Clint Dempsey’s Hat-Trick Benefits Both the US and England
It’s quite rare to see a match with seven goals, and even more rare to see such a match be 1-0 at half time. But Fulham, ignited by a goal in the 52nd minute, surged to net four more before the whistle on Saturday, propelling them over Newcastle and into 12th place in the Premier League table. Their second-half rally was made even more notable by Clint Dempsey’s hat-trick, making him the first player from the United States to accomplish the feat in the EPL.
As I’ve previously mentioned, Dempsey also became the highest scoring American in the Premier League earlier this year. And so I tip my hat to the native Texan. He has gone a long way towards putting his hometown of Nacogdoches (the “oldest town in Texas” and a town that, according to its Wikipedia entry, “received” much of the debris from the space shuttle Columbia disaster) back on the map.
Dempsey embodies the American soccer style: gritty, a bit unrefined, rough around the edges, but extremely effective in certain situations. He seems most dangerous when playing off the ball, not directly involved in building a coordinated attack but rather slipping into an opportune position at the last moment to secure a cross or shot on goal. Like the mythical American “work-ethic” itself, it’s a technique that prizes physical determination, brute strength, and speed over a “big picture” vision of the pitch.
This technique not only makes Dempsey a value to any club (especially a scrappy underdog like Fulham), but also makes him extremely fun to watch. You just never know when he’s going to show up in the nick of time with a head or chest or flick-on in front of the net, especially since he’s not afraid to put his body into harm’s way if it helps his team. Perhaps that is why Dempsey has been so successful in the EPL, a league full of players who are—like Thomas Hobbes was—nasty, British, and short (cf. Wayne Rooney).
Thomas Paine once wrote of the American Revolution, “never did so great an opportunity offer itself to England.” Perhaps Dempsey’s performance (and resultant popularity in the States, or at least in the Lone Star State) will likewise offer an opportunity to Fulham. Can they get a few more players to overachieve like Dempsey, and put a system in place to make a run towards the middle of the pack? Winning stunning come-from-behind victories here and there is one thing. It’s quite another thing to win consistently in close contests.
And on the note of offering opportunities, maybe Dempsey is paving the way for other American players looking to take the leap across the water. Is England more open to Americans because of Dempsey’s historic season? Only time will tell, but in the meantime one would do well to stay tune in; you never know what record he’s going to break next.
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I have watched the video of this over and over, and I haven’t gotten tired of it yet. East Texas, represent! Clint Dempsey is a working class hero.