Dempsey's first strike on money

Clint Dempsey's first goal since joining Fulham FC might have been the most valuable one ever produced by a US player. Dempsey played a give-and-go with Liam Rosenior, sending a shot past goalkeeper Jose "Pepe" Reina in a 1-0 victory over Liverpool Saturday, the result providing the points necessary for Fulham to remain in the Premiership.

If Fulham, 15th in the standings, remains in the Premiership, it will be a part of a $3 billion-plus television package, meaning the club will receive $60 million, plus an estimated $40 million in ancillary benefits. This more than protects the investment of Harrods owner Mohamed El Fayed, who bought into Fulham 10 years ago.

Many things contributed to the outcome, including a Liverpool lineup minus several regulars five days after a Champions League semifinal win. But Dempsey has a way of being in the right place at the right time, and the killer instinct to make a difference, as he showed in three seasons with the Revolution. Athletes' careers are defined by moments such as this, as are clubs' destinies.

What makes Dempsey's feat even more remarkable is that he developed his talent in East Texas, which has produced many professional athletes but few soccer players who progressed to the global stage. Dempsey did receive some professional fine-tuning with the Revolution, but his style of play was formed in the backyards and parks of Nacogdoches.

The Guardian's David Lacey noted that Dempsey's goal was "created and executed with a Texan's aplomb" and it was "the most important in Craven Cottage history," a reference to Fulham's stadium.

Dempsey compared the score to his finish in the United States's 2-1 loss to Ghana in the 2006 World Cup, when he was the only US player to convert a goal in the tournament.

"I haven't really felt I have been able to contribute too much, so Saturday was payback time," Dempsey told The Independent. "Next season I want to be a regular starter. I think I can be a success in English football -- if I didn't, then I wouldn't be here."

Fulham paid a $4 million transfer fee for Dempsey, a Major League Soccer record. Former manager Chris Coleman, who also brought in Carlos Bocanegra, Simon Elliot, and Brian McBride from MLS, made the move for Dempsey but was fired as Fulham slumped. This was the Cottagers' first victory under Lawrie Sanchez, and after the match, the players took a victory lap and saluted the crowd as if they had won a championship. Indeed, avoiding relegation in the Premiership is worth more than capturing titles in other lands.

Of the teams facing relegation, only Charlton Athletic had a chance of catching Fulham, but it had to beat Tottenham Hotspur yesterday to stay alive. The Spurs won, 2-0. Charlton was also interested in Dempsey but pulled out of the bidding at about $1.5 million.

Revolution midfielder Jeff Larentowicz drew inspiration from retired French superstar Zinedine Zidane before scoring the first goal of a 3-1 win over the Chicago Fire Sunday. Larentowicz attended a screening of "Zidane, a 21st Century Portrait" at the Institute of Contemporary Art in the morning, and a few hours later, he made a spectacular two-footed leap to finish a corner kick for his second MLS goal. The film's directors, Douglas Gordon and Phillippe Parreno, focused 17 cameras on Zidane during a Real Madrid-Villareal game in 2005. "It was really great, and it got me really excited to play," Larentowicz said.

Revolution midfielder Steve Ralston has moved into fourth place on the all-time list for Division 1 professional games (playoffs and regular season) played in the US. The leaders: Bill McPherson 366, Bart McGhee 350, Chris Henderson 348, Ralston 347. Ralston is tied with Henderson on the MLS regular-season list (317) and will break the mark when the Revolution visit Los Angeles Saturday. McGhee and McPherson reflect the immigration from Scotland to the industrial centers of the US in the early 1900s. McGhee arrived as a teenager from Edinburgh and had lived for more than half his life in the US when he was selected for the national team for the first World Cup in Uruguay in 1930. He scored the first US goal in the competition in a 3-0 victory over Paraguay at Parque Central in Montevideo. McPherson won seven US Open Cup titles, moving from Morton Greenock to the Fall River Marksmen in 1922. McPherson played in his last cup final at the age of 37 in 1935, as a member of the Pawtucket Rangers. It was the second game of the US Open Cup, at Lonsdale Field, less than 20 miles from Ralston's residence near the Rhode Island border. In the win over Chicago, Ralston set up Larentowicz's goal with a corner, scored the second Revolution goal, and assisted on Wells Thompson's score. He has 112 assists, second to Carlos Valderrama (114) on the MLS list. "Honestly, the most important thing is we got the 3 points," Ralston said. "The other stuff, the man of the match, the games played . . . if I break the assist record, it took me six years longer than Carlos to do it."

Boston's Sheanon Williams was a key figure as the US won the CONCACAF qualifying group for the Under-17 World Cup in South Korea Aug. 18-Sept. 9. Williams played as a striker for his club team, the Greater Boston Bolts, but has been converted to right back with the national team. Williams's advances on the right helped lead to both goals in a 2-1 win over Costa Rica in the final match Sunday in Jamaica.

Frank Dell'Apa can be reached at f_dellapa@globe.com.