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PST MLS Player of the Month, April: Clint Dempsey, of course

clint_dempsey

There was no doubt. There was no close second. There was no great attacking versus defending debate to be had. With seven goals and two assists in four games, Clint Dempsey was our runaway Major League Soccer Player of the Month for April.

Dempsey opened April with a three-goal performance in Portland, with two goals in the closing minutes allowing Seattle to take a point at Providence Park. The next week, Dempsey scored a late game-winner a two-goal performance at FC Dallas. Chivas USA then accomplished something no other team could -- the shut Dempsey out -- but the U.S. captain still assisted on both Seattle goals in a 2-1 win at StubHub center. And this last weekend, Dempsey scored two goals within seven minutes of half time to lead Seattle to a 4-1 win over visiting Colorado.

It was the conclusion of an absurd month of production, one that gives us some license to entertain there ludicrous scenarios:


  • If Dempsey maintained April’s goal rate over a 34-game season, he would finish with 60 goals.
  • If you factor in some time off and limit him to 2400 minutes (26-27 games), he’d still score 47 times.
  • At April’s rate, Dempsey would tie the league record for goals in the 31st minute of his 16th game.
  • You factor in five playoff games, Dempsey would also cure cancer, take us to Mars, and lead Aslan into the West Bank to usher in a new era of world peace.

The guy’s been good, but the effect can be seen in others’ numbers, too:


  • Obafemi Martins had two goals and two assists in April. Both assists came on Dempsey goals, while “Deuce” assisted on one of his scores.
  • Lamar Neagle also had a two-goal, two-assist month. Both assists came on Dempsey goals, and although he didn’t get credit for an assist, Dempsey setup Neagle’s goal against Colorado.
  • Of the 13 goals Seattle scored in April, Dempsey scored or assisted on nine of them.

As you may suspect, we’ve run out of ways to describe what Dempsey’s done. So bring on May, because the only question remaining after such a dominant April is how much of this pace Dempsey can carry over. If he comes anywhere close to duplicating April, he’ll be our May Player of the Month, too.

PST AwardMLS Award
Week 1Will Bruin, Houston Dynamo
2g, 1a vs. New England
Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake
8 saves, PK save at LA
Week 2Víctor Bernárdez, San Jose Earthquakes
2g, 1a vs. Real Salt Lake
Jermain Defoe, Toronto FC
2 goals at Seattle
Week 3Fabian Castillo, FC Dallas
1 goal vs. Chivas USA
Bernardo Añor, Columbus
2 goals vs. Philadelphia
Week 4Álvaro Saborío, Real Salt Lake
2 goals vs. Toronto FC
Graham Zusi, Sporting Kansas City
1 goal, 2 assists at Colorado
March Player of the MonthMichael Bradley, Toronto FC
3 games, 0 goals, 0 assists
Mauro Díaz, FC Dallas
4 games, 2 goals, 0 assists
Week 5Diego Chara, Portland Timbers
2 goals vs. Seattle
Clint Dempsey, Seattle Sounders
3 goals at Portland
Week 6Clint Dempsey, Seattle Sounders
2 goals at Dallas
Clint Dempsey, Seattle Sounders
2 goals at Dallas
Week 7Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake
4 saves vs. Portland
Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake
4 saves vs. Portland
Week 8Bradley Wright-Phillips
4 goals vs. Houston, at Columbus
Bradley Wright-Phillips
4 goals vs. Houston, at Columbus
April Player of the MonthClint Dempsey, Seattle Sounders
4 games, 7 goals, 2 assists
Clint Dempsey, Seattle Sounders
4 games, 7 goals, 2 assists

Follow @richardfarley