In recent years, American soccer players have been making a name for themselves on the global stage, but there’s a catch—they are making headlines for their performances in Europe. Former USMNT legend Clint Dempsey, who experienced his European adventures, sympathizes with Weston McKennie after the midfielder spoke about there being a stigma against Americans in European football. 

The stigma is that Americans aren’t good enough because they are not as big of a soccer nation when compared to their European counterparts. And when compared to the women’s side, the men’s team falls even further behind. Clint Dempsey echoed McKennie’s sentiments after the midfielder shared his thoughts in Christian Pulisic’s documentary. 

“Yeah, you’d like to see more players, starting week in and week out, and I relate a lot with McKennie, in terms of his situation,” says Dempsey on CBS’s Champions League coverage. After all, let’s not forget that the American spent most of his career at Fulham, even guiding them to the 2010 Europa League Final. 

“I feel like every year he has to prove himself, but when you seem like you earn your starting spot it seems like you should get the benefit of the doubt next season, that you can get back into the team,” says Dempsey. Reflecting on his time at Fulham, he highlights how he had to constantly prove himself, and the changing of managers only made things more challenging. 

But there is a silver lining, to prove yourself to the manager, you must work hard which ultimately makes you a better player. And this was evident in Weston McKennie’s recent performance for Juventus during their Champions League fixture against Manchester City. 

American players star in Serie A pitches

Having missed two games for Juventus, McKennie made a solid return to the squad, scoring an amazing volley in the 2-0 win against the reigning Premier League Champions. The goal was one for the history books, as Tim Weah’s assist meant that for the first time, two USMNT players contributed to a goal in Champions League history. 

Speaking of contributing to the Champions League, Christian Pulisic has already bagged 3 goals and an assist for the Rossoneri this campaign. Mauricio Pochettino, the USMNT manager will be hoping that his key players will recreate the same form for the Stars and Stripes. Juventus head coach, Thiago Motta also hinted at Weston McKennie starting for their fixture against Venezia. 

As more and more talents make the leap across the Atlantic to play in Europe, the standard of football in the U.S. will rise. However, this could lead to a decline in the domestic league. For example, this year’s MLS did not feature a single American player. Do you think there’s a prejudice against American players in European leagues? Share your thoughts in the comments below!