CHICAGO – Clint Dempsey still believes strongly in the US national team’s chances to succeed in Copa America Centenario.
That said, Dempsey gets at some point that those beliefs need to be supported by evidence. Coming off Friday’s 2-0 loss to Colombia in the Copa America Centenario opener, Dempsey and the US are out to prove against Costa Rica on Tuesday they’re more than just talk.
“It’s not so much what you say, it’s what you do,” Dempsey said prior to a training session at the University of Illinois-Chicago on Sunday morning. “You got to go out and you got to motivate the crowd. We have to work hard. You have to inspire them and get them on our side. We appreciate the fan support. It’s always awesome to be in the stadium and have a pro-American crowd. At the same time, actions speak louder than words. We got to go out there and show what we can do.”
Dempsey again said he didn’t feel the US played poorly against Colombia. He thought the handball call that led to Colombia’s second goal was unwarranted. As for Colombia’s corner-kick goal and the US’s lack of scoring, those areas that could be improved on.
“You know conceding the set piece, that’s frustrating,” Dempsey said. “I thought the penalty call was a little harsh. But, yeah, we can create more chances in the attacking third. But I still thought at times we played well.
“On the corner kick, you can look at that how you can get tighter, how you can get around picks, make sure you don’t get blocked off, how we can maybe do a little better job on our set pieces.
The US may take solace in feeling like it played well at times against Colombia, but all that will matter against Costa Rica is the result. The US sit in fourth place in the group after Costa Rica and Paraguay each received a point following their draw on Saturday.
“Everybody’s ready to go,” Dempsey said. “It’s a must-win situation. Our backs are against the wall, and we’ll move forward.”
As for Dempsey’s own play, he took some criticism following Friday’s result from FOX’s analysts. Aly Wagner said Dempsey should be placed on the bench. “He gives you a couple goals in a tournament,” she continued, “but how many opportunities is he costing you?”
Dempsey was asked about whether him dropping back against Colombia on Friday was by design or created within the game.
“During the game, you try to figure out ways to get on the ball,” Dempsey said. “If you have a situation where I’m dropping in, you have other players running behind. If I’m staying high, you have other players drop in those pockets. That’s just the way this game goes.”
