They call it soccer here, but it’s still futbol to me

It’s been my experience over the years that better athletes make for better photos, but the photographer still has to capture those key moments, and those moments can be harder to get because the speed of play is so much faster. So a tip of my hat goes to Jerry McBride, our chief of the photography department for his stellar shot of this key moment as the No. 9 ranked Fort Lewis College men go head to head with UCCS.

Fort Lewis College junior striker Euan Purcell stretches to meet a cross from sophomore forward Joe Barnd for the Skyhawks' fifth goal in the 76th minute of a 7-1 victory. Junior Jaron Stewart defends for University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Photo by Jerry McBride

Having spent several years in Latin America where soccer is a religion, and where newspapers and magazines have incredible sports coverage of the teams, this photo brought me back to the sidelines of stadiums filled with deafening chants and seas of banners.
Below is a slide show from a few years ago at a match between two of Mexico City’s rival teams, UNAM, The National Autonomous University of Mexico and Club America.
As an aside, the game ran late, calls from editors ran my phone minutes into oblivion and secure taxis stopped picking up at the stadium. It may not be too hard to imagine that walking down unfamiliar streets in Mexico City, hailing a cab at midnight with more than $15,000 in camera equipment over my shoulder was a bit nerve-racking. The night ended however at about 1:30 a.m. after bumping down the last 5 miles of interstate with a flat tire on the rear of a Volkswagen bug. The driver, an incredibly friendly ‘taxista’ that refused my offer to help change the flat.
So, to you Jerry, thanks for bringing back great memories.

Oh, and the UNAM Pumas won.

Photograph of FLC by Jerry McBride, slide show and post by Josh Stephenson