The Dempsey/Donovan debate

On Friday, for the first time since 2006, Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan will take the pitch in a game that they're not teammates.

Seems like as good a time as any to delve into what is becoming a hot-topic debate these days: Who's the better U.S.-produced field player?

Now, goalies like Brad Friedel and Tim Howard have been scorching the game in foreign leagues and international play for some time, so for the sake of discussion we'll take them off the table. The discussion now is about field players.

So, who is the better U.S. product, Landon Donovan or Clint Dempsey?

The case could be made for either, but the thing that in my mind sets Dempsey, an East Texas native, apart is his production on the world's biggest stage.

While Donovan has put up bigger numbers in his career as a club player (148 goals for his clubs in his 351 appearances), he's also been at it a while longer. Donovan turned pro in 1999, and began his Major League Soccer (MLS) career in 2001.

Dempsey, on the other hand, didn't turn pro until 2004 with the New England Revolution of the MLS. He's scored 78 goals for his clubs in his 293 appearances.

By those numbers, Donovan is a more productive goal scorer by about a quarter of a goal per game.

But, to dig deeper into those numbers is to realize that the last 51 club goals Dempsey has scored have come at Fulham, an English Premiere League team for all of Dempsey's five-plus seasons there.

There's really no comparing the talent level of players at the MLS level with players at the Premiere League level. To many, myself included, it's the best league in the whole world.

That's where Dempsey has made his impact, at the highest level in the world. Not only that, but his impact has been an historic one.

In his time at Fulham, Dempsey holds the distinction of being the only American to score a hat trick in England (vs. Charlton City, 2011 FA Cup 3rd Rd.) and the only American to score an EPL hat trick (vs. Newcastle, 1/23/11).

He's scored the most goals in the EPL for an American in a career (42) and last year became the first American to hit double-digit goals in an EPL season with 12. His 42 career goals for Fulham also make him the career leader in goals for the club, period.

Donovan has done most of his playing time in the MLS, which to me is why he's the recognized more often than not as the "face" of American soccer.

It's not necessarily because he's the best, but it's because he's stayed home in the country's league for most of his career. Donovan did have a successful stint on loan to Everton two seasons ago, and he's back there now for another two month stretch.

But, until he continually puts up numbers that are equal to Dempsey's in a better league, the East Texan will be superior, at least to me.

As a side note, if you haven't read Deadspin's piece on Dempsey, do so now: "Clint Dempsey is better at soccer than you, and every other American ever"