Why Brazil's elaborate celebrations are what World Cup is all about
AL RAYYAN, Qatar — A long list of Roy Keane’s old teammates, opponents and referees will tell you that arguing with the former Manchester United captain and Republic of Ireland international is a particularly bad idea.
So then … deep breath … here goes.
Roy, you’re wrong. Totally wrong. You couldn’t be more wrong if you tried. And anyone else who agrees with you that Neymar and Vinícius Jr. and Richarlison and the rest of their Brazil teammates did something wrong with their dancing, rejoicing and yes, showboating Monday night?
You guessed it, they’re wrong, too.
Keane didn’t like what the Brazilians did during their 4-1 demolition of South Korea in the round of 16. He didn’t like the fancy footwork and choreographed moves that accompanied each goal, complete with smiles and hugs and pure, child-like glee.
Head coach Tite hit back directly at Keane on Tuesday — more on that shortly.
Brazil-South Korea highlights
Keane didn’t like that this is not just the World Cup, but also a soccer player’s greatest playground, the ultimate stage of what is, please let’s not forget, a game played first and loved best by children.
"It's like watching ‘Strictly (Come Dancing),’" Keane told U.K. broadcaster ITV, referencing a popular British dancing show. "I can't believe what I'm watching.
"I think it's disrespecting the opposition. It's four (goals), and they're doing it every time. I don't mind the first kind of little jig or whatever they're doing, but they're still doing it after that, and then the manager getting involved with it. I'm not happy with it, I don't think it's very good at all."
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but if you’re still in the Keane camp, and you think what Brazil did was disrespectful, worthy of censure, unappealing and should be penalized, it is probably time to move on to another page. You might not like what comes next.
For this is what the World Cup is all about. Soccer is a business, more so with every passing year, and that’s something that we have little choice but to accept as fans. But the World Cup is also a showcase for the most global of games, and the way culture plays its role is — and always has been — the greatest thing about the tournament.
"World Cup Tonight" reacts to Brazil's dominant win
Tite, 61 years young, who danced along with his players at their behest, responded: "I have to be careful because there are always the nasty ones who say it is disrespect. It is a demonstration of joy, a celebration."
If there is one thing Brazilians like as much as soccer, it is dancing. The two flow together, the Samba style and the beautiful game, a seamless portrait in vibrant color. When the World Cup was held there in 2014, it was chaotic and spread out, and they were still painting the outsides of some stadiums the day before the games kicked off.
But it was glorious because of how the people were into it. Some expected the locals to riot when they lost 7-1 to Germany. They didn’t. They were just sad. Soccer for them is a love affair.
When there is something worth celebrating, they celebrate it, usually by dancing. In that sense, the performances were a tribute to the Koreans as much as anything. If they were taking them lightly, if it were just routine, they might have just headed back to the halfway line to kick off again.
"If you are somebody out there that frowns and is grouchy and grumpy about soccer players dancing after they have scored a goal, or about Brazilian players dancing after they score a goal, and have some misguided concept of what sportsmanship is, then I feel sorry for you," analyst Alexi Lalas said on FOX.
"I feel sorry for the life you live that has no joy. If you want to dance, if you want to sing, if you want to run around like a crazy person, you do whatever it is you want to do to celebrate the greatest moment in our beautiful game."
Were Brazil's goal celebrations disrespectful?
We all know what a disrespectful celebration looks like. Sometimes, if we are being totally honest, they are fun to watch, too. But something in the face of an opponent, that mocks them in some way, that seeks to gloat, that belittles or besmirches, that’s very different to this.
"The dance is a representation of our joy after scoring a goal," Brazil’s Lucas Paquetá said. "We don’t do it to disrespect anyone. We don’t do it in front of our opponents.
"We all get together to celebrate. If they don’t like it, there’s not much to say."
Just like he said …
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Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports and the author of the FOX Sports Insider newsletter. Follow him on Twitter @MRogersFOX and subscribe to the daily newsletter.
