USA forward Dempsey on Open Cup incident: 'That's something I put behind me'
NASHVILLE, Tenn.
United States forward Clint Dempsey voiced his support for the decision to name Michael Bradley as captain for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann made the decision earlier this week to name Bradley as captain for the Gold Cup and spoke about his desire to allow Dempsey to focus on his performance after controversy swirled around him for the past two weeks.
Dempsey, in his first extended comments since he ripped up a referee’s notebook on the field during a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match on June 16, praised Bradley in his new role and reinforced his desire to help his teammates retain the Gold Cup this month.
“No, I mean, it’s cool,” Dempsey said after the 4-0 victory over Guatemala on Friday. “Michael is a great leader. He deserves to be captain. And, for me, I’m just excited to be a part of the team and try to push to win the Gold Cup and being a part of the Confederations Cup.
“I got to experience being captain at the World Cup,” Dempsey continued. “For me, that was something special, something I will always remember. It’s never been a big thing for me to be captain, even with the club team, Seattle, I'm not captain. For me, it’s not all about that. It’s just about the team, about trying to win games and about trying to do something special.”
This tournament arrives at a difficult time for Dempsey after he received a three-match MLS suspension and a six-match (or two years, whichever period is greater) Open Cup suspension for his conduct.
Dempsey declined to address the incident in detail, but he said he discussed his actions with his coaches and his teammates and shifted his complete focus toward the demands ahead over the next month.
“No, that’s something I put behind me,” Dempsey said. “I talked with my teammates. I talked coaches. I’m just focused on moving forward, focused on the Gold Cup, making sure we win it and put ourselves in a position to qualify for the Gold Cup.”
Dempsey featured for the full 90 minutes and scored from a clipped penalty kick as the Americans pulled away from Guatemala in the second half. He said he embraced the opportunity to step on the field once more and start the process of pushing toward another Gold Cup triumph.
“It’s always good to play,” Dempsey said. “It’s always good to be with the national team. I’m excited to play in the Gold Cup. I’m trying to make sure we win it and qualify for the Confederations Cup.”
