2010 USA Away – Clint Dempsey #8 Small

The 2010 season was a defining year for the United States Men’s National Team, centered on their run in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Managed by Bob Bradley, the US entered the tournament aiming to build on the progress made in 2009’s Confederations Cup. They were drawn into Group C alongside England, Slovenia, and Algeria. The campaign began with a memorable 1–1 draw against England, where Clint Dempsey made an immediate impact by scoring the equalizer in the 40th minute — a speculative shot that slipped through goalkeeper Robert Green’s hands, marking one of the tournament’s most talked-about goals.

In the second group match, the US fought back from 2–0 down to draw 2–2 with Slovenia, with Dempsey again heavily involved in creating attacking chances. The decisive moment came in the third game against Algeria, where Landon Donovan’s stoppage-time goal sealed a 1–0 victory, sending the US through as group winners for the first time since 1930. In the Round of 16, they faced Ghana, where Dempsey’s relentless pressing and link-up play were evident, though the US fell 2–1 in extra time. Over the year, Dempsey’s role as a versatile attacker — capable of playing wide, centrally, or as a secondary striker — made him one of the US’s most influential figures, reinforcing his reputation as a big-game player.

🇺🇸 United States 2010 Full Squad (World Cup)

Manager: Bob Bradley
Captain: Carlos Bocanegra

Goalkeepers

• Tim Howard

• Brad Guzan

• Marcus Hahnemann

Defenders

• Carlos Bocanegra

• Oguchi Onyewu

• Jay DeMerit

• Steve Cherundolo

• Jonathan Spector

• Clarence Goodson

• Jonathan Bornstein

Midfielders

• Michael Bradley

• Ricardo Clark

• Maurice Edu

• Landon Donovan

• Clint Dempsey

• Stuart Holden

• Benny Feilhaber

• DaMarcus Beasley

• José Francisco Torres

Forwards

• Jozy Altidore

• Edson Buddle

• Herculez Gomez

• Robbie Findley