Clint Dempsey got to play in the MLS Cup final, and he played well in the hour or so of action he was given, but it wasn’t enough to keep the fighting New England Revolution from going down in penalties. Things might have been different for the Revs had Steve Nicol given U.S. Soccer’s 2006 Honda Player of the Year a full game, but the manager decided-and Dempsey admitted as much-that he would be playing at less than 100 percent. “You want to be able to play your best soccer in the final, but that wasn’t the case,” Demspey said after New England’s 4-3 loss on penalty kicks. But, he added, “I feel like I was able to bring a spark and contribute.” Dempsey applauded New England’s training staff for getting him back in less than three weeks, after he suffered an injury that normally takes 4-6 weeks to recover. It was New England’s second straight MLS Cup final loss, although Dempsey says there was no shame in losing this one. “I thought everybody played really hard. It was good to be a part of this game, because I think it was a really good final.” Indeed, when a team wins a championship on penalty kicks, it’s hard to say the best team won, because sometimes it isn’t true. However, both teams played equally hard on Sunday, but luck was with the Dynamo. As for Dempsey’s future, the winger has spoken loudly about his desire to play abroad. “When it’s time for everybody to find out, they’ll find out,” he said. Dempsey has a year left on his contract with the Revs.