That raises a question in my mind - how many times in the men's World Cup has one player celebrated a goal with a celebration that mocked a stereotypical 'characteristic' of the opposition's country?
I'm assuming that's what Morgan was doing, rather than conflating a football game with the War of Independence, an event that led to tens of thousands of deaths, mass displacements of people and the usual war crimes. I'd consider the latter behaviour as every bit as crass and contemptible (to say nothing of disgustingly self-aggrandising) as those English fans who can't meet foreigners without rolling out one war or another that they only experienced from the safety of their imaginations. (And which I'm happy for North Americans on this site to condemn. Which they regularly do).
The two factors at play are:
A). What Morgan said the celebration meant (the Sophie Turner thing, and Sophie Turner loved it; I don’t really know who Sophie Turner is, so I can’t really speak to the claim, but the explanation sounds plausible).
B). The England manager going off before the game on American arrogance for the heinous crime of US operations staff doing their jobs.
When your opponent criticizes you before the match (with something ridiculous), throwing it in that person’s face is fair game.
Which, while it manifestly goes far beyond mocking the idea that all British people are genteel tea-sippers, still falls within the category of bizarre behaviour towards other countries that I'd say sits uneasily with the celebration of diversity I presume the US women's team would declare themselves fully signed up to.
I wouldn’t call referencing ‘tea drinking’ as a racist act. Of course, I call my English friend “Captain Crumpet” and he calls me a very English but very different C-word all the time; so maybe I’m not the best person to ask.
Another question is, should we limit the discussion to World Cups alone?
I ask because Nicolas Anelka's career in England was finished as a result of a goal celebration that was deemed racist.
Go way back, and Brian Clough once substituted a young Roy Keane for celebrating a Nottingham Forest goal against Newcastle by swearing at the away fans.
Adebayor's celebration after scoring for Manchester City against Arsenal provoked a storm.
And then you have Paul Gascoigne's contribution to Old Firm relations.
And going beyond football, the Carolina Hurricanes.
(If I scored in a World Cup semi-final, I'd go the full Marco Tardelli).
The Adebayor celly was the only one I could remember. I thought that was awesome, but I’m a City fan. Personal beef with old club.
And everyone mocked Don Cherry and sided with the Canes after the “Bunch of Jerks” comment.
Imagine if the Hurricanes STOPPED the Storm Surges after Cherry’s comments. Do people really expect the US team to stop celebrating goals?
I just YouTube Marco Tardelli, and I totally agree. (BTW, four of the Thai blowout goals were “First Career World Cup Goals”)
My feeling on the matter is “Did you commit your entire life to working so hard you could reach the achievement of taking the field in a World Cup, and THEN score a goal? No? Then shut up.”
Out of about 9 billion people who’ve lived in the last century, about 1,600 humans have scored a World Cup goal. And only 373 Women.
They’ve earned the right to celebrate that in any way they see fit.
