Jan. 16, 2004 – Revolution select Clint Dempsey with No. 8 pick

Jan. 16, 2004 – New England Revolution select Clint Dempsey with No. 8 pick, Felix Brillant (56^th overall) and Andy Dorman (58^th overall) in sixth round of MLS SuperDraft

Some good and some not-so-good players were chosen ahead of Dempsey. But what boggles belief is that Dempsey had trained with Dallas and wanted to play there, since it was close to his Nacogdoches home – yet the Burn passed him by twice, to go for Ramon Nuñez and Clarence Goodson. I recall an early-season 2004 interview with Dempsey in which he expressed shock, and a hint of resentment, in having been selected later than Freddy Adu (and being paid considerably less).

This has been a productive day in Revolution history, going back to 1998, when the team signed former U.S. National Teamer Janusz Michalik as a free agent.

Below is 1/17/2004 story:

REVOLUTION DECIDE ON DEMPSEY

Steve Nicol has been able to streamline the Revolution by placing players in positions to succeed. Nicol will have a challenge finding the right spot for Clint Dempsey, the team’s first choice in yesterday’s MLS Superdraft. Dempsey, who turns 21 March 9, is listed as a forward, but performed as a defender in the scouting combine, and was used as an outside midfielder by the US Under-20 national team.

“Attacking midfield is my best position but I can play outside right or left,” Dempsey said. “I am the type of player who likes to take people one on one. I have pretty good skills and vision and I can get by people and get crosses off. They tried me at right back in the combine and I enjoyed the opportunity. I will do what I can to help the team.”

Dempsey, scheduled to report to Revolution training camp in Foxborough Feb. 9, played four seasons at Furman University and performed in the FIFA Under-20 World Championships in the United Arab Emirates as the US reached the quarterfinals. Thomas Rongen, the U-20 coach, who guided the Revolution in 1997 and ’98, encouraged Dempsey to join the MLS Project 40 program, a group of young players whose salaries are exempt from the team salary cap.

“He is a big, strong boy and he is adaptable,” Nicol said of Dempsey. “He is a good passer and a strong player, which you have to be in this league. It will be up to us to mold him the right way. He will end up somewhere in the middle of the park, but we are obviously covered there right now with Shalrie [Joseph] and [Jose Carlos] Cancela. Once he starts training with us we will find where the best place is for him to be.”

Dempsey was tutored in the ways of the MLS by former roommate Ricardo Clark, who starred for the MetroStars and the US U-20 team last year.

“When I was younger I watched games in Dallas and thought it would be cool to play in the MLS,” said Dempsey, who grew up in Nacogdoches, Texas. “That’s been a goal but as far as a dream, that would be playing for a club in Europe. But this is the best fit for me right now. It’s a chance for me to take my game to the next level.

“I started playing when I was in kindergarten because I had an older brother who was into soccer. He was the catalyst for getting everyone else involved. My sister and younger brother play and my parents love the game. It wasn’t until I was chosen for the regional team in my junior year [in high school] that I started thinking about college.

“It would have been nice to be drafted by Dallas in the sense that I would have been close to my family and friends and they could come to see me play. I didn’t know where I would end up, but I am excited about going to New England. I’ve never been there. I don’t know anybody on the team and never actually met [Nicol] until now. His background speaks well for him, he has played at the highest levels with Liverpool, and it will be a great experience to learn from someone like that day to day.”

D.C. United made 14-year-old Freddy Adu the No. 1 pick in the draft. Dempsey was chosen eighth. . . . The Revolution traded the No. 9 choice to Chicago for the rights to an allocated player to be named . . . Revolution goalkeepers coach John Murphy has been offered an assistant position with Dallas, and is also being considered by Columbus and D.C. United.

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