(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The goal celebrations are as much part of the quadrennial championship as individual brilliance and famous victories.
goals bring fans to their feet but spectacular flips flailing arms piling of bodies chest-thumping happy souls and dancing add verve to football.
the goals are a plenty so far at the brazil world cup finals and now it is turn for joie de vivre in exuberant post goal celebrations.
the goal celebrations are as much part of the quadrennial championship as individual brilliance and famous victories. football aficionados love to watch their favourite stars leave their mark with the goal celebrations.
this world cup has seen on an average three goals per game (28) after eight matches but it took columbia’s pablo armero to set the tempo for goal celebrations in the fifth match of the championship.
armero broke into a dance routine with his team mates after scoring first goal against greece. it looked rehearsed and planned nevertheless ‘the dancing celebration’ was entertaining enough and could be added to the list of famous such acts.
joel campbell added his name to the bizarre yet joyous celebrations after scoring equaliser for costa rica. he shoved the ball under his shirt acted like a pregnant woman and sucked his thumb like a baby. everyone burst out laughing including some rival players in uruguayan camp. the arsenal star kept running up and down the pitch like the proudest soon-to-be-mother maybe father.
brazilian bebeto is another father whose similar celebration is world cup folklore. his baby cradle routine with romario and mazinho caught the attention of the world during 1994 finals in usa. the celebration was a tribute to his wife who days earlier had given birth to their third child — son mattheus oliveira a professional footballer now.
the impromptu cradle-act turned him from a relatively unknown member of brazil’s 1994 squad into an instantly recognisable face on the world stage.
who can forget roger milla? the cameroon striker who became a world cup star at the age of 38 celebrated each of his four goals at 1990 italy finals by swaying his hips while dancing around the corner flag.
like milla another african star celebrated goal around the flag kick. it was senegalese midfielder papa bouba diop who scored the only goal in the opening game of the 2002 world cup as senegal stunned the reigning champions france. he ran to the corner flag whipped off his shirt and then proceeded to dance around it with his ecstatic teammates.
thinking about these two african players’ celebrations always makes me smile.
and some celebrations leave you wondering. the big nigerian striker rashidi yekini ran into the goal grabbed the net and shook it vigorously while screaming to the high heavens after scoring what was nigeria’s first ever goal at the world cup finals against bulgaria in 1994.
there’s flip side to celebratory dancing and jumping. ask england’s physiotherapists gary lewin. he has been rendered horse de combat injuring his ankle while celebrating daniel sturridge’s equaliser for england against italy yesterday (sunday).
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