FIFA World Cup 2010: Best Goal Celebrations
A goal in football is a big deal; because so few of them come in a match, when one is scored it is cause for some serious celebration. The interesting aspect about goal celebrations is how innovative and different they can be. The bigger the stage, the crazier the goal celebrations become. The World Cup is one event where the players celebrate goals in the strangest ways.
The celebrations that players do when they score a goal have become stuff of legend. Football is a very tense and emotional game. People get very attached to the game and when their team scores there is wild jubilation among the fans. Players like to reward their fans with celebrations that befit the moment. Many players even practice their celebrations in the locker room and come up with crazy routines beforehand. From back flips, to sliding across the grass, to being buried under a mountain of other players, to jumping in the air, to dancing; there is always something interesting for the fans.
The interesting factor of goal celebrations is that they can sometimes give a message as well. These messages can sometimes be revealed written on t-shirts under a player's jersey or through some action that signifies what they are trying to get across. Tim Cahill, the Australian footballer once gave a sign by crossing his wrists. It was supposed to signify that his brother was in jail and that he was showing solidarity with him. Whether the brother got the message or not is not known, maybe they let prisoners watch football in jail. Football governing bodies like FIFA and UEFA do not take kindly to political symbols or messages that can be viewed as racist or discriminatory and they really do not like it when players remove their shirts after a game.
The list of some of the best and most memorable goal celebrations is very long and extensive. But there are some of them that really stand out from the rest. One of these times was during the 1990 World Cup when Roger Milla of Cameroon did his wiggle dance that made the crowd go crazy. Jurgen Klinsman, the famous German footballer, upon coming to Tottneham had a reputation for diving. After scoring his first goal he went for a massive dive which reflected his reputation to the delight of the fans. Other memorable goal celebrations have courted controversy; one of them had Robbie Fowler pretending to sniff cocaine from the penalty box white line. He was fined and banned for four matches.
During the current World Cup only a few interesting goal celebrations have been noticed. The regular piling onto each other has been seen along with the jumping and hugging routine. One that is new though is when players who have just scored go running off the pitch and almost into the crowd. They go towards their side of the supporters and work them into frenzy. Officials from FIFA have to be called in to bring them back to the pitch and end their partying. The goal celebrations are so popular that Coca-Cola released an ad recently regarding the best goal celebrations.
The goal celebration is just a part of all the drama and excitement that goes on during a football match. With all the high tension and pressure that has built up during a match, goal celebrations are a good way to relieve some of that pressure, for both the players and the fans. When the players do a synchronised post goal celebration, it shows that there is a sense of strong unity between the players and they are all part of a team that is working well and gelling together.
In the years to come we will see even more innovative goal celebrations. The fear is that players will spend too much time practising their celebrations and not enough time practising their shots that will allow them to celebrate. Let's see what the next goal in the World Cup brings us in terms of crazy celebration. Hopefully it will be something better than just jumping in the air and waving a lot.
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