The acquisition of forward Robert Earnshaw two weeks ago has no doubt provided a boost to the club, with the diminutive Welshman popping with two goals in just 56 minutes of play over the past two matches.
The strike rate is great and the 33-year-old striker is doing exactly what he was brought to Chicago for but has also carried with him his patented front-flip celebration after his tying goal in Toronto and game winner Saturday vs. FC Dallas.
As he explains, it’ something he’s done for over 20 years.
“I actually started it when I was about 12 years old,” Earnshaw told Chicago-Fire.com “For me I loved watching football but loved the celebrations and seeing people enjoying themselves – that’s part of the game to me. When I was 12 I knew I wanted to be a footballer and wanted to have my own celebration.”
Earnshaw says he studied goal celebrations to try and find something that would be unique to him. In the end, he admits he stole the front flip (he calls it a somersault) from a Norwegian player whose name he couldn’t remember.
“I saw the guy do it and thought, that’s it,” he laughed. “I didn’t even know I could do it, I just thought I’m going to try it today and pulled it off after I scored a goal.”
(Robert Earnshaw flips after scoring game-winning goal Saturday vs. FC Dallas)
Of his contemporaries, Earnshaw counts the LA Galaxy’s Robbie Keane’s patented somersault (something he calls a cartwheel) and former Newcastle United and Colombia striker Faustino Asprilla’s round-off as trademarked celebrations he admires.
And while a quality goal celebration can add style points to any goal, it no doubt can raise a manager’s blood pressure with possibility of injury outside of the run of play. Still, Earnshaw said he’s only once in been told not to do a front flip after a goal.
“When I was 18 and with Cardiff City, I was coming back from twisting my knee and [manager at the time] Alan Cork said ‘for two or three weeks I don’t want you to do any flips.’”
“I scored a few days later in the first game back and I did it. It was more out of habit rather than not listening – I got caught in the moment. He wasn’t too happy but after I explained it to him, he laughed about it.
“The next one I just did a forward roll on the floor (this time he means somersault). He enjoyed that and we had good banter.”
More recently, Earnshaw has added a follow up to his flip, most notably intimidating a matador at a bullfight (something he did on Saturday) or juggling to top off the moment before his teammates join him to celebrate.
The celebrations have no doubt added more intrigue to a player that’s injected some new belief into the club. With a goal every 26 minutes so far in his Fire tenure, the obvious question comes to where his fitness is at, for the potential to see more goals scored and a few more flips.
“I feel I’m probably ready to start now. The last couple of weeks has been good for me because I got a lot of training in, got a couple of games as well. We’ll get through this week of training first and hopefully I’m selected at the weekend.”
Robert Earnshaw scores, flips vs. Toronto FC
