As the Washington Capitals returned to the ice on Sunday to play their first preseason game against the Boston Bruins, the DC United were also facing off against the New York Red Bulls in MLS action.
We bring this to your attention due to a certain celly making a return to DC.
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The ball from Acosta… 😱
The finish from Arriola… 👍@dcunited take a 1-0 lead. #DCvRBNY https://t.co/GTHUCNxtQG— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 16, 2018
At the 24 minute mark, Luciano Acosta crossed the ball into open space, where winger Paul Arriola took full advantage to bury it and put United on the board. Then he celebrated Evgeny Kuznetsov-style.
Acosta waved his arms like a bird but did some extra flapping with his hands.
It’s at least the second time the United has done the celly this season.
Kuznetsov’s inspiration for his walking bird celly originally came from FIFA, as he told the media when he first used it at World Cup of Hockey in 2016.
Celly of the tournament. #WCH2016 pic.twitter.com/JXVtkYrHjp
— NHL (@NHL) September 20, 2016
“If you play FIFA, you know,” Kuznetsov said then, per The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy.
Kuznetsov retired the celly for a while, following the 2017 playoffs, saying to Sports Express’ Igor Eronko that, “I was told that we lost every time after I did it. It’s an old thing though, started all the way back when I was playing the game console. Nothing new.”
Flyin' high. #DCU | #DCvRBNY 1-0 pic.twitter.com/6Vqt252G6o
— D.C. United (@dcunited) September 16, 2018
While it is equally likely that Arriola took his celebratory inspiration from FIFA, we wouldn’t be surprised if it was an homage to Kuznetsov’s usage of it during the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs. The DC teams, after all, are renowned for supporting each other.
Either way, we’ll never get tired of seeing it.
Headline photo: @MLS
