The Seattle Sounders forward delivered two goals and an important Gold Cup victory for the U.S. national team on a hot night in his home state of Texas.

FRISCO, Texas — Ask Clint Dempsey about the oppressive heat and humidity that can make playing games in his home state of Texas a challenge and he'll make it clear that growing up here doesn't make it any easier to deal with.

"It's tough, it's tough — no matter if you grow up in it or don't grow up in it," Dempsey said of the Texan conditions, which are more about stifling humidity than actual heat. "You've got to get acclimated. That's why we go on the training pitch, that's why we work hard."

If Dempsey really doesn't have an advantage, he could have fooled Tuesday's sell-out crowd at Toyota Stadium, which watched its native son deliver both goals in a 2-1 U.S. victory against Honduras.

It was a prototypical Dempsey performance. Even with his team struggling for stretches, and finding it tough to create chances against a resolute Honduran defense, Dempsey found a way to put two shots into the net and cap a successful homecoming.

"It always feels good, whether you play with the national team or whether you play club ball, to be able to come to where I developed a lot of my game driving back and forth from Nacogdoches," Dempsey said. "It always feels good to be home and always feels good to win."

The victory, and the goals, had to feel just a little bit sweeter for a player who hasn't had the best of summers. Having served a three-match MLS suspension for his notorious destruction of a referee's notebook in a U.S. Open Cup match, Dempsey returned from his banishment to the news that Michael Bradley would serve as the U.S. national team's new captain, replacing him after more than two years with the armband.

None of that seemed to matter Tuesday night, as Dempsey, sans armband, did what he does best: Score goals in important matches for the U.S.

"I always approach the game the same — it's about trying to help my team win," Dempsey said. "I'm in the same situation in Seattle: I'm not the captain there. I just enjoy playing, trying to do well and help the team win. That's what I've always done my whole career.

"You always want to perform well, whatever tournament that you're in," Dempsey added. "Whether it's the World Cup, whether it's Gold Cup, whether it's Confederations Cup, whether it's Copa America next summer, you've got to perform in the competitions that are in front of you and you've got to step up when the team needs you, and I feel like during my career I've always been able to do that."

The U.S. badly needed Dempsey's heroics on a night when Honduras pushed the Americans for 90 minutes and, it can be argued, played the better match. His first score was a poacher's goal, pouncing on a saved Jozy Altidore shot to give the Americans the lead and alleviate some pressure after a torrid start by the Hondurans.

"We knew they were going to come out with a lot of energy, and we were going to try and match their energy and try and take the game to them," Dempsey said. "They were just a little bit sharper with the ball in possession. But we gradually found our way into the game and I think you'll see us build as the tournament goes on and we'll improve with our possession, with our quality in the attacking third, and creating movements and getting looks in front of goal."

Honduras coach Jorge Luis Pinto credited Dempsey's finishing with being the key to a match he felt his team played the better soccer in, but Dempsey wasn't the only advantage the Americans had. The decidedly pro-U.S. crowd provided the Americans with what they considered a needed boost in a tough match.

"It's always good to play in front of a pro-American crowd. I think the crowd was behind the whole team," Dempsey said. "I remember when I first started with the national team and there'd be more fans for the other team sometimes. So to be able to play in front of pro-American crowds, I think the team definitely feeds off that energy."

As Dempsey left Toyota Stadium, a large crowd of fans cheered wildly and loudly — enough to convince him to pay them a visit. He soaked in the adulation and well-earned compliments before boarding the team bus. Tuesday's match was just the first stop on what Dempsey and the U.S. will be hoping is a six-city tour that culminates with the lifting of a Gold Cup title in Philadelphia. That's the dream ending he is hoping for.

On Tuesday, in the area he called home growing up and in the heat he knows all too well, Dempsey enjoyed a dream start to his Gold Cup.

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