On the Pitch

Scoring a goal against Mexico is a dream for every American soccer player. Clint Dempsey’s 57 goals for the USMNT is tied for the most in history, but none of those 57 came against America’s rival down south.

When Dempsey stepped up to take a penalty against El Tri in 2013, every fan expected him to bury it, right? This wasn’t the case, as one of the greatest players in U.S. history lasered his shot six yards wide of the goal. Why would Dempsey do this? We have a pretty good idea.

Context:

Date: Sept. 10, 2013

Three points seemed out of the question for 3. Liga side Ingolstadt as the league title contenders trailed 1-0 with only two minutes of stoppage time left on Saturday. Then came the craziest 70 seconds of soccer, which featured a goalkeeper goal and a last-minute winner to give Ingolstadt all three points.

Let’s start with what you came for: that gorgeous goalkeeper volley.

Soccer is one of the very few sports that boasts competitions where small, local sides are able to face off against the best teams in the country. These matchups capture the imagination while providing a sense of hope and magic to a small group of supporters.

Domestic cups have long provided smaller clubs with the opportunity to prove their mettle by facing nationally recognized sides, and while major upsets are rare, just the slightest hope of an improbable win is enough to cause local pandemonium and stir significant interest among neutral supporters.

In recent weeks, winter storms throughout Europe have given us snow games in England, Spain and Turkey.

An incredible goal was scored in the Saudi Pro League on Tuesday. The goal was so spectacular that it honestly deserves an award. The exact title this goal deserves will go unnamed as I hate to admit that I have mentioned it one too many times. 

That final exit from the footballing stage is often an emotional one, even for the most stone-faced of athletes.

John Terry was heavily applauded when he came off in the 26th minute of his final match, in accordance with his jersey number, Francesco Totti gave a tearful goodbye in front of a packed Stadio Olimpico and Iker Casillas gave a somber press conference in room devoid of any teammates or club personnel.