Clint Dempsey's moment of brilliance guides Sounders to victory over FC Dallas
When the Seattle Sounders and FC Dallas clashed in last season's Western Conference Semifinals, there was no separating the two clubs, and the former advanced on away goals.
It was a different story Sunday.
In the first leg of the same stage of the playoffs, the Sounders overcame injuries, as well as Mauro Diaz and Fabian Castillo escaping CenturyLink Field with a 2-1 victory after Clint Dempsey put Seattle on his back and produced a sublime free-kick from 25 yards out in the 86th minute.
It was a cruel result for FC Dallas, as Diaz and Castillo ran the show in the midfield, producing a type of creativity that provided a stark contrast to that of Erik Friberg and Marco Pappa, who drifted out of the game as soon as it kicked off.
But, to be fair, therein lies the abilities of Dempsey. He can render an opposing team's performance useless by simply coming through when the Sounders need him most.
You can feel Dempsey putting Seattle on his back in this second half. That's what you want out of the big-money DP. #SEAvDAL
— Thomas Floyd (@thomasfloyd10) November 2, 2015
The second leg goes Nov. 8 at Toyota Stadium.