Step Back From the Ledge

(By the time I post this, this all could very well be a moot point, and I'm really hoping it is.)

If Clint Dempsey's recent knee injury keeps him from playing in South Africa, it will be a significant blow to the USMNT; there's no denying that, and I really didn't even feel like I needed to state that outright. However, I think a lot of people over the past day or so have been a little too extreme in their analyses of what this means for the US' World Cup hopes.

Let me preface by saying I am a huge fan of Clint Dempsey. He had a fantastic Confederations Cup, a very solid World Cup qualifying campaign, and a superb first half of the EPL season. Despite what many fairly perceive as a drop off in his play when he suits up for the Red, White, and Blue, I think Dempsey adds a unique skill set and swagger to Bob Bradley's team that should be utilized as frequently as possible.

With that being said, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say this: We shouldn't panic about Clint Dempsey's injury.

At least, not yet.

Recent reports and interviews with Oguchi Onyewu indicate that his recovery is going along very well, going so far as to suggest that he could be available to participate in the March camp. Further, it's been well documented that Charlie Davies is making a stunningly rapid recovery, with both he and his doctors having substantial hopes of being ready for South Africa. Now, we can't assume that both of those things will happen, but if those two are available, Dempsey would be the only regular missing from the USMNT roster. And that would mean that all of the players who featured in the USMNT's biggest win of '09 would be at Bob Bradley's disposal. After all, without Dempsey in the lineup, it was Stuart Holden who provided some width and flair in the attack, filling Deuce's shoes nicely as the Yanks secured an unlikely victory in the hostile confines of San Pedro Sula. Color me optimistic, but I don't think our odds of getting out of the group stage would take any material hit with that lineup on the field.

Just a couple of months ago, a good portion of American fans wanted Dempsey on the bench in favor of Holden or Benny Feilhaber. Now, all of a sudden, his fate will determine that of the USMNT in the World Cup? Sorry, but I'm not buying it. Yes, Dempsey poses a threat from both the wing and up top, the latter of which serving as a possible solution to the void at striker, but there are capable players in the player pool that can fill the holes without too much of a drop off. On the wing, Holden, Rogers, Feilhaber, and even DaMarcus Beasley could carry the load, while Robbie Findley, Eddie Johnson, Charlie Davies, Conor Casey, Brian Ching, or even (though I doubt it) Landon Donovan could pair up with Jozy Altidore. Would the US be as good of a team? Probably not. But is it time to start doubting whether they'll make it out of the group stage? I don't think so.

Off to another tangent, let's avoid the "woe is me" and what not. Every team has to deal with injuries, and the USMNT has actually been very fortunate with how recoveries have been going over the past couple of months. Aside from the aforementioned smooth recoveries of Onyewu and Davies, Jay DeMerit's recovery from eye surgery, which could have gone south in a hurry if any serious complications arose, went off without a hitch, and he's now back in the starting XI for Watford. If that good fortune continues and the rest of the team stays healthy, I would still feel quite confident heading into the World Cup.

I know that for each of the optimistic approaches I've taken, there's a negative possibility to counter it. For instance, Stuart Holden might not get any playing time at his new club and go into the World Cup with some rust, or Charlie Davies might not be ready come June, etc. But I'm going to take the "glass half full" approach here, if for nothing more than to counter the pessimism that is all too audible from a boisterous faction of the USMNT fanbase. If some of those negative possibilities do happen, it might be time to start leaning towards the ol' panic button. But until they do, I'm just going to keep my cool, hope for the best, and remain equally as confident with my national team's prospects at next summer's World Cup.

Even though I've spent a good chunk of time on writing this and reviewing it, I still feel like it's nothing more than an organized rant. Chalk it up to the fact that I have a lot of other things to do today or simply to the fact that I'm not exactly a polished writer. Either way, I hope the points I have presented will help talk some fans off the ledge, as doomsday prophecies seem to be swirling around the USMNT fanbase with this recent setback.

Whether my efforts are successful or not, I probably won't know. But there is one thing I do know: I hope we find out soon that Clint will be healthy come June, and that the last hour I spent typing this post was just a big waste of my time.