Football celebrations have a knack for going viral, with the best example being Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘Siu’, which is now essentially a cultural phenomenon.
Such is the game’s influence that you can spot players from various sports invoking Leo Messi and pointing to the sky, while others may choose to bust out the ‘Robot’ and do their best Peter Crouch impression.
The list of viral footy celebrations recently had a new addition, and it came to fans from the US-based National Women’s Soccer League.
It all occurred during a fixture between Kansas City Current and Angel City. Kansas were trailing by a goal heading into the final 10 minutes until the side won a spot kick.
Up Stepped their top scorer Lo’eau LaBonta, who converted with ease and then proceeded to celebrate in a manner that certainly would’ve worried fans initially.
She grabbed her hamstring while wheeling away, wincing as she did it, before eventually coming to a halt near the corner flag and twerking.
Supporters in the venue were spared from a major scare upon seeing the entire celebration, and what looked a bit bizarre at first has now become extremely popular.
Since the clip went viral, players from other sports have channelled their inner LaBonta and borrowed the celebration, including a group version produced by Baseball side Savannah Bananas.
After sprinting to the home plate, Jackson Olson faked a hamstring injury before dropping to his knees while his teammates gathered around him.
The music cues over the speakers, his teammates do the ‘record scratch’ gesture, and Olson twerks before bursting into a full dance.
As for the sport of origin itself, the celebration was also picked up by Crawley Town striker Tom Nichols’.
The Reds’ picked up a surprise victory over Premier League side Fulham in the EFL Cup, and it was Nichols who opened the scoring on the night.
After making it 1-0, he ran towards his teammate with arms outstretched before faking a hammy.
Within a few seconds, the striker was twerking in front of those gathered at Broadfield Stadium. His hasty execution wasn’t exactly the best display for the celebration, yet an admirable effort nonetheless.
Say what you will about the ‘Hamstring Twerk’, but you can’t deny that it certainly looks fun, and the carefree energy it radiates is just a neat bonus.
