Clint Dempsey scores with his feet, with his head, with his knees or whatever he needs to get the ball into the back of the net. He’s done it 52 times in his international career, just five short of Landon Donovan’s all-time record. On June 22, 2014, he scored with his stomach on the world’s largest stage.
It’s the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The United States have been placed into the group of death and just earned a victory over World Cup rival Ghana, who had knocked them out in the two previous iterations of the tournament. Next up? Cristiano Ronaldo and #4 FIFA world-ranked Portugal.
The U.S. had gone down early on a mishit clearance which Portugal winger Nani had capitalized on. Midfielder Jermaine Jones had then pulled the U.S. back in the second half with a screamer from 25 yards out. 80 minutes in, the game waned on a 1-1 result that U.S. fans would have been more than content with.
Enter Dempsey.
The play began on a cross that touched two players before falling to Graham Zusi at the left side of the box. Dempsey checked back, Zusi played the ball and Dempsey knocked it in with whatever he could get to it. It was the go ahead goal in the 81st minute against world power Portugal and U.S. fans could not believe their eyes.
And who started the play? DeAndre Yedlin. Yedlin had come off the bench in the 72nd minute and immediately made an impact when he received a long ball from Jones and whipped in the cross that started the madness.
For Yedlin, it was the game that introduced him to the world. It was his first appearance in a major tournament on an international stage and exactly six months later, he was signed by Tottenham Hotspur FC of the English Premier League.
The goal ultimately led the U.S. into the next round and if not for a heartbreaking equalizer from Portugal’s Varela deep in extra time, it would certainly be one of the greatest goals in American soccer history.
