On the tiny island of Guam, a cold-hearted soccer referee booked a player for celebrating his sensational bicycle kick goal with an on-field marriage proposal.
On January 7, NAPA Rovers’ striker Ashton Surber was having his best day ever. In the 35th minute of the Premier Division match against the first place Shipyard team, the player buried a bicycle kick — also called an overhead kick or scissors kick — into the top corner of the goal to put his team up 3-0.
The ecstatic player sprinted toward the visitor’s sideline, looking for his girlfriend in the stands while stripping off his shirt. Under his team shirt was an undershirt with the question “MARRY ME?” emblazoned in bold black letters on the front.
Apparently, the striker had been planning to propose, but needed the perfect moment to pop the question. Successfully executing a bicycle kick — during which a player faces away from the goal, jumps backwards into the air and then kicks the ball when it is above his head — was just the ticket.
As he made eye contact with his now-fiancée, La’Kiesha Pereda, Surber’s elation contrasts with the scowl of the referee, who has followed the player to the sideline.
The referee reaches into his pocket and issues Surber a yellow card for the infraction of removing his shirt during a game. From the referee’s viewpoint, he can’t see the proposal message on Surber’s shirt and seems oblivious to the fact that he’s throwing shade on an epic romantic moment.
Unfazed, Surber continues the proposal and the celebration. He gets down on one knee, blows a kiss to his girlfriend and points to the cheering fans.
The defending champion NAPA Rovers won the match 5-1, putting the team on top in the Premier Division.
More importantly, Pereda said “Yes” to her boyfriend’s proposal.
On Twitter, the Guam Football Association posted a clip of the fun sequence with the following caption: “When your life goals come together w/your soccer goals – a bicycle kick goal and by a proposal to now fiancée.”
The Guam Football Association also published a longer clip on YouTube.com. Enjoy.
Credits: Screen captures via YouTube.com/GuamFootball.