With only 30 days left until the start of the 2014 World Cup, MLSsoccer.com continues its World Cup Memories series with the moment that Seattle Sounders star Clint Dempsey rates as his favorite-ever moment.
Now set to play in his third World Cup for the USMNT, "Deuce" will never forget that first one. He explains why in his own words:
For me, the moment that stands out the most is the first goal I ever scored in a World Cup against Ghana. It was a dream come true.
When I was a little kid, I would pray about one day being in a World Cup and getting the opportunity to score a goal. Having the opportunity to do that was something I’ll always look back to as a great moment in my career and my life.
It only raises your profile when you score on the world stage, and I think that’s what allowed me to be able to get that move to go over to Europe.
But for me, it was more than just being known on a global scale. For me, it was accomplishing the biggest goal possible from when I was a kid, to be able to play in a World Cup and score and have the opportunity to do that was such an achievement for me personally.
It gave me that peace moving forward. There were other things that I was striving for, but that was the moment where I could get that little bit of peace for all the sacrifices I made.
[When I was a kid], there was a movie called
Hero
, about the 1986 World Cup when it was in Mexico in the year Argentina won. And I remember watching Diego Maradona play and some of the other countries. Seeing the passion, seeing the fans – that was pretty special for me because I really loved the game.
But here I am in Texas, where not very many people are as passionate about the sport as I am. And then I’m looking on TV [the movie,
Hero
] and seeing people from all over, from different countries that have the same passion that I do and willing their team on.
That’s when I fell in love with it [soccer]. To one day be on that stage and represent my country, what could be more special than that?
What was your first World Cup? Do you remember watching the movie "Hero" and was it as inspirational for you as it was for Dempsey?Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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