Day 31 (Wednesday, July 12)

Life was again back on track on the train systems in Chicago. (haha, I hope you saw the pun. Haha!)

I shot the above photo as I exited the Orange Line train in downtown on my way to work. I figured today's big assignment was going to revolve around train wreck follow-up.

© The Associated Press

The above photo is of Mayor Richard M. Daley. He's listening to the head of the Chicago Transit Authority give information to reporters about the train derailment. There was team effort in the office to cover post-train wreck story angles. Next thing I knew the shift was over.

That was a good thing because I was looking forward to tonight for a couple of days now. Tonight the Chicago Fire Major League Soccer team hosted a friendly match against Club America of the Mexican Soccer League.

I headed out there to get some practice done. I wasn't on the clock and/or assignment, so I was able to work the game w/o the pressure of having to make images worthy of wire usage. However, I still had some pressure. I wanted to make some nice images of the game. After all, that's why I shoot photos and that's why I love shooting soccer. Because I want to shoot nice images.

The game wasn't very visually appealing. A lot of chased balls. No colissions. And not much facial expressions. The above photo was among the very limited chances to get a nice action photo.

There were some nice celebrations during goals. America won the game 2-1 and it made some good jubilation photos.

The above photo is of goalkeeper Francisco Guillermo Ochoa, America's goalkeeper. The kid is only 20 years old and has been an instrumental part of the starting line up since he was 19. On the photo above, he's thanking the America fans who showed up to support the team. The Toyota Park stadium holds 30,000 people and there were more than 27,000 in sight today, most of them America fans.

The team has new players. And it was perfect time to make images of the new kids on the club.

Going to the America game reminds me a lot of my father. My dad had the talent to go to the pros and be the greatest Mexican soccer player ever. No, I am not saying this because he's my father. I am saying what people have told me through the years. My father was 17 years old when he had his first child -- me. He dropped the soccer dream to get a full time job and start being a family man. He got offers to join professional soccer teams all the way through age 20, but he was too busy working a real job to give up time to go chase a dream. He had a kid and he had to feed him.

So, going to an America soccer game means a lot to me. My dad would have loved to play on that team. In 2003, I took my dad on assignment w/ me to an America game. It was the greatest thing my dad has ever experienced. He stepped on the grass at the Los Angeles Coliseum and looked all around the way a kid does in a candy store. He was a very happy man. He was my assistant for the day and he got a chance to rub shoulders w/ some of his favorite current players, including Cuautehmoc Blanco.

The above photo of the kid and his father means a lot to me. I used to be that kid when I was growing up in Mexico. My dad took me to many soccer games, including America's championship against Pumas in 1987. That kid right there is me some years ago. Relaxing on daddy's shoulder and probably dreaming of someday walking on the same grass like the pros. I used to have that dream and now I get to live it. It means a lot to me.

I have been to where I have been because of the support of my father. I owe who I am to him.

Gracias Papa!

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