The three goals left him two shy of Landon Donovan’s national team record of 57, a number Dempsey could reach in far fewer games. “I’m sure in the back of his head he’s going for that scoring record,” teammate Alejandro Bedoya said with a smile. “But he won’t admit it.”The 6-0 victory, meanwhile, got the Americans back on track toward qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, which would be Dempsey’s fourth. “I have no doubt that it’s more important now.”That urgency was apparent when Dempsey rejoined the national team last week. That was just fine with Dempsey, who, after more than a decade with the national team, suddenly felt he had to prove his worth.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 27, 2017 00:11 UTC