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Classic Dempsey Celebrations: A Look At Some Of Clint Dempsey’s Best Goal Celebrations
Goal.com’s Allen Ramsey takes his Short List format to look at the best of Clint Dempsey’s goal celebrations over the years - with exclusive comments from the player himself.
Oct 12, 2009 11:34:22 PM
By Allen Ramsey
Clint Dempsey has long been one of the most exciting players in U.S. Soccer. His flair for the dramatic, timely goal scoring, and passion for the game all play into the persona of one of the top players the U.S. has ever produced.
One thing in particular that has endeared Dempsey to fans since the beginning of his career has been his unique goal celebrations. From hitting one out of the park in his early days with the New England Revolution, to popping the cork after scoring for Fulham, Dempsey has always added a little something extra to a goal to help excite the crowd.
It was hard putting together a list of five favorites, and unfortunately some great ones had to be cut. Classics such as Dempsey dancing a jig with the Midnight Riders’ hat on, or reeling in the big fish had to be excluded, but at least the man himself took the time to chime in and give Goal.com his take on the top five.
5. The Heel-Toe
Against Ghana, 2006 World Cup
At the time, Dempsey’s goal against Ghana equalized the U.S. in their all-important third group match. Dempsey got on the end of a DaMarcus Beasley cross and blasted his shot into the net. Immediately following the goal was the natural reaction of a player who had just scored his team’s first World Cup goal, but after a screaming sprint, Dempsey settled into the heel-to-toe dance.
The World Cup goal did not produce the best celebration of his life, thus it sits bottom of the list, but considering the importance of the goal, and the presence of mind to dance after the fact, it has to make the list.
Clint’s Take: “Josh Villalobos showed it to me at Furman and it just came to me when I scored and I did it. Just showing some love from the college days.”
4. Putting Out The Fire
Against Chicago, 2005 MLS Playoffs
The Chicago Fire and New England Revolution have one of the best rivalries in Major League Soccer. In 2005, after dispatching the Columbus Crew in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Dempsey and the Revs met Chicago in the Eastern Conference finals.
The game’s lone goal came from a quick restart played to Shalrie Joseph, who found Dempsey streaking into the back post.
Dempsey popped in the shot, ran past the post and then stopped, shaking his hands back and forth as if he were on fire. But the celebration was not done. He then dropped to the ground, rolling first one way then the other, just the way it’s taught to children in school - stop, drop, and roll to put out the fire.
Clint’s Take:
“We always had a rivalry against them because they were in our conference and we played them a lot. I thought that would be a funny (celebration) to do. I didn’t score the greatest goal, but I thought about it before the game and thought it would be funny, so when I scored I just did it.”
3. Kissing Mom, Hugging Dad
Against Dallas, 2005 MLS Regular Season
Not all of Clint's celebrations were quite as showy. On one visit to his home state to face F.C. Dallas, (a team Dempsey terrorized in his tenure with New England) he showed a softer side.
Joe Franchino made a run down the left and sent in a low cross that Dempsey met on the back post for the goal.
After putting the ball in the net, Dempsey raced to the section where his parents were seated and gave his mother a kiss. It was a nice tribute to the parents who spent much of their lives helping him reach for his goals.
Clint’s Take:
“That was probably my favorite celebration. I knew where my family was sitting before the game and it was a spur of the moment thing when I scored. I didn’t plan it. I kissed mom and gave dad a hug, 'cause I wouldn’t have made it without them.”
Clint Dempsey has long been one of the most exciting players in U.S. Soccer. His flair for the dramatic, timely goal scoring, and passion for the game all play into the persona of one of the top players the U.S. has ever produced.
One thing in particular that has endeared Dempsey to fans since the beginning of his career has been his unique goal celebrations. From hitting one out of the park in his early days with the New England Revolution, to popping the cork after scoring for Fulham, Dempsey has always added a little something extra to a goal to help excite the crowd.
It was hard putting together a list of five favorites, and unfortunately some great ones had to be cut. Classics such as Dempsey dancing a jig with the Midnight Riders’ hat on, or reeling in the big fish had to be excluded, but at least the man himself took the time to chime in and give Goal.com his take on the top five.
5. The Heel-Toe
Against Ghana, 2006 World Cup
At the time, Dempsey’s goal against Ghana equalized the U.S. in their all-important third group match. Dempsey got on the end of a DaMarcus Beasley cross and blasted his shot into the net. Immediately following the goal was the natural reaction of a player who had just scored his team’s first World Cup goal, but after a screaming sprint, Dempsey settled into the heel-to-toe dance.
The World Cup goal did not produce the best celebration of his life, thus it sits bottom of the list, but considering the importance of the goal, and the presence of mind to dance after the fact, it has to make the list.
Clint’s Take: “Josh Villalobos showed it to me at Furman and it just came to me when I scored and I did it. Just showing some love from the college days.”
4. Putting Out The Fire
Against Chicago, 2005 MLS Playoffs
The Chicago Fire and New England Revolution have one of the best rivalries in Major League Soccer. In 2005, after dispatching the Columbus Crew in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Dempsey and the Revs met Chicago in the Eastern Conference finals.
The game’s lone goal came from a quick restart played to Shalrie Joseph, who found Dempsey streaking into the back post.
Dempsey popped in the shot, ran past the post and then stopped, shaking his hands back and forth as if he were on fire. But the celebration was not done. He then dropped to the ground, rolling first one way then the other, just the way it’s taught to children in school - stop, drop, and roll to put out the fire.
Clint’s Take:
“We always had a rivalry against them because they were in our conference and we played them a lot. I thought that would be a funny (celebration) to do. I didn’t score the greatest goal, but I thought about it before the game and thought it would be funny, so when I scored I just did it.”
3. Kissing Mom, Hugging Dad
Against Dallas, 2005 MLS Regular Season
Not all of Clint's celebrations were quite as showy. On one visit to his home state to face F.C. Dallas, (a team Dempsey terrorized in his tenure with New England) he showed a softer side.
Joe Franchino made a run down the left and sent in a low cross that Dempsey met on the back post for the goal.
After putting the ball in the net, Dempsey raced to the section where his parents were seated and gave his mother a kiss. It was a nice tribute to the parents who spent much of their lives helping him reach for his goals.
Clint’s Take:
“That was probably my favorite celebration. I knew where my family was sitting before the game and it was a spur of the moment thing when I scored. I didn’t plan it. I kissed mom and gave dad a hug, 'cause I wouldn’t have made it without them.”
 Clint Dempsey paid tribute to Michael Jackson |
2. The Thriller
Against Brazil, 2009 Confederations Cup
It was a big goal for the U.S. National Team when Dempsey opened the scoring against
Brazil in the Confederations Cup final. Though the Brazilians would
storm back and eventually take home a 3-2 victory, Dempsey’s goal gave
the U.S. the early lead they so desperately wanted.
Jonathan Spector’s
whipped cross from the right was redirected by the midfielder. It was
just the slightest of touches, but Dempsey managed to get the ball on
frame and Brazilian ‘keeper Julio Cesar was caught off guard.
After the goal, Dempsey gave his best impersonation of Michael
Jackson, who had died just days before, by setting up in the middle of
the field and showing off his own version of Jackson’s famous leg kick.
Clint’s Take:
“I was actually surprised that it went in, to be honest, just got a good bounce and it got past the keeper. It was something we talked about before the game and it was just
good to show love to Michael Jackson for the good times he’s given us
through his music.”
1.The Salute
Against Poland, 2006 Friendly In Germany
It was just a World Cup warm-up
game, a meaningless friendly against Poland in Kaiserslautern, but the
U.S. was actually playing in front of a partisan crowd. The
U.S. Military forces in the area had filled a large section of the
stands, and when Dempsey nodded home the game winner he headed to that
section, which was conveniently located in the nearest corner. He was
joined by Eddie Johnson and together they paid tribute to the American troops who had come out to support them with a salute. Dempsey
has since used the salute a number of times (double tapping the corner
flag first and saluting the crowd), but the first time he snapped a salute to the U.S. troops
who had shown up in force in Germany is still one of the proudest moments in U.S. Soccer history.
 Clint Dempsey scored against Poland and then saluted |
Clint’s Take:
“When we were there with the U.S. team, we were in Germany playing against Poland, we got to go around and see some of the wounded soldiers. It’s crazy to think about what people do to help protect our country. So it was nice to show some appreciation for what the soldiers sacrifice for us so that we can live in a country and have the freedoms that we have.”
Allen Ramsey is an associate editor of Goal.com USA.
Visit the U.S. national team page on Goal.com for more
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