photo by Adam Hunger/USA Today Sports
By FRANCO PANIZO
Scoring a goal can be emotionally overwhelming, but sometimes, whether by design or impulse, the celebrations that follow can be just as special as the finish.
Week 17 in MLS saw not one, but two players execute fun goal celebrations that will not soon be forgotten. The first came in the New York Red Bulls’ 3-1 road win over New York City FC on Sunday, as Matt Miazga did the long overdue gesture of swinging for the fences at Yankee Stadium.
Fanendo Adi followed that up later in the day with an impersonation of Timber Joey, grabbing the Portland Timbers’ mascot’s chainsaw and pretending to cut a slab of wood in the club’s 4-1 triumph over the Seattle Sounders.
While Miazga and Adi’s celebrations are in the conversation for best of the season, there have been several others this year that standout as well. There was Kei Kamara’s Columbus Crew hardhat celebration back in March, Philadelphia Union youngster Eric Ayuk’s hilarious backflips in the midst of being on the wrong end of a rout in April, and Robbie Keane’s profane gesture back on opening weekend.
Jozy Altidore’s celebration in Week 1 wasn’t necessarily something of his own doing, but who could forget the middle finger he received from an upset Vancouver Whitecaps fan?
Surely there will more unforgettable and hilarious celebrations as the season progresses, but what is your favorite one of 2015 so far? Think Miazga’s takes the cake? Prefer Kamara’s or Adi’s?
Share your thoughts below.
After the U20s, we all love Miazga.. but I’m guessing his youth was spent solely on the soccer pitch. His swing wasn’t quite Joe DiMaggio.
Cheapo Red Bull can’t wait to sell Miazger
My favourite MLS celebration is still Roger Levesque in Seattle when he did the scuba diver over the advertising boards.
I was at the game yesterday…does anyone have an idea of what Felipe was doing?? I’ve tried looking on the web for different camera angles, but from my seat (and looks like the still photo above), it looked like Felipe was supposed to stand a few feet in front of Miazga and be the pitcher/throw him the ball. Instead, Felipe just turned and did a swing at the same time of Miazga. haha. So I think Felipe sort of messed up the celebration (not much baseball in Brazil?), but it was still a thing of beauty to see as a Red Bulls fan. Keep it up Matt!
haha, i think you got it! in the moment he didn’t get the baseball plan..
great though! has this really not happened yet?!
Adi’s was great too, that chainsaw was really getting worked last night!
i don’t recall really any other standout celebration this year.. other than Martins flipping around a handful of times!