If it's Good for Soccer -

The largest soccer crowd in Minnesota in more than 25 years came to the Dome last night to see the inaugural Copa Minnesota, featuring the Minnesota Thunder vs. the LA Galaxy. The LA Galaxy and DAVID BECKHAM!

For many, I am sure it was the chance to see Beckham and oh yes, there were other guys on the field as well. It was no doubt the rock-star power that brought them in, but for most the excitement for the game is real. It was a chance for some of the more than 70,000 kids in Minnesota who play soccer to see the most recognized player in their sport.

As I looked out to the crowd, it was a that appeared that each adult needed to be accompanied by a child, or even better yet, by two and that each child needed to wear their team jersey.

There were boys’ teams, who were out-numbered by the girls’ teams and hundreds from Bangu Tsunami team from St. Paul.

Beckham did not disappoint anyone in the crowd. He played 75 minutes, he signed autographs after the game and even gave his jersey to young girl in the crowd.





Compared to what I have been accustomed to shooting at the World Cup, the game wasn’t particularly physical, but after all, it is an exhibition game. Beckham moved around the field effortlessly. When he did get a touch on the ball, his accuracy was amazing. His passing was precisely positioned to another player. His corner kicks were waiting to be capitalized. There is a reason he takes the corner kicks and the free kicks, and it is not his celebrity status.



In the end, it was a night to celebrate soccer. It was a night for the kids to see their hero.

My World Cup blog and our Portrait of Passion website is all about women’s soccer. If it is good for soccer, it is good for women’s soccer.

Ryan Shay 1979 – 2007

There are people that I know and then there are people that I only get to know through my photos. I have lost track of the number of games and events that I have shot over the last year, let alone the last five years. I often review so many shots of a single athlete, that I get the feeling that I know them.

Ryan Shay was such an athlete. During the 2006 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, I had my usual position, sitting backwards on the back of the lead motorcycle. It was a spectacular fall day, Ryan had a strong start to his race and as the pace pushed a bit and others fell away, Ryan was in the top three runners. Shoulder to shoulder for 5 miles, changing position from time to time, but together stride for stride. In every shot, Ryan was strong, proud, graceful, with a passion for being there. Neither the pace nor the competition had an impact. He was ultimately third on the day, with a great race.



For 2007 Ryan, like many others were running the Medtronic TC 10 mile as a tune up for yesterday’s Olympic Trials in New York. At the pre-race press conference I introduced myself to Ryan. It is always my pleasure to have an opportunity to meet the athletes.



I shot the start of the 2007 Medtronic TC 10 mile and then my son / Competitive Image partner, Jonathan took up Moto responsibilities. Ryan ran with grace and passion.







I was shocked and saddened to hear of Ryan’s collapse and death at the Olympic Trials. My thoughts and prayers are with Ryan’s family. It was truly my pleasure to have met Ryan.

Back at Home and Back to the Airport

I have been back home for a little more than week and at this point I pretty much have my back on the ground. Well right now, I am on the ground in St. Louis for the Women’s Game vs. Mexico this weekend. It seems like my travels are continuing but having a 90-minute flight to St. Louis is much easier than any of my travels in China.

I arrived in time for the Friday morning practice at the Edward Jones Dome. The girls seemed relaxed and happy to be back together. Upon returning from China, the girls headed back home to take some time off and relax and recover from the intensity of the games and the difficulty of the travel.

For me it is a great feeling to be back on the field and shooting seeing the team working out and visiting with some of them at the hotel.

After a late lunch with Gayle from Fair Game Magazine and getting checked into the hotel. I headed out with Lori Chalupny, Lindsay Tarpley, Nicole Barnhart and Natasha Kai. Actually, I was following them in my car, as Barb, Lori’s mom was driving. This trip did not quite have the urgency of following the bus in Shanghai, it was never the less an adventure.

As you would expect, since Lori is from St. Louis, she wanted to show off a few things to her friends. First stop was the new condo she would be moving into, which unfortunately was closed. Then on to her sister Casey’s soccer practice.

Arriving early, we got to one of the highlights of the day – Lori’s dog Echo. A black Lab mix that is about a year and a half old.


There were some introductions, a pep talk about soccer and well, you have heard of playing one on one, and four on four, well they decided to play 13 on 4! Lori, Lindsay, Barney and Tasha against the rest. Actually it was a pretty close game.

We ended the day with a group photo and some questions and finally another car chase back downtown.


The game is tonight with about 10,000 expected to be there. Indeed the games are the best part of my job!

Ending on a High Note

The 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup Soccer Tournament is now in the record books and although it did not have the ending that I had hope for, it was a great run. Tonight’s final double-header was a sell-out. All of the players in the final four teams deserved a sell out and both games were great! Well played and fun to watch. This was what the final games of a World Cup should be.

Ally Wagner, seeing her first game time, started in the mid-field and had a great game.


Abby scored twice giving her 6 goals for the tournament, second only to Marta with 7 goals and earning her the Silver Shoe Award.


The 2007 US Women’s National Team, with a 4-1 victory over Norway earned third place in the tournament.


The German Women, with their amazing defense are again the World Champions!!


My final World Cup activity for 2007 was at the Westin Hotel where I was invited to the final and family dinner. It was a great ending, with great friends and was all of us needed for our good byes.


There are many more stories from this month than I have written, there are stories from the games and from the off field adventures. In the coming days I will include a few more in my blog as I edit photos and try to decompress.

The important stories are the girls’ stories, which will be shared with you in our upcoming book Portrait of Passion, scheduled for release on November 23, 2007. Check out www.portraitofpassion.com .

It’s time to leave China; head back to Minneapolis and get to work!

Point of View

On my last full day in Shanghai, at the insistence of my friend Adam I went to see a tailor for a new sport coat. He was fast and efficient, to the point of walking me to the ATM so I wouldn’t get lost and not return. Under $300, I thought the price was good, but not fabulous. Oh wait, that was for three cashmere jackets! I will be stylin’ when I get home.

Outside of the garment building the economic contrast of Shanghai was clear looking from both sides of the same street. The following images were shot from exactly the same spot.



Looking north, you can see both the local street vendors as well as the construction of one of the world’s tallest buildings.


At the SMC, our workday begins at 1:30, getting set up and standing in line for our positions on the sidelines. Since today is a double-header, the number of journalists have increased, but is the still vibrant atmosphere tempered by almost a month of travel and an eagerness to get back home.

The Great Aunts

Over the years, I have come to know many kinds of families. Some single parents, some with two moms and some with two dads.

Today at Rylie Rampone’s 2nd Birthday Party, there was Mom – Christie, Dad – Chris, and 20 Great Aunts. Perhaps I should say 20 Greatest Aunts. It was a celebration worthy of any World Cup!


Substantially all of the team were there, as were most of the family members and Rylie who was a bit weary at the beginning was a fabulous host!



For most, the thought of a tired two year old in room filled with adults can be scary, but they don’t know Rylie. Nor do they know her aunts! Aunt Abby and Aunt Tasha are among the greatest, but certainly all are family!



HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYLIE!

Controversy

At any major event, with any major team, there is controversy. Certainly the 2007 World Cup is no exception. Both Coach Ryan’s decision to start Brianna Scurry in goal, as well as Hope Solo’s post game comments, were at the top of the list for today’s press briefing.

I expect the journalists here to be embroiled in every detail, but Sal Ruibal from USA said that since the Brazil game, the web activity around this issue had out passed both the NFL and MLB. At least women’s soccer is attracting attention.

While Greg Ryan answered all of the questions exactly as you would have anticipated by any high-level coach; Kristine Lilly and Abby Wambach were the class act.


Hope will not be playing in the last game against Norway, nor will she be on the bench with the team. For Greg Ryan it was a coaching issue, for Kristine and Abby it was a personal issue and for all it was a significant distraction from the task at hand.


I have no doubt there will be growth as a result of the Brazil game, growth in the individual play, growth in the coaching, and growth in the individual players as well . Unfortunately as with the rest of us, it is these difficult times that define and shape us as person. It is not just the event, but we each respond to the adversity and move forward, no matter which side of the issue we are on.

The Day After the Night Before

Sometimes it seems like a traveling circus. As the photographers and journals gathered in the lobby of the Hangzhou Sunny Hotel to check out this morning, there was no question that we all needed more sleep, but would have settled for more coffee. The magnitude of equipment and luggage for a relatively limited number of people was truly amazing. The shooters from AP had called a van. Colleen Ross of the CBC Radio and Jim Stevenson of Voice of America and I decided to share a cab. It was a good thing that the train was only a mile from the hotel, given that all three of us were in the back seat and luggage was everywhere else. In spite of sounding like a Super 8, the Sunny Hotel was really great four-star hotel.

Unlike the Shanghai South Station that resembles any modern airport, the Hangzhou station was more like a study in the Zen of fluid dynamics. You become one with the crowd and then try to break free at the area for your train.


Once again the train left right on time. I found out that I was in a first class car. I am not sure what that got me, but the additional cost was only $1.33. At 180 km/hour I could still take in the rural landscape, but even with the distance from either city there was smog along the entire route.

We all parted company at the Shanghai station and I set off on another adventure in taxi riding. After about 20 minutes, my driver stopped at a high-rise building, which was still under construction, turned to me and smiled. With some creative translation and showing my FIFA credentials, I was able to convey that I was near Hong Kou Stadium. Getting from the station to my hotel, not only took longer, it was also more expensive than the train.

Immediately upon returning to my hotel, I headed to Starbucks whose proximity defines the primary benefit of where I am staying.

Mid-afternoon, there was another taxi adventure. I can finally articulate how closely the drivers get to each other; when the side mirrors touch, it’s close enough. Consistent with the day, my driver bumped a woman on a bicycle. This was not a surprise to me, nor do I think it was to her; it has to happen all the time. I am just amazed there isn’t more blood on the street.

Arriving at the Team hotel, I first saw Brianna Scurry. While she was doing ok, her emotions were pretty close to the surface, we talked for a few minutes hugged and parted.

In the lobby others were gathered to meet family members. Cat Whitehill (Reddick) and her sister and parents. Ally Wagner, her mother and finally I got to get a photo with Ally and her husband Adam Eyre who I knew from his days of playing for the Minnesota Thunder.




Julie Foudy stopped by after the Press Conference with Greg Ryan.
With nothing else on tap, I walked over to the Yu Gardens to get some more scenic shots and do a bit of shopping. The first store I went in, I saw Nicole Barnhart and Marci Jobson. Then back on the street, I met Marian Dalmy and her father Adam, who were in search of a Starbucks. Needless to say, I joined them.


Marian had her first game time last night and had an opportunity to get up close and personal with the ball.

A Long Night in Hangzhou

Breakfast in Shanghai, bullet train to Hangzhou, hot, humid, nice hotel. Indeed it’s much easier to write about the niceties of international travel when your team has won. But tonight was just a long night in Hangzhou.

The US who had been accused of starting slow, had their first shot off within 19 seconds. The first 15 minutes of the game were the best soccer that I have seen in the tournament. Strong, aggressive and balanced, it was great! But, the team seemed to lack that click they had during the England game. The unspoken knowledge of where the other players were. Having an own goal was hard, but that wasn’t it. There was just something missing that would have made them perform as cohesive unit.




The game had some truly amazing play. Jaime Motta from ESPN just stopped by my work area and commented that at times he thought he was watching the men. There was a play that led to the final goal in the 79th minute that was set up right in front of me. I was near the top of the box, shooting with my long lens. While I would normally grab my other camera, I couldn’t take my eyes of the play.

Tina Ellertson was on Marta, Marta was facing me, she gave the ball a little tap in the air, a second tap in the air, flicked the ball behind her, turned around Tina and shot! My mouth was open, most amazing ball handling I have ever seen and literally within reach. It reminded me of the ease that Tiger Woods bounces a ball on the face of an iron. It was like watching inner-city basketball, skills that have been honed on the street and in the dirt, not in a youth soccer league. Playing soccer not because it was a sport or recreation, but because it was a way to change your life. Indeed, just like watching the men.


I am sure there will be controversy over the Coach’s decision to start Brianna Scurry in goal, but that cannot take away from the skills of the Brazilian players. Just great ball handling. I am sure there will be controversy over the officiating, lots of yellow cards flashed in a game that was nearly as brutal as North Korea or Nigeria. However, there will not be any controversy over the intensity of any of the players, nor the passion with which they play.

Tonight, my thoughts are with the team, many of whom I have gotten to know over the last three weeks.

A Round Heaven and a Square Earth

After my normal routine of 2 hours of phone calls home and responding to e-mail, on the strong recommendation of my friend Amy Xu, who refers to Shanghai as her home town, I went to the Shanghai Museum.

Artifacts from 5,000 years of Chinese history are housed in a building completed in 1995 with a design that symbolizes A Round Heaven and A Square Earth. The buildings surrounding the museum give no sense of the historical nature of its displays. This area of Shanghai is new, spotless and futuristic and belies the contrast that you normally see in any short walk around the city.



As I walked into the first gallery, it was a collection of Grand Masters on tour from the Prado in Spain. Fabulous, but not what I had come here to see. The other galleries contained artifacts, from currency, to pottery, to sculpture and of course lots of jade. It is amazing how you can sense the development of a country’s sophistication by the development of their coins.

Leaving the museum, I had planned to go back to the Yu Gardens, but was approached by a young woman. My initial reaction was she was selling something, since Americans and Europeans are easy targets to identify. As it turned out, she and two of her friends had traveled 15 hours by train from Xi’an on holiday for their first visit to Shanghai. They just wanted to practice their English and talk. We walked to the People’s Park and then went to a Tea House for something to drink. Although we all stumbled over pronunciation, it was a delightful culturally enhancing afternoon.

Ah Choo! Is Not a Chinese Word

I am well into my third week of the World Cup and have been on 7 different airplanes, 10,000 plus miles, countless taxis, 5 hotels, 6 games, over 10,000 images shot and finally, one common head cold.

In the interest of health, my health and the teams’ health, I decided not to go to the practice field this morning, or to the Presser (as the media sessions have come to be known) in the afternoon.

I have spent the day catching up on normal office stuff, e-mail, filing images and making what has become the standard early morning and will be evening phone calls, since I am 13 hours ahead of colleagues who are also working on our Portrait of Passion project.

Being a bit under the weather, I miss the comforts of home. Sitting in my big chair watching movies, stocking up on OJ, getting out for a quick Starbucks and hanging out with my dogs.

Oh wait! Starbucks is across the street. When I walked in this morning the barista remembered my drink. Not only that but he told me that my American friend, who I had met there yesterday, was also there reading the paper.

A bit later I ventured out again in search of the local equivalent of Walgreen’s to pick up a few supplies. I found the pharmacy, why was I not surprised to find as many roots, mushrooms and other dried plants, as bottled over the counter capsules and other remedies. I managed to restock my ibuprofen supply but nothing else.

The pharmacy is one thing, but the Personal Store is another. If combined you would have Walgreen’s. Well Walgreen’s with mushrooms. Extra Kleenex, nail clippers and of course, some chocolate.

One more stop for orange juice and bottled water and I am set.

Back to the room to relax and watch some DVD’s that I picked up yesterday. Very interesting, movies just released in the US a couple of weeks ago, already available in DVD here, with Chinese sub-titles and only $1.33 each. Pretty amazing indeed.

Life here is pretty good, but I do miss the comforts of home and I certainly miss my dogs.

The team is traveling to Hangzhou tomorrow, so it will be another work and recovery day for me. Several of us are taking the bullet train down on Thursday morning – 200 km / hour. That will be another adventure.

At the risk of having a day without a photo, it is a clear night in Shanghai so here is the view from my hotel, with a view of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower in the background.

Follow That Bus!

I have access to the players, beyond even what I had hoped for. I have gotten to know them as individuals, been able to meet some of their families and have had the opportunity to see how they interact. It has truly been an honor to be here with them. Having said that my work and travels are independent of the team.


Cat Whitehill let me know about the planned shopping trip this afternoon; the girls were taking the team bus to shop for pearls and purses. Yes, more pearls. Actually, it was different pearls and different girls. It seemed liked a simple plan, I arrived at the team hotel on schedule. I would get a taxi to follow the team bus. Not wanting to take the chance with Shanghai traffic, I thought it would be easy enough, with the help of the bellman, for my driver to find out where the team driver was going and meet them. But sometimes simple is not quite so simple.

My driver, who’s English vocabulary was limited to ‘OK’ got out to talk to the team driver. An argument ensued. My driver got back in the taxi and shrugged his shoulders. We drove about another two blocks, my driver rushed out of the car – another argument.

With little hope of cooperation, we followed the bus! Perhaps we were chasing the bus. In spite of Shanghai local and freeway traffic, we were never more than two car-lengths behind the bus. There was never a spot big enough for another car to get in between the taxi and the bus. Twenty-five minutes later, breathing hard, and my eyes wide open we arrived, right behind the bus. In an uncustomary manner, I tipped my driver, thanked him and went in with the girls.

Later Mark Pharris, the team security officer, told me that he was trying to convey to their driver that I was supposed to be following them and that he shouldn’t be concerned. Not wanting to put me through that again, Mark asked if I wanted to join them on the bus for the return trip. Thank you Mark!

Shopping was, well it was shopping. What do these girls as World-Class athletes do when the go shopping do? Well it’s purses, pearls, bargaining, bargains and smiles.



Back at the hotel, I wandered up to the second floor, which has been the primary afternoon play area for Rylie Rampone, arguably the cutest most photogenic non-member of the US team. Today was no exception with more smile from Rylie and Christie.

One More Flight – One More Week

One more travel day from Tianjin back to Shanghai basically for the duration of the tournament. Although Thursday night’s game will be played in Hangzhou, the team will be living and training in Shanghai with a day trip to Hangzhou. Along with several of the other photographers and journalists, I will take the train to Hangzhou for the game and then stay there for just one night.

Once I arrive home, I am sure that it will take me several weeks to fully process and appreciate my experience in China. The trip and the experience have been moving like a speeding freight train and I have been doing my best to catch up and hang on!

Shooting the photos for our book project - Portrait of Passion has been going extremely well. As important as the game photos are the off-the-field shots and the girls have been enthusiastically supportive.

Our book, which is being written by Gail Stewart is for 11 to 14 year-old girls and will focus on the lives of several of the Team members. In the short time that I have been here, I know there are some great stories to tell; stories that will bring to life the personalities of these truly wonderful women.

The website www.portraitofpassion.com has launched with many more photos than are included in my blog as well as more information.

This morning I packed, checked out and although the hotel personnel kept asking me, “Airport?” I headed for the Sheraton where the team was staying. The girls had an early practice, lunch and then were planning to head out at 2:00. In the meantime there was some relaxation and not so serious Mahjong (an ancient Chinese game, which I remember as curiously being played by my Russian grandmother and her friends). Standing a few yards from the girls was the equally curious Chinese hotel staff, watching them play.


I arrived at the airport before the girls and near the gate, notice an interesting group of what appeared to be rather weary Americans. The blond hair and the University of Illinois t-shirts seemed to be a give away, but I have been fooled before by a group of Swedish journalists.


As it turns out it was Natalie, Leslies Osborne’s childhood friend and former roommate. Due to travel delays they had arrived at the game last night, just in time for the final whistle. There were hugs, signs, tears, more hugs and presents for Lindsay Tarpley, who turned 24 yesterday!


Another adventure in air travel via Air China, but I was thrilled to get the last seat on the plane. Traveling with the ESPN guys always makes me feel as if I am traveling light. Jaime Motta, who packed his broadcast suit and tie, left the plane with the waiting paparazzi on the tarmac (that would be me).


The girls’ luggage arrived as the first shipment with the bulk of the Team’s training gear coming in at 1:30 AM via airfreight.