shots on goal, 8 goals, 7 yellow cards, and a Clint Dempsey hat trick...

That's all...

OSG Prem: Dempsey Returns To Fulham... For A While, Anyway...

((HT: Fulham FC their own selves))

Clint Dempsey says he wants to be in top form for the USMNT's run in the World Cup in Rio next year...

So, what does he want to do to get ready...???

Hopefully, for the folks at Craven Cottage, give them a much needed boost in their offense and a way to keep them from escaping relegation...

Dempsey will not be eligible to play for Fulham until January 1, when the Cottagers host West Ham in a London derby.

Here's the club's interview with him when he signed...


And they need all the help they can get...

Deuce Rolled Out In Seattle

((HT: MLS/KING-TV))

Now, having elevated his game from Fulham to Spurs, Clint Dempsey is now officially back in Major League Soccer for a reported $9-million transfer fee and a Designated Player status of $32-million over the next four years...

"I am very excited about coming back to the MLS and thrilled to be joining Sounders FC," said Dempsey as part of the press release. "Having recently played in Seattle with the National Team, I experienced the incredible atmosphere and the passion from the supporters first-hand. It's going to be an honor to represent the fans in Seattle." Think Seattle is serious...???

“Major League Soccer is thrilled to have Clint Dempsey, arguably one of the best players the United States has ever produced, return to the league to play for the Sounders,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in the standard press release. “Clint could have played in any league throughout the world, and he chose MLS and the Sounders. Our vision is to become one of the best leagues in the world, and we look forward to Clint being a part of that legacy.”

Dempsey is expected to join the Sounders’ workouts Monday and is supposed to make his debut with the club next Saturday in Toronto.

His first home game is supposed to be the Cascadia match-up on the 25th, when the Sounders host Portland.
No pressure there or anything...

Dempsey was presented to the fans at Century Link Field before the game with FC Dallas- and, to no one's surprise, he's wearing the number 2... gear available for purchase now at mlssoccer.com

Here's part of the welcome... ((HT: MLS/Sounders FC))

ICYMI: MLS Goes Big Time: Clint Dempsey Moves From The Premier League

Ini the professional soccer world, this is considered somewhat of a big deal. Though it's a bigger deal here in the U.S than in Europe.

U.S National soccer team captain Clint Dempsey is set to leave the English Premiere League Tottenham Hotspur team and sign a mega-deal to play in the U.S Major League Soccer for the Seattle Sounders.

Why is this a big deal?

On the global scale it's a big deal only because Dempsey is a big name soccer player. It's a coup for MLS, which usually loses players to the Premiere League, not the other way around. MLS is gaining traction in the U.S with the league looking to expand to as many as 30 teams over the next couple of years.

And keep that in mind, they need a face. A home-grown, marketable face and Dempsey certainly fills that role for them.

According to reports, the buyout from Tottenham is as much as $9 million and Dempsey is rumored to be getting a $4-8 million a year contract to move to Seattle. The Sounders are one of the leagues most successful franchises with a large, passionate fan-base and their own stadium.

It will be very interesting to see if the team...and the league can afford to start paying players that much money. Without a mega-TV deal, it will be tough. But MLS draws well in the markets they play in. And if you can put 20,000 or more in a stadium for your games, the chances of making some money increases--exponentially.

Costa Rica To Protest US Loss

((HT: ESPN/FIFA/US Soccer))

Costa Rica plans to file an official protest with FIFA about Friday's 1-0 loss to the US, according to Reuters...

Here's the highlights... the snowy highlights...and the reason for the idea of the protest...


A Costa Rica soccer federation official said that the protest would be made Saturday. Costa Rica has 24 hours to file a written protest with FIFA according to rules of engagement...

Ten minutes into the second half (or the 3:25 mark on the tape), Costa Rica coach Jorge Luis Pinto wanted the referee and match commissioner to suspend the game, but U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann made a case for playing on. Play continued and Pinto was angry during and after the game.

"I asked them to stop. They should suspend the ref," Pinto said. "It was an embarrassment. It was an insult to Costa Rica and people coming in here." Pinto said the "legal conditions" for playing were not met, according to Reuters.

"Honestly, it was robbery, a disgrace, I've never played a game in these conditions," Costa Rican midfielder Cristian Bolanos told Reuters. "You couldn't see the ball ... if we had played without snow, we would have won, I am sure."

The points are huge for US Soccer and the three points are integral in the quest to get to Rio and 2014's World Cup...
Analysis below...
((HT: ESPN))

OSG Prem: Another Weird FA Day As Spurs And Liverpool Lose

((HT: FA Cup/youtube))

The first surprise was when Leeds United, languishing in the middle of the Championship table, led by Ross McCormack helped give the home team a lead that Spurs couldn't catch back from- Clint Dempsey's goal withstanding...

A 2-1 win in Round 4 moves Leeds to the Round of 16


Liverpool is certainly going to get their share of grief after Brendan Rodgers' Reds went down a goal early to financially-strapped League 1 side Oldham United. It was the first time Liverpool had been beaten away from home in the FA Cup by a team at least two divisions below them since defeat at non-league Worcester City in 1959.

And Matt Smith, who was a year removed from playing outside the pro leagues entirely, scored his first two of the year at a great time...
((HT: FA Cup/Fox Soccer))


Brentford almost made it a clean sweep of Prem sides, but will have to settle for a replay at Stamford Bridge after a 2-2 tie with Chelsea.

OSG Prem: Don't Mess With Texas, Dempsey's Late Goal Ties ManU

((HT: PremierLeague/FoxSports))

Clint Dempsey's move from Fulham to Tottenham raised some eyebrows in the off-season. Folks wondered whether or not Dempsey would get enough playing time- much less even get a starting position in the 11.

People wondered if AVB would even give him a chance... period...

Dempsey has come off the bench as the first sub in offensive substitutions and has given Spurs a spark...

Evidence below as the team stole a point from Manchester United today and trimmed the Reds lead to five at the top of the table...

Dempsey Gets First American Hat Trick In EPL

((HT: FoxSports.com/Premier League))

He pulled it off in FA Cup play a little over a week ago, and now with a little help from his friends Fulham's Clint Dempsey grabbed a piece of history with the first hat trick for a colonist in Premier League play.

And to think Fulham was actually down 1-0 in this one...

Here's the edited version...
<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/video?vid=b3d31c83-2e5b-4e25-bd59-6e55aefe496b" target="_new" title="">Clint Dempsey is sensational</a>

Fulham now solidifies themselves in the log-jam in the middle of the Prem table with the 5-2 win over Newcastle. United is still tied for 5th with Arsenal, and now Fulham is tied with Swansea and Everton for 12th at 26 points...

Premier League Boxing Day: Manchesters Are Even, Bunching Continues

((HT: ESPN/Premier League))

There was a lot of Boxing day action in the Premier League. And while a lot of the bottom half couldn't rightfully sort itself out, the town of Manchester hasn't resolved anything, either...

Man United was in arrears until a 5-0 blowout of Wigan led by Berbatov's hat trick...here's one of them... until it gets pulled...


And Fulham, behind Clint Dempsey's equalizer, continues Chelsea's tailspin


Here's Ian and Macca with the recap...