Dancing by Coach at Korea-Japan Match Sparks International Controversy
"It's Just a Ceremony... The Problem Lies with Those Who Dislike It"
On the morning of the 6th (Korean time) at the 974 Stadium in Doha, Qatar, during the 2022 Qatar World Cup Round of 16 match between Korea and Brazil, the Brazilian team is celebrating after scoring a goal. The Brazilian national football team's 'World Cup dance ceremony' is expected to continue. Despite scoring 4 goals against Korea and dancing after each goal, which drew criticism for being 'disrespectful to the opponent,' they seem largely unfazed.
Lucas Paqueta, Brazil's midfielder (West Ham), said in an interview with Brazilian media Globo on the 6th (local time), "We did not dance to disrespect the opponent. We did not dance in front of the opposing players," and added, "It's just a celebration. If people who criticize it don't like it, there's nothing I can say." He added, "We will continue to dance whenever we score."
Brazilian forward Raphinha (Barcelona) also supported this, saying, "Our team will keep doing the dance celebrations. For those who dislike it, it will be a problem."
They are not dancing to disrespect the opponent... It's just a celebration
On the 6th, Brazil defeated Korea 4-1 in the round of 16, showcasing their scoring ability by netting 4 goals in the first half alone.
After scoring, Brazilian players, excluding goalkeeper Alisson, gathered together to celebrate. They then performed a separate dance ceremony.
Vinicius danced with Paqueta, Neymar, and Raphinha after scoring the opening goal. After Neymar's penalty kick, the four appeared again. Richarlison, who scored the third goal, ran to the bench and performed a dance ceremony with the bench members and the coach.
Regarding the dancing after each goal, Roy Keane, a former Manchester United player and commentator for British ITV, criticized, "Is this a dance competition? I've never seen so many dance celebrations."
He added, "It might be acceptable after the first goal, but doing it after every goal and even involving the coach was unpleasant to watch."
Graeme Souness, a former Liverpool player and co-commentator with Keane, also pointed out, "Dancing after every goal is not pleasant to watch."
In response, Brazil's coach Tite defended the players, saying, "We did not intend to be disrespectful. We were just happy because the goals came and the performance was good."
Having defeated Korea and advanced to the quarterfinals, Brazil will face Croatia on the 10th at Education City Stadium, competing for a spot in the semifinals.
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