Clint Dempsey on tying Sounders’ goals record: “just trying to help the team”

Clint Dempsey downplayed his accomplishment of tying Fredy Montero as the Seattle Sounders’ all-time regular-season goal-scorer against the Chicago Fire Saturday. Dempsey’s 22nd minute tap-in was his 47th in Seattle and enough to pull the club through to a point, but he wasn't ready to revel in the accomplishment just yet.

Dempsey was asked if knowing the goal tied Montero’s record added any significance to the result:

“No,” he replied. “I’m just trying to go out and help the team on this run that they’ve had of making the playoffs every year. We’ve got our work cut out for us, and the goal is to trying to put ourselves in a position to make the playoffs again. Hopefully we can do that.”

The draw moved Seattle to a 3-8-3 record, allowing the Colorado Rapids to pull level on 12 points thanks to a 3-2 victory over fellow Western Conference cellar-dwellers Minnesota United.

Dempsey knows well that Seattle is in need of a breakout as the season approaches the midway point.

“It’s just every game,” Dempsey said. “You’re trying to get as many points as you can until it’s not mathematically possible. We’re not looking that far. We’re looking to the next game. It’s a must-win. We’ve got to get three points. That’s how we’re approaching every game and hopefully we can get on a good run.”

The goal ended a 16-match streak without a goal for Seattle stretching back to the 2017 MLS Cup. Dempsey said that the only way out of such a streak, both for him and his teammates, was forward.

“There are times that you’re on teams, and you have injuries and you’re struggling and the ball’s not bouncing your way,” Dempsey said. “You feel like you’re getting further and further in a hole. All you can do is keep grinding. Keep working. Try and turn things around. Keep shooting, that’s the only way you’re going to create goals. This team still has a lot of fight in them. We’re going to fight until we can’t fight no more.”