United States men’s national team forward Clint Dempsey won’t play in any World Cup qualifying matches next week, and will also be sidelined for the Seattle Sounders for the foreseeable future.
In a statement released by the Sounders on Friday, the team said the 33-year-old Dempsey is undergoing medical evaluations due to an irregular heartbeat.
Seattle Sounders FC today announced that forward Clint Dempsey is undergoing medical evaluations for an irregular heartbeat. As a result of this health concern, Dempsey is unable to compete for Seattle in Sunday’s match against the Portland Timbers. As the medical process unfolds and information is gathered internally, no other details are being made publicly available at this time.
Dempsey has contributed eight goals and two assists for the Sounders this season, but it’s Team USA that may take the larger hit. A three-time World Cup champion, Dempsey has 52 career goals on the international stage, which is second only to Landon Collins for the U.S. all-time.
Team USA is second in their qualifying group behind Trinidad and Tobego, and will square off against St. Vincent and the Grenadines, followed by the aforementioned Trinidad and Tobego next week.
The U.S. would need to win each match to guarantee advancement to the final round of World Cup qualifying.
