Clint Dempsey’s irregular heartbeat will keep him from leading U.S

It was announced on Friday by the Seattle Sounders that striker and US Men’s National Team star Clint Dempsey will miss Sunday’s match against the Portland Timbers because he is experiencing an irregular heartbeat.

Melano scored off Diego Chara’s cross in the 29th minute, before Steven Taylor’s header off a free kick in the 43rd to give the Timbers a 4-0 lead going into the break.

Jordan Morris scored for the Sounders (9-13-4).

The 33-year-old forward has scored eight goals and added two assists this season so far for Seattle. He scored five goals over the past four games, including a hat trick on the road at Orlando City FC and two goals in a 3-1 victory over Portland last Sunday. Dempsey was the U.S.’s top goal-scorer, leading coach Jurgen Klinsmann to hint that the forward could stick around through the 2018 World Cup.

UPDATE: U.S. Soccer confirms Dempsey will miss the upcoming qualifiers.

Though the club isn’t releasing any other details about Dempsey’s condition, Sounders’ GM Garth Lagerway has said that his irregular heartbeat is been something they have been aware of. “We were gelling, I thought, with Clint in the lineup, so it’s tough”. We scored four goals, and it could have been more goals, too. This means he won’t be back until the Hexagonal round of CONCACAF qualifying, should the Americans advance past the fourth round (U.S. sits in second place – three points back of Trinidad and Tobago in Group C). “We have Clint’s best interest at heart first and foremost”.

If the USA wins on Friday and Trinidad beats Guatemala that day, the Americans will move on with one match left.