Panama Cecilo Waterman Thierry Henry USMNT Screengrab via X
By Matt Yoder on

Even though they are under new management, the United States Men’s National Team once again failed to impress on Thursday night. And they had to watch soccer legend and CBS Sports analyst Thierry Henry celebrate with Panama after scoring the winning goal.

Panama upset the USMNT once again 1-0 thanks to a late goal from Cecilio Waterman in the CONCACAF Nations League semifinal. Although the Nations League carries about as much prestige as an NFL preseason game, it’s still an ominous beginning to the Mauricio Pochettino era.

To add insult to injury, Waterman and the entire Panamanian team immediately made a beeline for the CBS Sports set that were on site covering the game. Waterman singled out Arsenal, Barcelona, and France legend Thierry Henry to celebrate.

The best part of the video (or worst if you’re a USMNT fan) is the incredulous look on Clint Dempsey’s face. You could tell that it took every ounce of energy within him not to bodycheck every Panama player off the CBS set.

Lest you think this was some kind of random occurrence or statement being made, Waterman shared after the game that Henry was his childhood hero. And when he saw him behind the endline after scoring the winning goal, he only had one destination in mind.

The CBS soccer crew is known for their wide array of humor and hijinks, but also can have some great bits of analysis and interactions with players too. But seeing an entire team go and celebrate with one of the analysts tells you just how much respect and admiration Thierry Henry has throughout the soccer world.

About Matt Yoder

View all posts by Matt Yoder