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Small Victories: USA Players Celebrating In Style
It's been nearly four years since Peter Crouch unveiled his now-famous robot dance. Two American youngsters are making their own mark on celebrating goalscoring.
Oct 13, 2009 6:54:51 AM
By Zac Lee Rigg
In the lead up to the 2006 World Cup, Peter Crouch celebrated scoring a goal against Hungary with his own peculiar version of the robot. The gangly 6'7 striker endeared himself to fans worldwide with the goofy, almost self-mocking nature of his dance.
Fast-forward one World Cup cycle to the Confederations Cup in 2009. After the first goal of a shock 2-0 win for the United States over Euro 2008 champions Spain, forwards Jozy Altidore and Charlie Davies unveiled the stanky leg to celebrate.
The Stanky Legg is a single by the rap group GS Boyz which features the dance incorporated by Altidore and Davies. It involves gyrating one leg separately off to the side while holding a flat palm in front of the face (Altidore keeps his hand up near his forehead; Davies puts it under his nose).
The appeal of the stanky leg celebration comes from a different place from that of Crouch's. Whereas Crouch's jig seemed a statement of personality and resilience despite being booed by England fans and rampantly mocked for his lanky stature, the stanky leg is undiluted youthful glee.
Altidore (19) and Davies (23) don't deal with the scorn Crouch has; instead, they form a pacy attacking duo on an underdog U.S. team that surprised even itself by reaching the Confederations Cup final. Grins and jokes litter interviews with the pair. The zest and exuberance of the youthful duo is infectious, on and off the pitch.
"Yes that's right @JozyAltidore17 and I ready to do it big!!! DO THE STANKY LEGGG!" Davies posted on his twitter account on Sept. 3.
Two days later, Altidore responded, "One down and one more to go on wed, great effort by the guys and me and my boy @charlieDavies9 killed that stanky leg hahaha."
Why, these are just two kids enjoying themselves!
Most fans wish they could be professional soccer players. Davies and Altidore are, for French Ligue 1 side Sochaux and the EPL's Hull City respectively. And they're taking full advantage of their fortunate positions by avoiding somberness.
"A lot of people wish they could be doing what we're doing," Altidore said of his use of Twitter during a U.S. training camp in Salt Lake last month. "Any chance for them to get a little insight into what we're doing, I think they like that. It's my way of giving back to them in a way."
Twitter may be for others, but it's unclear whom the dance is for. By the almost shameful grins that covered their faces upon first unveiling the stanky leg, it appears that the dance was an inside joke or bet between the two.
Talk around the U.S. camp in Honduras on the weekend suggested that the pair tried to convince Landon Donovan to use the stanky leg if he scored in the Oct. 10 game that eventually sealed the Americans' passage to the World Cup. However, the Los Angeles Galaxy attacker successfully avoided it when celebrating his game-winning free kick.
Besides the inherent humor in imagining Donovan legging it up, it will be interesting to see how long of a shelf life the move has on the pitch.
Peter Crouch swiftly cut an end to his robot dance before it came to define him.
"It was funny at the time, but I didn't want to carry on doing it until it became unfunny," Crouch told The Observer. "I've stopped doing it for the time being, but if I ever score a really big goal you never know."
Eventually the stanky leg will run its course, and the two U.S. forwards will find a new manner to punctuate their goals. Judging by how much delight the pair still take in it and the promising careers both have, that might not arrive for many more goals to come.
Zac Lee Rigg is an associate editor of Goal.com
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In the lead up to the 2006 World Cup, Peter Crouch celebrated scoring a goal against Hungary with his own peculiar version of the robot. The gangly 6'7 striker endeared himself to fans worldwide with the goofy, almost self-mocking nature of his dance.
Fast-forward one World Cup cycle to the Confederations Cup in 2009. After the first goal of a shock 2-0 win for the United States over Euro 2008 champions Spain, forwards Jozy Altidore and Charlie Davies unveiled the stanky leg to celebrate.
The Stanky Legg is a single by the rap group GS Boyz which features the dance incorporated by Altidore and Davies. It involves gyrating one leg separately off to the side while holding a flat palm in front of the face (Altidore keeps his hand up near his forehead; Davies puts it under his nose).
The appeal of the stanky leg celebration comes from a different place from that of Crouch's. Whereas Crouch's jig seemed a statement of personality and resilience despite being booed by England fans and rampantly mocked for his lanky stature, the stanky leg is undiluted youthful glee.
Altidore (19) and Davies (23) don't deal with the scorn Crouch has; instead, they form a pacy attacking duo on an underdog U.S. team that surprised even itself by reaching the Confederations Cup final. Grins and jokes litter interviews with the pair. The zest and exuberance of the youthful duo is infectious, on and off the pitch.
"Yes that's right @JozyAltidore17 and I ready to do it big!!! DO THE STANKY LEGGG!" Davies posted on his twitter account on Sept. 3.
Two days later, Altidore responded, "One down and one more to go on wed, great effort by the guys and me and my boy @charlieDavies9 killed that stanky leg hahaha."
Why, these are just two kids enjoying themselves!
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"A lot of people wish they could be doing what we're doing," Altidore said of his use of Twitter during a U.S. training camp in Salt Lake last month. "Any chance for them to get a little insight into what we're doing, I think they like that. It's my way of giving back to them in a way."
Twitter may be for others, but it's unclear whom the dance is for. By the almost shameful grins that covered their faces upon first unveiling the stanky leg, it appears that the dance was an inside joke or bet between the two.
Talk around the U.S. camp in Honduras on the weekend suggested that the pair tried to convince Landon Donovan to use the stanky leg if he scored in the Oct. 10 game that eventually sealed the Americans' passage to the World Cup. However, the Los Angeles Galaxy attacker successfully avoided it when celebrating his game-winning free kick.
Besides the inherent humor in imagining Donovan legging it up, it will be interesting to see how long of a shelf life the move has on the pitch.
Peter Crouch swiftly cut an end to his robot dance before it came to define him.
"It was funny at the time, but I didn't want to carry on doing it until it became unfunny," Crouch told The Observer. "I've stopped doing it for the time being, but if I ever score a really big goal you never know."
Eventually the stanky leg will run its course, and the two U.S. forwards will find a new manner to punctuate their goals. Judging by how much delight the pair still take in it and the promising careers both have, that might not arrive for many more goals to come.
Zac Lee Rigg is an associate editor of Goal.com
Want more from Goal.com delivered right to your door? Introducing "Goal.com Magazine." Subscribe now!
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