Giovinco says he doesn’t plan goal celebrations, will do those that are fun

TORONTO – Like many of his goals, Sebastian Giovinco’s celebrations often come out of nothing.

In between backheels, nutmegs, mazy dribbles and bending it like Beckham, Toronto FC’s Italian star has revved up a motorcycle, stirred the pot, swung for the fences and flashed a thumbs-up in celebrating his 26 career MLS goals. In quieter celebrations, the former Juventus striker known as the Atomic Ant has pumped a fist, thrown out his arms like wings or simply turned and run back towards his half of the field before being enveloped by teammates.

“People always ask me before the game whether I’ve prepared something if I score,” Giovinco said after practice through an interpreter Thursday. “But it’s not something I study or something that I focus on. It’s all spontaneous and if it’s fun, then I’m going to do it.”

Giovinco’s 22 goals came from all angles during his MVP season in 2015.

Five goals came from free kicks and three from penalties. Twelve were scored from inside the penalty box with 10 from outside. Eighteen came from his right foot and four from his left.

This season it has been a right-footed penalty, left-footed shot from inside the penalty box, right-footed shot from just inside the penalty box that deflects off a defender and left footed tap-in inside the six-yard box. He has also added two assists to the 16 he registered last year and has had a hand in all six of TFC’s goals this season.

Prior to coming to North America for the 2015 season, the five-foot-four Giovinco used to reference his size in a trademark scoring celebration which involved putting his thumb on top of his head and leaving his little finger pointing to the sky.

“I’m not very big and many people told me over the years that I would never reach the top because of my size,” he told fifa.com in a 2009 interview. “That’s why I do that celebration every time I score a nice goal. It’s my way of saying that I’m getting bigger.”

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