Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey have not appeared in a game together since June 13.
It is no surprise, then, that the Seattle Sounders have lost seven out of their last eight games and generally struggled to put together a complete attack without their star duo on the field.
In 13 games that neither Martins nor Dempsey have started since latter's arrival in August 2013, the Sounders have scored a total of just five goals. In the 58 games that at least one of Martins or Dempsey has appeared, the Sounders have averaged 1.72 goals per game.
Most MLS fans know that these two work best when paired together – all you have to do is watch this goal from the season opener:
But when only one of them is available, which player has the larger impact?
The answer is actually pretty clear.
When Martins plays without Dempsey, the Sounders perform at a level that is similar to the one when the two stars play together. In all, Seattle has averaged 1.64 goals per 90 minutes with Martins on the field and Dempsey is not.
When things are reversed, and Dempsey is on the field and Martins is absent, the Sounders have scored just .70 goals per 90 minutes.
Bottom line: The Sounders need both of their star strikers to be the MLS Cup contenders many of us believe they are, but if they can only have just one, the stats say they are better off with Martins.
Stats courtesy of Opta Sports.
