TORONTO – A good goal celebration is equal parts unique, over-the-top and fun.
But over at Sporting Kansas City, Dom Dwyer’s recent goal celebration was deemed just a bit too over-the-top by the referee.
Dwyer’s celebration, a selfie shared with SKC fans, earned him a yellow card. It’s not the first time the league has seen unique goal celebrations, either. Last season, Columbus Crew winger Dominic Oduro – now with Toronto FC – celebrated his goal by chowing down on a slice of pizza from the sidelines, a touchline taunt that didn’t get him yellow carded.
So, what’s the secret to pulling off a grand cheer without being booked?
A little bit of prep work beforehand, Oduro said.
“Well, with my celebration, I did my research,” Oduro told MLSsoccer.com at training Thursday when he was asked about Dwyer’s selfie. “We went to the league, we went to the league office, we went to the union to seek, not permission, but to ask if that was yellow-card worthy, and it wasn’t.
“I’m guessing maybe Dom Dwyer should have done a little bit of research.”
But Oduro did give the Kansas City forward some credit.
“Regardless, that was a good celebration, you’ve got to give him that,” Oduro said.
When it comes to colorful characters in Major League Soccer, there are few personalities bigger than Oduro. The former Crew winger joined Toronto FC after the teams swapped players, with Alvaro Rey going the other way.
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Though he’s still relatively new in camp, Oduro has already embraced Toronto FC, dyeing his signature Mohawk red to match his new shirt. He’s already well aware of the one Papa John’s, his favorite pizza spot, in the city of Toronto and assured reporters he would patronize the establishment plenty of times once he gets settled in.
On the field, Oduro has already contributed from the right flank, providing Jermain Defoe with one assist. He has yet to score, but is Oduro already thinking of ways to one-up Dwyer once he hits the back of the net?
“Yeah,” Oduro said before pulling his answer back with a touch of humility. “I think right now I just want to focus on trying to help the team win though. Once we get that ball rolling, once we get that consistency, that’s when you can have fun.
"It’s not good to have too much fun when, you know, you’re kind of in a little bit of a roller coaster. That doesn’t say well about you in the team. Hopefully, if we get the ball rolling, we’re going to have a little bit of fun out there.”
Toronto FC will have the chance to get back on track with a win over the Houston Dynamo on Saturday (7 pm ET; MLS Live), a game Oduro said is a must-win for his new side, especially considering the Dynamo’s poor form as of late.
“It could be a blessing or a curse at the same time,” Oduro said of Houston’s league performances. “We could prey on them for the fact that they haven’t been really that successful, but on any given Saturday, things can change. It’s just a matter of who wants it. We’re so hungry for points, we just have to go out there and show it.”
