In the infamous words of now-New England Revolution head coach and sporting director Bruce Arena, Clint Dempsey always tried "sh--" on the field.
He did exactly that 10 years ago today, scoring the deciding goal in Fulham's Europa League Round of 16 matchup against Italian powerhouse Juventus. Dempsey collected a pass from midfielder Dickson Etuhu, took a settling touch and chipped goalkeeper Antonio Chimenti from 20 yards out. His 83rd-minute strike, which saw Dempsey contort his body to pull off the wondergoal, came shortly after he entered as a substitute.
With Dempsey's chip sending Craven Cottage into delight, Fulham eventually won the match 4-1 and the series 5-4 on aggregate. They lost the first leg, 3-1, in Italy and advanced to the Europa League final before losing to Spanish club Atletico Madrid.
Two years later, Dempsey moved to fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur before his MLS return in 2013 to the Seattle Sounders. Dempsey, tied with Landon Donovan atop the US men's national team goals chart (57), won an MLS Cup with the Sounders in 2016 and a U.S. Open Cup title in 2014. His MLS career began in 2004 with the Revolution before his move overseas and eventual retirement in 2018.
During his time in MLS, Dempsey made 186 appearances, scored 72 goals and registered 42 assists. His final seasons were limited due to injuries and a heart condition, though support poured out from across MLS and the sports world when he called it quits.
