CHICAGO: Tottenham forward Clint Dempsey may be enjoying a less than stellar season in the English Premier League but his overall value to the United States has been rewarded with his third player of the year award in seven years writes KEIR RADNEDGE.
Dempsey’s award is formally entitled the ‘2012 Male Athlete of the Year’ and maintains a grip on the prize he collected in 2007 and then again last year.
The 29-year-old is the second three-times winner of the award after goalkeeper Kasey Keller – a Spurs old boy – having won in 1997, 1999 and 2005). Landon Donovan is the only four-times winner with ballot successes in 2003, 2004, 2009 and 2010. Donovan and Dempsey are the only players to have won the award in successive years.
Dempsey was the six-goal top scorer for the United States this past year with five of those goals coming in the CONCACAF semifinal round of the 2014 World Cup qualifying competition. He also played a key role in the US memorable win against Italy last February 29, scoring the winner in the 1-0 victory in Genoa.
He totals 30 goals in his US career, tied with Brian McBride for third in the all-time rankings.
Dempsey made his name with New England Revolution, transferring to the Premier League and Fulham in 2006. He became the club’s 50-goal all-time leading scorer in the Premier League before moving to Tottenham for £6m on transfer deadline day at the end of August. So far this season he has scored two goals in nine league appearances in north London.
Other awards saw Rubio Rubin voted Young Male Athlete of the Year and Felicia Schroeder as the 2012 Disabled Athlete of the Year.
Nominees for Female and Young Female Athletes of the Year will be announced next Monday, Nov. 26, with voting on U.S. Soccer’s Facebook Page running throughout the week until Dec. 1.
Online votes registered on US Soccer’s Facebook Page counted for 50pc of the total tally with the other 50pc compiled from a ballot among the media and US Soccer representatives, including national team coaches and board members.
MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
1984: Rick Davis
1985: Perry Van der Beck
1986: Paul Caligiuri
1987: Brent Goulet
1988: Peter Vermes
1989: Mike Windischmann
1990: Tab Ramos
1991: Hugo Perez
1992: Marcelo Balboa
1993: Thomas Dooley
1994: Marcelo Balboa
1995: Alexi Lalas
1996: Eric Wynalda
1997: Kasey Keller
1998: Cobi Jones
1999: Kasey Keller
2000: Chris Armas
2001: Earnie Stewart
2002: Brad Friedel
2003: Landon Donovan
2004: Landon Donovan
2005: Kasey Keller
2006: Oguchi Onyewu
2007: Clint Dempsey
2008: Tim Howard
2009: Landon Donovan
2010: Landon Donovan
2011: Clint Dempsey
2012: Clint Dempsey
YOUNG MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
1998: Josh Wolff
1999: Ben Olsen
2000: Landon Donovan
2001: DaMarcus Beasley
2002: Bobby Convey
2003: Freddy Adu
2004: Eddie Johnson
2005: Benny Feilhaber
2006: Jozy Altidore
2007: Michael Bradley
2008: Sacha Kljestan
2009: Luis Gil
2010: Gale Agbossoumonde
2011: Brek Shea
2012: Rubio Rubin
DISABLED ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
2012: Felicia Schroeder
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