Sounders star Clint Dempsey has no hard feelings over 2015 U.S. snub

Though U.S. forward Clint Dempsey said his national team exile wasn't of his own doing, he dismissed a rift and is instead focusing on his side's upcoming test in World Cup qualifying.

The Seattle Sounders man was named by Jurgen Klinsmann to the latest U.S. men's national team roster for a pair of key fixtures against Guatemala, and will return to the team after being dropped for the second half of 2015.

"It's not really up to me," Dempsey said of his time away from the national team, according to ESPN FC. "It is and it isn't. It is in that you have to keep working hard and playing. But it's up to the coaching staff to make the decisions, and I'm happy to be a part of these important games."

The U.S. heads down to Guatemala City on March 25 to open the two-legged affair, before returning to Columbus on March 29 for the reverse fixture. While Columbus has typically been kind to the national team, Dempsey knows full well the challenges that come with heading down to Central America in World Cup qualifiers.

"You can really feel that home-field advantage," Dempsey said of Guatemala. "It's always a hostile crowd. They support their team very passionately. The trick is to try to get as many points as you can from away games.

"You want to manage it in the right way, and that's being careful with cards and making sure you take the energy from the fans and use it to your benefit. You have to try and impose your game on the other team."