Footie season!

Tug on the shirt, originally uploaded by Hoosiers United.

I grew up playing soccer. Luckily as I began to follow the sport on a professional level, foreign leagues began to be broadcast in the US. The English Premier League and the European Champions League began to be weekly viewing. I also was lucky to attend two great soccer schools - Rutgers for undergrad and Indiana for grad school. During my time at IU the Hoosiers won two national titles, including the 2003 College Cup in Columbus, which I was lucky to broadcast for WIUS.

The European leagues are just getting going, while the game in America, MLS, is getting to crunch time. I didn't start following MLS until moving to DC in 2005. Luckily I came to the city with a quality team and the best fan base in the league. Unfortunately 2010 has been a year to forget for the Screaming Eagles and Barra Brava. Despite a disappointing MLS season there are some signs of a strong future with the development of young players like Bill Hamid and Andy Najar.

DC United is still alive in the US Open Cup, the American counterpart to England's FA Cup. They host the semifinal against Columbus Crew on September 1st.

These pictures are from United's match against the Richmond Kickers in the US Open Cup, held at George Mason University in Fairfax. It was a very interesting game to shoot. First, when I entered the stadium a security guy at the gate tried to keep me from bringing in my 70-200 f 2.8 Tamron lens. However, a DC United employee told him to just let me in. Then, the other issue was the stadium itself. The stands face due wert, making it much more difficult to shoot. I think i got some good ones. The one at the top is my favorite of the group. More after the break.

DC United v Richmond Kickers set on Flickr



Barra Brava roots on United.



Header in the air