A Golden Retriever named Finley’s video proves that some dogs come to the soccer game to be part of the team. In the sweet video from Instagram user @finley_and_rhubarb, Finley and his owner stand at the fence line of a soccer field while the Golden Retriever’s “big brother” plays. And it’s not like Finley just sits politely on the sidelines. Instead, he pops up on his hind legs, holds the fence with his front paws, and watches like he would be called to the field at any moment.
Golden Retriever supports big brother as they play soccer
In the video, the Golden Retriever’s wagging tail while he watches people playing soccer is quite telling. It swings back and forth in non-stop celebration as his owner keeps one hand on him, giving steady face and head rubs the entire time — all while Finley focuses on the field, as if he could not miss any second of it.
The video’s caption spells out what Finley seemed to be thinking, as it reads, “Watched big brother play soccer yesterday (actually wanted to join the team)” — and judging by his reaction, it does seem like he wanted to play out there.
It is pretty classic Golden Retriever behavior. Dogs like Finley often feed off the energy of the people they love, so they would especially thrive in busy setups like a sports field. Not to mention, watching the players sprinting and a ball changing direction can really excite dogs to participate in the play. Besides, if Finley gets constant affection while he watches, he is going to remember what earned him extra head rubs and would want to keep coming back for more.
The Golden Retriever may not have made it into the soccer game in this video, but he still showed up like a devoted family member for his big brother. Hence, he proves himself a superfan, a hype man, and a hopeful substitute who is ready to be a part of the team.
