Some people say the best part about scoring is the celebration. We've witnessed some wild ones over the years. The goal celebration certainly has transformed from the the classic 70s, jump straight up into the air with both hands trying to pull down a couple stars out to the night sky. The celebration has become so popular that FIFA09 even added it into their game play, where as soon as you score, you continue controlling your player and select from a wide variety of dances and motions. It really adds an extra element to any game. There are all sorts of celebrations. I would like to just take this time to look over some of them.
So many celebrations end up at the corner flag now-a-days. Let's just hope you don't pick the corner flag where the oppositions fans are throwing missiles at you a jeering your hard earned goal. As a player myself, there just seems to be a gravitational pull that attracts goalscorers to the corner flag. I feel as if when I score, I effortlessly float in that general direction. Perhaps professionals do it to celebrate with their fans as we often see. For instance I, for one, have seen Inzaghi, as well as many others, hurdle over the advertising boards and right over to the supporters who at this point are dangling over the separation bars just to get a touch. It's nice to see a player who is so dedicated to his supporters. Another celebration that we see often but will forever remain a classic is the knee slide. When the field is nice and slick, the knee side is almost a garentee. It really is a tribute the the grounds keeper in my eyes. If he didn't keep such a luscious well maintained pitch, the goal scorer would have to leave the field because of the blood all over his knees. Fernando Torres did his own version in the 2006 World Cup when he finished it off by arching back and pointing to the heavens, which was then copied by his best friend Sergio Ramos last season. However the knee slide has been used by so many names, it would be impossible to name them all. How about acrobatics? Obafemi Matrins isn't afraid to put on a gymnastics display for the people. If you can do it, why not? If you can't, why embarrass yourself trying? So many of these talented athletes possess the skills to do cartwheels, flips, and all sorts of aerial tricks. Although once in a while we get someone who simply just fails in their moment of glory and lands flat on their nose, neck, back, or arse. When done correctly though, they are a thrill to watch. What is a celebration that is popular but frowned upon? Oh yes, the removal of the shirt. Now it earns players no less than a yellow card for their antics but it has been popular nonetheless. Lots of players find the celebration worthy of the punishment and do it anyway. Some players just take it off in the heat of the moment. When the United States Woman's National Team won the World Cup in a penalty shoot out over China in 1999, many people remember the scene of final penalty taker, Brandi Chastain, ripping off her jersey in celebration when winning the match for the US. Even Cristiano Ronaldo has done it, to the delight of every female watching. It is considered unsportsmanlike in the eyes of referees at this point in time. Which is odd because it IS sporting to take off one's jersey and exchange it with another player of the opposite team after the match concludes. Many players such as Cisse and Kaka have displayed messages on an undershirt expressing feelings for their family or their religion. At time's the shirt doesn't come all the way off, but leaving the arms in the sleeves and stretching the front of the shirt over one's head and running around blindly is another classic. Getafe of La Liga took that celebration even further this year. The team's shirt sponsor is Burger King. On the inside of the shirt is the mascot, "the king's" face. So when the shirt is pulled over the head, "the King" replaces the player's face. Now that ladies and gentlemen is creativity.
How about group celebrations? Yes indeed, they have those too. The nation of Senegal was loved for the celebrations in the World Cup 2002 in Korea/Japan. Every goal was fallowed by a team celebration. I remember a couple vividly. The player that scored took off his jersey and layed it on the pitch near the corner flag, soon joined by the rest of the team, they all began dancing around it. Another Senegal celebration that had me holding my stomach in laughter was after the goal was scored, the player ran toward the supporters, and got down on his knees. He was quickly fallowed by two others who put one arm around him and flexed with the other arms all brought together by great big smiles posing for pictures, priceless. A couple years ago when Real Madrid was made up of what seemed like 95% Brazilians, four of them, being Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Robinho and Julio Baptista, all laid on their backs and kicked their feet in the air. Do I know what that means? No, as many of celebrations are inside jokes thought up on the training ground at one point or another. I've seen it plenty of times and it never gets old. Rock the Cradle. Some players do it to signify a new bundle of joy in the family and some players just do it simply because it's a classic. The player runs toward the sideline and begins to swing their arms in a rocking motion, the rest of the team joins in an they all do it in unison. Great fun and thrilling to watch.
The footballing world knows every sort of culture, and where there is culture there is a cultural dance of some sort. Many Brazilians and Brazilian impersonators do the samba dance , made famous by Ronaldinho in his glory days. Everyone remembers the ridiculous dance Henry and Adebayor would do together after scoring at Arsenal. When asked about it, Theirry Henry said the only reason he uses Adebayor as a partner for the dance is because he is the only one that could do the steps. Kind of odd, but understandable in that respect. Enough with the humorous for right now. Football is a sport all about passion. There are certain things that fuel certain footballers. When Frank Lampard scored in the 2008 Champions League final, you could tell there was something more on his mind. He began a slow trot to the corner flag with both hands pointing the the heavens accompanied by a glazy shine in his eye. The goal undoubtedly was dedicated to his mother who passed away a couple of days before the match. The fallowing year in the 2009 version of that same final, Samuel Eto'o praised his father by smacking his forearm over and over on his trek away from the goal he just scored on. This symbolized that he used his father's blood to score that goal.
There are players that have really pattented celebrations. They have really made certain celebrations their own. Of course there are celebrations that will never belong to anyone, like the kissing of the ring finger, but some celebrations just belong to certain players. Alan Shearer has his trade mark one hand raised in the air with a open palm as he runs about the pitch. Ronaldinho coined the double hang loose hand jesters. I have a poster of Thierry Henry in my room of the air plane he made famous before he got so good he hardly had to celebrate. Los Blancos golden boy always points to the name on the back of his jersey. Everton and Austailia ace, Tiny Tim Cahill, always manages to give the corner flag a good bruising with a couple of K-O punches. Peter Crouch adopted the robot there for a spell but has seemed to abandon it to the dismay of so many fans that adored it.
So many celebrations that light up the pitch after goals, that it would be impossible for me to name them all. I would love to hear peoples comments on their favorite celebrations or maybe some that I left out. For now I've provided this video for you to watch on some celebrations. Enjoy.
Viva el futbol y Hala Madrid!
Bobby
So many celebrations end up at the corner flag now-a-days. Let's just hope you don't pick the corner flag where the oppositions fans are throwing missiles at you a jeering your hard earned goal. As a player myself, there just seems to be a gravitational pull that attracts goalscorers to the corner flag. I feel as if when I score, I effortlessly float in that general direction. Perhaps professionals do it to celebrate with their fans as we often see. For instance I, for one, have seen Inzaghi, as well as many others, hurdle over the advertising boards and right over to the supporters who at this point are dangling over the separation bars just to get a touch. It's nice to see a player who is so dedicated to his supporters. Another celebration that we see often but will forever remain a classic is the knee slide. When the field is nice and slick, the knee side is almost a garentee. It really is a tribute the the grounds keeper in my eyes. If he didn't keep such a luscious well maintained pitch, the goal scorer would have to leave the field because of the blood all over his knees. Fernando Torres did his own version in the 2006 World Cup when he finished it off by arching back and pointing to the heavens, which was then copied by his best friend Sergio Ramos last season. However the knee slide has been used by so many names, it would be impossible to name them all. How about acrobatics? Obafemi Matrins isn't afraid to put on a gymnastics display for the people. If you can do it, why not? If you can't, why embarrass yourself trying? So many of these talented athletes possess the skills to do cartwheels, flips, and all sorts of aerial tricks. Although once in a while we get someone who simply just fails in their moment of glory and lands flat on their nose, neck, back, or arse. When done correctly though, they are a thrill to watch. What is a celebration that is popular but frowned upon? Oh yes, the removal of the shirt. Now it earns players no less than a yellow card for their antics but it has been popular nonetheless. Lots of players find the celebration worthy of the punishment and do it anyway. Some players just take it off in the heat of the moment. When the United States Woman's National Team won the World Cup in a penalty shoot out over China in 1999, many people remember the scene of final penalty taker, Brandi Chastain, ripping off her jersey in celebration when winning the match for the US. Even Cristiano Ronaldo has done it, to the delight of every female watching. It is considered unsportsmanlike in the eyes of referees at this point in time. Which is odd because it IS sporting to take off one's jersey and exchange it with another player of the opposite team after the match concludes. Many players such as Cisse and Kaka have displayed messages on an undershirt expressing feelings for their family or their religion. At time's the shirt doesn't come all the way off, but leaving the arms in the sleeves and stretching the front of the shirt over one's head and running around blindly is another classic. Getafe of La Liga took that celebration even further this year. The team's shirt sponsor is Burger King. On the inside of the shirt is the mascot, "the king's" face. So when the shirt is pulled over the head, "the King" replaces the player's face. Now that ladies and gentlemen is creativity.
How about group celebrations? Yes indeed, they have those too. The nation of Senegal was loved for the celebrations in the World Cup 2002 in Korea/Japan. Every goal was fallowed by a team celebration. I remember a couple vividly. The player that scored took off his jersey and layed it on the pitch near the corner flag, soon joined by the rest of the team, they all began dancing around it. Another Senegal celebration that had me holding my stomach in laughter was after the goal was scored, the player ran toward the supporters, and got down on his knees. He was quickly fallowed by two others who put one arm around him and flexed with the other arms all brought together by great big smiles posing for pictures, priceless. A couple years ago when Real Madrid was made up of what seemed like 95% Brazilians, four of them, being Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Robinho and Julio Baptista, all laid on their backs and kicked their feet in the air. Do I know what that means? No, as many of celebrations are inside jokes thought up on the training ground at one point or another. I've seen it plenty of times and it never gets old. Rock the Cradle. Some players do it to signify a new bundle of joy in the family and some players just do it simply because it's a classic. The player runs toward the sideline and begins to swing their arms in a rocking motion, the rest of the team joins in an they all do it in unison. Great fun and thrilling to watch.
The footballing world knows every sort of culture, and where there is culture there is a cultural dance of some sort. Many Brazilians and Brazilian impersonators do the samba dance , made famous by Ronaldinho in his glory days. Everyone remembers the ridiculous dance Henry and Adebayor would do together after scoring at Arsenal. When asked about it, Theirry Henry said the only reason he uses Adebayor as a partner for the dance is because he is the only one that could do the steps. Kind of odd, but understandable in that respect. Enough with the humorous for right now. Football is a sport all about passion. There are certain things that fuel certain footballers. When Frank Lampard scored in the 2008 Champions League final, you could tell there was something more on his mind. He began a slow trot to the corner flag with both hands pointing the the heavens accompanied by a glazy shine in his eye. The goal undoubtedly was dedicated to his mother who passed away a couple of days before the match. The fallowing year in the 2009 version of that same final, Samuel Eto'o praised his father by smacking his forearm over and over on his trek away from the goal he just scored on. This symbolized that he used his father's blood to score that goal.
There are players that have really pattented celebrations. They have really made certain celebrations their own. Of course there are celebrations that will never belong to anyone, like the kissing of the ring finger, but some celebrations just belong to certain players. Alan Shearer has his trade mark one hand raised in the air with a open palm as he runs about the pitch. Ronaldinho coined the double hang loose hand jesters. I have a poster of Thierry Henry in my room of the air plane he made famous before he got so good he hardly had to celebrate. Los Blancos golden boy always points to the name on the back of his jersey. Everton and Austailia ace, Tiny Tim Cahill, always manages to give the corner flag a good bruising with a couple of K-O punches. Peter Crouch adopted the robot there for a spell but has seemed to abandon it to the dismay of so many fans that adored it.
So many celebrations that light up the pitch after goals, that it would be impossible for me to name them all. I would love to hear peoples comments on their favorite celebrations or maybe some that I left out. For now I've provided this video for you to watch on some celebrations. Enjoy.
Viva el futbol y Hala Madrid!
Bobby
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