It was bound to happen sometime — a player getting injured while indulging in an elaborate goal celebration. Even worse for Real Salt Lake’s striker Fabian Espindola was that while he was injuring his ankle with a somersault to celebrate what he thought was his team’s go-ahead goal against L.A., the officials were busy consulting to cancel it out.
Espindola’s aerial acrobatics “may have cost RSL its best offensive weapon for the rest of the season,” writes Billy Witz. The forward had headed an attempted Kyle Beckerman into the net in the sixth minute, ran to midfield and did a somersault, then his right leg crumpled. A moment later, the referee disallowed the goal, and Espindola had to leave the game. He ended the day on crutches.
“It’s a little mind-boggling,” said Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis. “I’m embarrassed,” said Espindola. “I’m never going to do that again. I don’t know what happened. I’ve done it a million times. If I would have known I never would have done it.”