Women’s World Cup Photos: USA vs. Nigeria

First US Women’s National Team match? Check.

First World Cup match? Check.

First time setting off an alarm while crossing the border back into the US? Unfortunately, also check!

On June 16th I went up to Vancouver, BC to shoot the USA vs. Nigeria Group Stage match in the Women’s World Cup. The match itself was not the most exciting of matches. Abby Wambach’s lone goal just before halftime was all they needed to secure their spot in the Round of 16. But of course I was happy for the win!

I am hoping to photograph the Quarterfinal match that will be in Vancouver next weekend. Which teams will be playing is undetermined at the time I’m writing this, but I don’t really care. I’ll go no matter what.

One thing is for sure, as I hand off my passport at the border on the way back into the States, I will be sure to tell them I am not THAT Mike Russell!

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Sounders Defeat Dallas, 3-0: Photos

I can’t believe this is only my second blog post this year! I am so behind! (Of course, I have been contributing to Sounder at Heart all season long.)

Anyway, last night the Seattle Sounders took on FC Dallas at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. The first half was not very exciting, but that changed partway through the second half. Lamar Neagle, Obafemi Martins, and Leo Gonzalez (!!) all scored for the Sounders. That was Leo’s first goal in FIVE YEARS! At the other end of the pitch, Stefan Frei and the defense kept Dallas scoreless.

Another notable on the night was the first start for the Sounders’ new Brazilian signing, Thomás Jaguaribe Bedinelli, or like many Brazilian players prefer, just “Thomás”. He has only been with the club for a couple of weeks, so I’m sure he is still figuring out how best to play alongside his new teammates. But there were certainly a few glimpses of something special out there.

I am not going to make any promises about when my next post here will be. But I would not be surprised if there is another one fairly soon. I am heading up to Vancouver this week to shoot the US Women’s National Team as they go up against Nigeria in the World Cup. I suspect I may want to blog about that.

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Dempsey Brace, Oba Flip – Sounders Dominate Opener

What an amazing way to start the MLS season – Seattle Sounders beat the New England Revolution by a score of 3-0. The deadly striker duo of Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins started up right where they left off last year. Dempsey scored twice and Oba added a goal and assist.

For more match details, be sure to go check out the match summary on Sounder at Heart.

As for my night, it was another fun one, for obvious reasons. Sounders goals always make for an evening filled with merriment. Oba’s pre- and post-flip celebrations are some of my favorites. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely love the actual Obaflips. But the raw emotion and pure joy that he expresses while not flipping are truly priceless.

I hope you enjoy perusing these photos as much as I had making them.

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Seattle Sounders Win the Supporters’ Shield: Photos

Sounders huddle before the opening whistle as the singing and chanting Emerald City Supporters look on. (Photo by Mike Russell. All rights reserved.) The Sounders did it, they won major MLS silverware. In their sixth year in MLS, the Seattle Sounders were the best team in the league and claimed …

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Sounders Beat Salt Lake in Stoppage Time

On Friday night, the Seattle Sounders battled one of their fiercest rivals, Real Salt Lake. It was quite the exciting match – stunning goals, a red card in the 68th minute, and a late stoppage-time winner by Andy Rose in the 94th minute. Sounders won it 3-2. Good times. (Click …

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NWSL Final Photos: Seattle Reign fall to Kansas City

Losing in the Championship match was certainly not in the script for the NWSL Shield winning Seattle Reign. They dominated the regular season earning 54 points (16-2-6), with the next closest team finishing with 41 points. That team? FC Kansas City. This season was definitely an amazing story to witness …

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Seattle Reign vs. Sky Blue FC: Still Unbeaten

With perhaps their worst offensive performance of the season, Seattle Reign still remain unbeaten. On June 28th, Haley Kopmeyer and the Reign defense kept Sky Blue FC scoreless, to secure the 0-0 draw in front of over 5700 fans, the largest crowd for a Reign match to date.

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USOC Photos: Sounders Beat Earthquakes

Before the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers played in the quarterfinals of the US Open Cup, Seattle had to first defeat the San Jose Earthquakes. Which they did, in a penalty shootout. I’ve heard it said that watching the Sounders play in the US Open Cup at Starfire is like …

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US Open Cup Photos: Sounders Defeat Timbers, Advance to Semis

When archrivals Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers square off, it’s always going to be a battle. Wednesday night’s US Open Cup match out at Starfire Sports was no exception. It looked like the Sounders were going to win it after 90 minutes off an earlier goal from Osvaldo Alonso. But …

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US Open Cup: Sounders vs. PSA Elite Photos

It was a long time coming, but the US Open Cup finally returned to Starfire Sports in Tukwila, WA. The Seattle Sounders took on amateur side, PSA Elite from Irvine, CA. It wasn’t much of a contest as the Sounders went on to win 5-0. But it was great to …

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