Red Bulls’ Borman offers style and substance
By Simon Lewis
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer
NEW YORK (Ticker) - Danleigh Borman knows his limitations when it comes to celebrations, but there has been no stopping him bucking a trend and scoring them in Major League Soccer this season.
The 22-year-old from Athlone, South Africa, scored his second goal in as many games for the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night, coming off the bench at halftime to grab a vital late equalizer as his side scrambled a 1-1 home draw with the Kansas City Wizards.
Borman was the grateful recipient as captain Juan Pablo Angel helped on a center from Jozy Altidore, sweeping the ball left-footed between Kansas City goalkeeper Kevin Hartman and his post into the net.
It came eight days after he opened the scoring in the Red Bulls’ 2-1 win at the Los Angeles Galaxy - and both goals were marked with a less-than-graceful cartwheel followed by a back roll that Borman said was a tribute to his father. Daniel Borman was a former pro soccer player in South Africa with the Cape Town Spurs, Cape Town City and Santos during the 1970s and 1980s.
“That’s a goal celebration that I’ve done from college that actually started from father doing back flips,” the former University of Rhode Island standout said.
“He was known for that in South Africa, I can’t do a back flip so I do the flip with the roll. I don’t think it’s going to be the prettiest, but I’m going to do it next time as well. Hopefully I can do it every week.”
Borman appreciates the fact that having made it into an MLS game as a supplemental draft pick, he is in the minority.
“I came into this league just trying to push onto an 18-man (roster) and now I’m pushing for a starting position,” he said. “Really, I’m just happy to be here, playing and getting some game time.”
Red Bulls head coach Juan Carlos Osorio has been more than impressed by Borman’s contribution.
“We gained width by introducing Danleigh, and not only his goal but he had another chance as well,” Osorio said of Saturday’s performance as a second-half substitute.
“I’m personally very pleased with Danleigh. We discovered him in January on a (MLS) combine in Florida. At the time I thought he was probably a good player with good potential and he’s developing very well, contributing a great deal to our recent results.”
Borman said his parents had been following his progress by watching Red Bulls games on the MLS website. He may be hoping his home federation in South Africa is catching a sight of his emerging talents.
“I only played for the schools national team, the USSASA team (United School Sport Association of South Africa),” he said. “I don’t know if they (the South African Football Association) are watching.”