Seattle Sounders Stats and How Clint Dempsey Could Fit in Tactically

The dust has settled. United States men’s national team captain Clint Dempsey is officially a member of the Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer.

So…now what?

It will be critical for head coach Sigi Schmid to figure out where exactly his recently inked Texan fits in tactically for one of MLS’ most popular clubs.

With an examination of Seattle’s statistics from MLS 2013 as well as a look at Deuce’s numbers from his last season at Tottenham, some clues into how Schmid might deploy his new asset emerge.

One thing is for sure in regards to Dempsey’s role for the Sounders—he will be used to create chances and score goals from an offensive position. He did as much during last season’s English Premier League campaign.

The newly minted Sounder was third on Spurs in Premier League goals with seven during the 2012-13 season and tied for second on the team with four assists. He also dished out 33 key passes.

A player as versatile as Dempsey can be deployed just about anywhere in the midfield or as a forward.

Such versatility means Schmid has some thinking to do.

While he mulls where to play Dempsey, he may want to consider that Seattle definitely needs help creating chances. The Sounders currently rank 15th in MLS 2013 in shots per game with 11.3.

Such a figure might lead Schmid to prefer the USMNT captain as a creator first, finisher second.

Which makes sense considering a good bulk of Seattle’s goals have come from Designated Player Obafemi Martins and USMNT regular Eddie Johnson, both true strikers.

During the past few seasons, Seattle have relied on midfielder Mauro Rosales to carry the playmaking load. He could definitely use the support from Dempsey this season, though, as his 1.5 chances created per match does not crack the top 20 of MLS 2013’s top chance creators.

Dempsey stirring the drink for Seattle is the right move, it seems. One final statistic suggests that he should be doing it as a central player, in behind Martins and Johnson, as opposed to on the flank.

Consider this: Dempsey only attempted 11 crosses during last season’s English Premier League campaign, and he did not connect one of them. Clearly, this is a player who belongs on the middle of the field with the ball at his feet facing the goal.

It will be fascinating to see how one the best American soccer players ever fits in at his new club as the team makes a push to qualify for the 2013 MLS playoffs.

Stats provided by WhoScored?