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It turns out the Seattle Sounders aren't the only people less than pleased that Clint Dempsey will be forced to miss his next two games. United States national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann, for one, feels it sends a bad message:
Klinsmann on Dempsey's 2-game ban: "Seems very harsh & comes at a very bad time for us as it throws him out of rhythm before Mexico" match
— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) March 21, 2014
More Klinsmann: "He made a mistake but if opponents don’t get penalized for consistently fouling, it only encourages them to continue"
— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) March 21, 2014
Klinsmann obviously has a vested interest in Dempsey's suspension, as this means the USMNT captain will miss both of his club games ahead of the April 2 match against Mexico in Arizona. He would hopefully be available to play for the Sounders on April 5 against the Portland Timbers.
Earlier in the week, Klinsmann had expressed similar concerns over the frequency with which Dempsey was being fouled. After suffering six fouls against Toronto FC, Dempsey has suffered 3.6 fouls per 90 minutes in MLS matches since joining the Sounders last summer. No MLS player has been fouled at a higher rate during that time, with Dimitry Imbongo being the second most fouled player (3.3 per 90).