SEATTLE – Clint Dempsey says he’s ready to reestablish himself on the international level as the US men’s national team gear up for their critical World Cup qualifiers against Honduras on March 24 and Panama on March 28.
USMNT head coach Bruce Arena had previously said he thought it was unlikely that the Seattle Sounders striker would factor into this month’s qualifiers as he worked his way back from an irregular heartbeat that sidelined him for the entire second half of 2016.
But after he emerged from Seattle’s preseason unscathed and played well in full 90-minute outings in each of the Sounders’ first twoMLS games of 2017, Arena opted to include Dempsey on the US roster after all.
“[Arena and I] had good conversations,” Dempsey told reporters at Seattle’s team media day at CenturyLink Field on Friday. “We’ve been in contact since last November and he gave me a call last week and we had a good talk. I feel comfortable moving forward and being involved in the games.
“I’m a competitor. I still have a fire to try and win games and play in important games and big competitions. Hopefully, I can play a part in hoping the team do well.”
The next question: what role Dempsey will play as he returns to the international scene. Arena has hinted that he might try to ease him back into action in a reduced role, and Dempsey said on Friday that there might still be work to be done in order to get back to full fitness.
“Do I think I’m able to go out there and do 90 minutes in World Cup qualifiers? I don’t know if I’m there yet,” Dempsey said. “I’m not at 100 percent, I would say. But I’m getting close. Every 90 minutes I get under my belt here, I feel more comfortable.”
Dempsey also said he would be willing to play a role coming off the bench if that’s what Arena asks of him.
Either way, his return to the fold comes at a pivotal time for the USMNT, who find themselves facing a razor-thin margin for error after dropping their first two games of the CONCACAF Hexagonal round to Mexicoand Costa Rica.
“It’s kind of do or die in the situation that we’re in,” Dempsey said. “They’re kind of must-win games. I’m happy to be a part of that because I’ve been in these games before.
“It’s a difficult process qualifying for any World Cup,” he continued. “You always go through tough spells where you’re not getting the results you want, your back is against the wall, you’re in must-win games. You go through that every round and this round is no different. Obviously, it was a bad start losing the first two games, but get two results in these next two, you put yourself back in the picture.”
