Snow Clasico

On This Day in 2013, New Captain Dempsey Scores the Lone Goal in a Snow-Filled World Cup Qualifier

The United States entered their critical World Cup qualifying match against Costa Rica with their backs against the wall. Following a disappointing opening loss to Honduras in February, Jurgen Klinsmann's squad was last in the six-team Hexagonal. With reports of player discontent swirling and a daunting trip to Mexico City looming, newly appointed captain Clint Dempsey delivered when his team needed him most on a night that would forever be etched in American soccer lore.

For Dempsey, the March 22 match in Commerce City, Colorado, marked a significant milestone. Two days before kickoff, the 30-year-old Texan was handed the captain's armband, filling the leadership void left by Carlos Bocanegra's exclusion from the roster and Tim Howard's injury absence. It would be the first time Dempsey honed the armband since the second half of the October 2010 friendly against Colombia.

"Clint is one of our most experienced players and ready to assume a more vocal leadership role," Klinsmann explained before the match. "He has been huge for us in World Cup qualifying and is already one of our key leaders."

The appointment came at a tumultuous time for Klinsmann's squad. An article in The Sporting News, citing anonymous sources, had questioned the coach's tactical acumen and communication skills. With nine players from the Honduras match unavailable due to injuries and illness, Klinsmann was forced to field his 24th different lineup in 24 matches as national team coach, including DaMarcus Beasley at left back for the first time since 2009.

When the teams took the field at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, they faced conditions more suitable for winter sports than soccer. Snow began falling in the afternoon and intensified as the match progressed, creating a surreal spectacle that would later be dubbed the "Snow Clasico." Fans were initially advised to remain in their cars before the 7 p.m. kickoff as a tornado watch was in effect. Still, the sold-out crowd of 19,374 brave souls eventually entered the stadium, creating an intensely pro-American atmosphere.

Groundskeepers used plows and shovels to clear the penalty areas, center circle, and midfield stripe as the snow accumulated rapidly. A yellow-and-purple ball was used for better visibility, though even that proved challenging as the white powder intensified. Players' hair turned white as the snow stuck to their scalps, creating a visual spectacle unprecedented in American soccer history.

"It was difficult out here to see anything," Dempsey admitted after the match.

Despite the worsening conditions, both teams attempted to play with some semblance of strategy. The breakthrough came in the 16th minute through the new captain. Jozy Altidore fired a 19-yard shot that deflected off Costa Rican defender Roy Miller, bouncing fortuitously toward Dempsey. With instincts honed through years in England's rain-soaked Premier League, Dempsey pounced, driving a right-footed shot from close range into the net.

It was Dempsey's seventh goal of the Brazil 2014 qualifying campaign and his 12th career score in World Cup qualifying, further cementing his status as the team's offensive leader in Landon Donovan's continued absence. Unlike most of his teammates, the rugged Texan even refused to wear gloves during the first half, embodying the gritty determination required for the evening.

As the match progressed, the snowfall intensified, and referee Joel Aguilar of El Salvador momentarily halted play in the 55th minute. As visibility diminished and field conditions deteriorated, there was genuine concern that the match commissioner might abandon the contest altogether.

Klinsmann, desperate for the three points, rushed onto the field to lobby for the continuation of play. "You don't want to stop it. You want to keep that advantage and finish it off," he later explained.

After the brief stoppage, the match resumed, though both teams struggled to maintain any coherent tactical approach as the pitch increasingly resembled a winter wonderland rather than a soccer field. When Beasley slid on his back following a collision, he formed what Klinsmann described as "a bit of a snow angel."

"It almost looked like he grew up in the snow," Klinsmann said of the Indiana native, who earned widespread praise for his performance in an unfamiliar position.

The Americans survived a scare in the 70th minute when Michael Umana's apparent equalizer for Costa Rica was disallowed for offside. The U.S. might have felt unlucky, too—they had appealed for a penalty kick after Miller tripped Dempsey in the 42nd minute, but referee Aguilar denied the claim.

As time wound down, U.S. defender Geoff Cameron even playfully pushed a grounds crew member shoveling the field during injury time, capturing the surreal nature of the evening. By the final whistle, players from both teams were covered in snow, but only the Americans were smiling.

The hard-fought victory lifted the Americans from last place to second in the Hexagonal standings, one point behind Honduras, which had rallied from two goals down for a 2-2 tie at home against Mexico on the same day. The U.S. also extended their impressive home unbeaten streak in qualifying to 23 games over twelve years.

"We were able to come together when we needed to," Dempsey said, carrying the weight of team captain and match-winner.

With the critical three points secured, attention immediately turned to an even more significant challenge: a Tuesday night clash with regional power Mexico at the imposing Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The Americans would face radically different conditions—high altitude, smog, and a hostile crowd of 105,000—as they sought their first-ever qualifying victory on Mexican soil.

Costa Rica's coach, Jorge Luis Pinto, later called the decision to play the match "an embarrassment for soccer. " The Costa Rican federation filed an official protest with FIFA, seeking to have the game replayed. But for the Americans, the "Snow Clasico" victory momentarily quieted critics and gave Klinsmann's team a crucial boost in confidence as they headed south to face their greatest rivals.