Soccer: And They Call It a Friendly?

chivas de guadalajara vs ny red bullsYesterday, the Chivas of Guadalajara played in a "friendly" exhibition match against the NY Red Bulls. Aside from the fight that led to ejections, the aggressive defense by both teams, and general demeanor between the two teams, it was a slow paced affair.

The Red Bulls won 1-0, but each team missed crucial shots at the goal, and the match could have ended very differently without the ejections. That there on the left is someone catching a knee to the midsection.

chivas de guadalajara vs ny red bullsThat was pretty much par for the course at this game. What the teams didn’t manage to accomplish on offense, they played their best on the defensive end, taking great pride in shutting down their opponent. Unfortunately, this also meant a lot of back and forth, but not much more. This guy here may end up pregnant after this match.

More after the jump.

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Event: Sky at Mercury

sky at mercuryThe Mercury won against the Sky in overtime, 112-105. 33 points by Diana Taurasi, with Cappie Pondexter adding 31 led the way, but Barbara Farris was the hero, scoring a crucial basket after an offensive rebound to tie it at 95, forcing the overtime.

I love overtime games, they amplify the emotion of the event, and every sequence of events matters so much more to everyone involved.

I’ve got a game tonight, so a couple more photos, and a link to the gallery after the jump! [Read more →]

Event: Sun at Mercury

diana taurasi32 points from Diana Taurasi, plus some smothering defense, led the Phoenix Mercury to victory against the Eastern Conference leading Connecticut Sun. The Mercury are 3-6, but have won 3 of their last 5 games.

Taurasi was very active in the game, not only scoring, but helping out on the boards and creating opportunities for her teammates.

The rest of the team did a great job on double teams and smothered anyone in the paint, forcing the Sun to shoot from outside. During the first half, the Sun kept it close with three point efficiency, but could not sustain it into the second half.

More, including a link to the gallery, after the jump. [Read more →]

Setting Up a Camera Remote: The Video

shawn marionRemote cameras open up a lot of possibilities for photographers. Whether you want to capture a moment from two different angles, or with two focal lengths, remotes can provide us with images that otherwise wouldn’t be possible for us. But, for the most part, remotes are thought of as a difficult task, and so we think remotes are only for magazines like Sports Illustrated or ESPN the Magazine. They’re not.

While covering a game between the Phoenix Mercury and Detroit Shock, I did a video segment on remote setup basics. It’s easier than you think, so read on, and check out the video. Before you know it, you’ll be able to set up your own remotes. [Read more →]

Event: Shock at Mercury

Cappie PondexterThe Phoenix Mercury fall to the Detroit Shock in a WNBA Finals rematch. Without key players Penny Taylor and Tangela Smith, coupled with poor performances by Diana Taurasi (1-13) and Cappie Pondexter (4-24), the Mercury trailed the majority of the game. The Mercury are 2-6 in regular season play.

I tried a few different things for today’s game. I set up a remote camera, as I usually do for Phoenix Suns games. While the WNBA players won’t sky to the rim like the NBA players, they tend to be very aggressive on the boards, and will scrap in the paint to force and gather up loose balls.

And while I was at it with the remote, well let’s just say I brought a video camera. More info on that, and the full game gallery link to follow! [Read more →]

What Would PShizzy do? June 11 2008

From Zander, on FredMiranda.com:

Thanks for taking time to do this, I really appreciate it.
Right now I have:

  • 20D, nearing the 50k shutter count.
  • 28-105 3.5-4.5
  • 50 1.8
  • 70-200 2.8

My budget is roughly $2200. I could come up with a few extra hundred dollars if needed. I use my 70-200 by far the most, and often it is not long enough. I was thinking that I would pick up the 300 f/4 non-IS to cover the longer focal lengths. [Read more →]

Event: Mystics at Mercury

washington mystics at phoenix mercuryThe Phoenix Mercury finally won after going 0-4 to start the season. The Mercury built a 15 point lead early, but lost that lead, reminiscent of their last home game against the Storm. The Mercury fought back late to pull away for good and ended up with the victory. Diana Taurasi had 29 points, with Cappie Pondexter adding 23.

As the lead slowly dissapeared, Taurasi and the rest of the team looked frustrated. When they fought back to get the win, I expected the players to have some sort of outburst, and after a shot and a foul, I captured the image shown.

More on the game, and the full gallery, in the post. [Read more →]

Event: Rampage at Rattlers

grand rapids rampage at arizona rattlersThe Grand Rapids Rampage squared off against the Arizona Rattlers last night. It was a pretty close game throughout, but a missed extra point cost the Rampage dearly, as the Rattlers went ahead by four late in the game, forcing the Rampage to go for a touchdown to win. The Rattlers walked away with the victory 52-48. They need a few more wins, as they’ve made an arrangement with their season ticket holders: No playoffs, and you get a refund. That’s pretty bold.

I just thought I’d post some work, and take it easy this Memorial Day weekend. No games between the Rattlers or Mercury for the next two weeks or so, so I’m hoping to buckle down and get some more Flash presentations out. I’ve been getting lots of ideas, and I appreciate that because it gives me a better feel for the direction I need to take the posts in.

Keep up the comments and email.

The gallery for the game is here