AMSTERDAM — Given leave from international duty last week by US national team coach Bob Bradley, Fulham attacker Clint Dempsey enjoyed some rare rest and relaxation away from a match schedule filled with gripping contests that go down to the final whistle.
If you're unsure whether that was a reference to his outings with the national team or the heavy grind that is the life of a Premier League ace, don't feel bad. For MC Deuce, these beats rock more alike than you'd generally think.
Fulham life is and has been full of meaningful games, consistently tight scrapes, the odd glimpse of championship glory and hope for another chance at it. He is often happily shuffled around the formation, but always can be found somewhere on the field when the chips are down.
That description not only aptly covers his USMNT experience, it also pretty well sums up his time with the New England Revolution. Between a pair of MLS Cup heartbreakers, successful relegation battles, a Confederations Cup roller coaster that ended with a final collapse and a loss in the first ever Europa League final, surely there are few people out there who could best Dempsey's knowledge of nail-biters – or about striving for more.
Keeping It Close
On the back of dramatic runs in the 2009 Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup, Dempsey and his US teammates have been lauded for their character and their "never-say-die" attitude. But for Dempsey, nothing changes in the drama department when the American is stationed near London's West End theatre district.
In fact, before being ambushed 4-1 by Manchester City this past weekend, Fulham had spent exactly 46 minutes of game time in 13 league matches with a score differential of more than one. The one time they did manage to build a multi-goal lead, it came courtesy of a first-half Dempsey brace in an Oct. 30 win over Wigan.
It's no surprise, therefore, that the Cottagers have compiled eight draws on the season. They are not alone: Six other Premier League clubs have compiled seven ties on the youthful season.
[inlinenode:322202]"The league's tight," Dempsey told MLSsoccer.com from Craven Cottage by phone. "It's difficult to get points in the Premiership, especially away from home."
Though he feels Fulham's style is a bit more aggressive, the Texas native admits that, for both club and country, playing matches air-tight is quite by design.
"We do play an attacking style, but at the same time, pick and choose our moments," Dempsey said of the Cottagers game plans. "You can't afford to be too careless."
Another similarity to consider between playing for Fulham or for the US lies in the squad personalities. Dempsey knows he is in with two separate groups willing to slug it out until the 15th-round bell, if need be.
"We have a lot of character in the team," he says. "No matter if we go up or down [a goal], we battle until the end and that keeps things close. That's the way things have been for a while now. Even under Roy [Hodgson, Fulham's former manager], I think we were a team that was never too far away in games and had quite a few draws."
In 2002, Fulham returned to the Premier League after a 38-year absence, and the tightly contested matches that the Cottagers have played underscore another layer of pressure: staying where the money is, the Premier League.
Dempsey's done his part. Barely six months into his Fulham tenure, Dempsey scored the most fiscally valuable goal in club history, a 1-0 winner at Liverpool in May of 2007.
The strike, which came 21 minutes from time, was Dempsey's first in the EPL, saved the club from relegation and spared them an revenue loss estimated at up to $100 million. The following season, Dempsey and Fulham had an even closer scrape, surviving on goal differential after finishing the season with three straight wins.
"We'd like wins more than draws, but a draw is better than a loss," Dempsey explaned. "You've got to get as many points as you can because the most important thing is staying in that top half and not finding yourself in the relegation zone."
Road Warriors
He says the team may soon be ready to turn some of those draws in for victories – even on the road. Notoriously bad away from Craven Cottage, Fulham have not won a league game outside it in 25 tries.
[inlinenode:319886]Along with Carlos Bocanegra and Brian McBride, Dempsey took part in snapping a 33-game road win drought in 2008. He sees improvement in their away form, and apparently so have other Fulham observers in the media and the stands.
"You know, away from home is always difficult," he said. "The fact that we got points from five of the seven [road contests thus far on the season] is positive. It's something where you don't have to worry about listening to people talk about."
Not that Dempsey is bothered much by what's written in the papers, said on the call-in show or hollered from the seats.
"At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter," he declared. "The most important thing is playing hard and working hard to get better as a team."
A Taste of Europe
In the 2008-09 season, Fulham worked hard enough to finish seventh, which offered up the Europa League invite that eventually made Dempsey the first American to play in a UEFA cup final.
He was key to the run throughout, most notably when he scored the now famous stunner to cap a rally that knocked European bluebloods Juventus from the tournament. When final foe Diego Forlán broke a 1-1 deadlock in the 116th minute, Atlético Madrid became champs and the American – who went 65 relief minutes – was so disappointed initially that he walked past press row without even remotely breaking gait.
Now that he has had time to reflect on the ride, not to mention the silver medal prize at the end, Dempsey can hardly say a bad word about the experience. It has to be said, the man has proven he knows how to use disappointment as forward-thinking motivation.
[inlinenode:323217]"It was pretty special leading up to and in the fashion that we did it, especially playing a part in it with that fourth goal in the Juve game," he stated. "It was good to play in a final.
"Obviously, we wanted to win, but the team played hard and did the best they could. Unfortunately, we came up a little short. The positive was that we were in to the very end, pushed the game to overtime after conceding early in the game."
Onward, But Not Outward
Dempsey, having gotten that first taste of Europe, does want more of it. But the Fulham man doesn't currently seem terribly interested in leaving the cozy confines of Craven Cottage to find it on a more consistent basis.
Last summer, Dempsey's agent confirmed that there were some Champions/Europa League regulars monitoring him. When considering his club road to European success, the American is quick to remind that staying at Fulham has not exactly stopped him from the chance to raise important silver.
"Well, I got to the Europa League final when I was with Fulham, so it's something that can happen here," he stated. "After this season, I'll still have two years on my contract and we'll see what happens. Right now, I'm trying to make the most of my football where I'm at – at Fulham.
"We like to play in major competitions," Dempsey admitted. "You want to try to win trophies in your career, so hopefully that's in the cards for me. But all you can do is work hard where you're at, make the most of it and see what happens."
For a man who has had to endure both the bad times and the good with his country, as well, it's easy to imagine the conviction in Dempsey's words.
Continued Growth
[inlinenode:320352]Of all the similarities between Dempsey's club and country, the most obvious similarity is how he's used on the pitch. With both Bradley and Fulham boss Mark Hughes, one never knows quiet where the US No. 8 – or Fulham No. 23 – shirt will pop up. But they do know it will pop up.
"I think it makes you more of a complete footballer, having an understanding of other positions," Dempsey explained. "It makes you more well-rounded, so it's something that doesn't bother me."
"Whenever I can play at any position that's going to help the team, I'm all about that. It's allowed me to stay on the field more often than not. The more flexibility you can give a manager, the more options they have to help the team do better. I give them an option, so it's a good thing."
Dempsey's flexibility on the field has been instrumental for the Nats recently, and should continued to be throughout the preparations for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the player's third such cycle.
"We just need to keep working on the things we've been working on and try to improve," said of the US side. "I think we're moving in the right direction. We made the final of the Confederations Cup and advanced from the group stage at World Cup, taking Ghana to overtime. We were right there in the thick of the things, so hopefully we can improve on the things we were doing. I think we'll be fine."
As with the Cottagers, Dempsey figures the US play it smart in order to give themselves the most chances to win.
"You have to stay competitive at the back," he insists. "If you don't concede, then you don't lose. You try to pick and choose your moments when to get forward and try to be effective as you can. We've been able to get goals. We're a team that is dangerous on the attack and doesn't concede too many goals."
Sounding a bit like either of his coaches, he hits the point: "It always gives you a chance [to win] when you can do that."
