U.S. National Team, Dempsey Hat-trick Among Weekend Positives for American Soccer: Fan’s Look

Soccer fans in the United States were treated to some special moments this past weekend. Here's a brief look at the events that unfolded:

U.S. women begin Olympic journey

On Friday, Jan. 20, the U.S. women's national team began its quest for the 2012 London Olympics with a 14-0 drubbing of the Dominican Republic. Amy Rodriguez scored five times for the Americans as they set a new team record for goals scored in a game. Two days later, the U.S. followed up the victory with a 13-0 win over Guatemala. Sidney Leroux scored five goals for the Americans. The team will play Mexico on Tuesday with the group title on the line, though both countries have already qualified for the CONCACAF tournament semifinals.

However, the U.S. wins came at a price. Defender Ali Krieger tore her right ACL and MCL and will be out of action for 6-to-8 months. Her status for the Olympics is uncertain, but it's not looking good at the moment.

U.S. Men win a thriller over Venezuela

The U.S. men's national team has struggled since Jurgen Klinsmann took over as the squad's manager, but hopefully, the Americans' performance against Venezuela begins an upwards trend. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't pretty, but the U.S. was dangerous on the attack for their second match in a row. Granted, the Americans were inefficient with their chances, but at least they had them. Furthermore, Venezuelan goalkeeper Jose Morales had a game for the ages, and probably kept the match from being a 4-0 blowout.

Special credit should go to Ricardo Clark for gaining a measure of redemption for past international failures by scoring the game-winning goal for the 1-0 victory.

Clint Dempsey's hat trick

Fulham's Clint Dempsey became the first American ever to earn a hat trick during a Premier League match in the club's 5-2 win over Newcastle on Saturday, Jan. 21. U.S. soccer fans tend to regard Landon Donovan as the best player ever to represent the country, but I think the time has come to at least put Dempsey in the same conversation.

Hopefully, Dempsey will be able to play in the Champions League before his career winds down. I'd love to see it.

Fox televises Manchester United-Arsenal match live in the U.S.

Fox became the first non-subscription American TV channel to televise a Premier League game live in the United States on Sunday, Jan. 22. Fans across the country were treated to an excellent match between storied rivals Manchester United and Arsenal. The Red Devils won the game 2-1 on Danny Welbeck's goal in the 81st minute, while Americans won by having the opportunity to enjoy world class soccer on national TV.

Unfortunately, not every Fox affiliate joined in the party. Stations in Atlanta and Indianapolis were among the major U.S. cities that aired the game on tape delay in order to show infomercials and other programming. Hopefully, this doesn't happen again in the future.

Overall, it was a great weekend to be an American soccer fan, and just think, MLS wasn't even in action. It can only get better from here on out.

Derek Ciapala has been a fan of international soccer since the United States hosted the World Cup in 1994. His favorite moment in international football is Landon Donovan's last minute goal against Algeria in the 2010 World Cup.