CARSON, Cailf. -- United States national team captain Clint Dempsey was happy to see his side return to winning ways, as the U.S. beat Panama 2-0 in an international friendly here on Sunday.
Dempsey and the U.S. team were without a win in their last five games, having drawn twice before losing their last three matches, including a 3-2 loss in Chile at the end of January. But goals from Michael Bradley and Dempsey saw the team past a game Panama team at StubHub Center.
Following the match, Dempsey talked about the team's play and the importance of getting a win under their belts to start 2015.
"We are starting to get more sharp and get more fit," said Dempsey. "I think that when we needed to we found the right pass and created problems for them.
"Michael and Mix [Diskerud] broke up plays and moved the ball around well. Miguel [Ibarra] and Gyasi [Zardes] gave us width and also with their movement created problems for them and space up top.
Dempsey said he was having trouble getting touches up top so he began to check back to the ball to get more involved in the team's build-up.
"I was trying to come back and get touches on the ball, that's when I feel like I make an impact," said Dempsey, who scored the second goal of the game for the U.S. on a breakaway.
The U.S. No. 8 said he was impressed with how the team played and said it bodes well for the rest of 2015.
"I thought the team played well," he said. "We were compact defensively and didn't give them too many chances except for that one in first half with the slip [by Matt Besler].
"It was also important to get a clean sheet today and I was happy to get on the scoresheet.
"But most of all it's getting back to winning ways which will give us confidence going into 2015."
First-time starter Zardes assisted on the Dempsey goal after intercepting a ball in midfield that set up a counter-attacking opportunity for the U.S.
"They passed it back to their left-back and I saw an opportunity to step and take the ball and just go on a counter," said Zardes.
"I saw Clint make an amazing run and I just fed him the ball because there was so much space. I knew he would finish that one.
"This is my first international start and Jurgen [Klinsmann] had confidence in me to play a full 90. It was great to get out there and just adapt to my teammates. We really utilized this huge field and it was wonderful."
