[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

I think Dempsey went to Europe on that whole, "I got to prove myself on the big stage" like so many Euro basketball players come to the NBA (20% of the current NBA are foreign born players)..

However, while he played great, he by Euro standards didn't necessarily prove anything other than what was already known, he is a pretty great footballer. That being said, that's why I think he came back to play in the US. USMNT is getting increasingly popular here, so might as well settle in a way which will make it easier to focus on playing for the Americans and an American audience. If you're by and large going to have a relatively mediocre career, why not do it somewhere where mediocrity is more subtly appreciated? Hence return to US. In Europe, fizzle out. Play the same way in America? Be a star! Its the David Beckham model for late career success. In !@#$%! terms, Kramer in the dojo? Maybe. But its his career. What is the most surprising is that he didn't go to Houston which is (a) the second best MLS team next to Galaxy and (b) essentially hometown for him. Going to Seattle if anything shows how serious Dempsey is about playing for the MLS, it wasn't just a homecoming, its a career move.