Dempsey made his national team debut on November 17, 2004, during a World Cup qualifier against Jamaica in Columbus, Ohio; the call-up came after his rookie season in Major League Soccer with the New England Revolution, where he recorded seven goals and one assist on the way to being named MLS Rookie of the Year. Dempsey scored his first national team goal on May 28, 2005, during a friendly match against England in Chicago. His first competitive national team goal came a month later against Cuba in Seattle during the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup, a tournament the United States would go on to win.