Day 70 (Sat., Aug. 7

Nothing like shooting Mexican League soccer. The fans are great, the action is good (sometimes) and the rush is amazing. However, the little things are what make shooting this type of game fun. For one, being on the field while thousands of fans cheer as the teams enter the field. Only soccer fans know how to make noise, especially Mexican soccer fans in the U.S. Take today for example, I covered the Chivas vs. Santos game at the Cotton Bowl. It was a double header and the game went on after the Dallas Burn took on visiting Colorado Rapids (above). I have been to a few Dallas Burn games, as you know from keeping track on the journal. But, I have never seen these many fans at the stadium. Not even when Freddy Adu, the phenomenal 15-year-old soccer player, was in town to play the Burn on June 26.

The Burn took advantage of the situation and showed these Mexican League soccer fans they can do it, winning 1-0 in front of 17,792. That's a huge difference compared to a few weeks ago when the same teams, Burn and Rapids, played in front of a crowd that could have been hand-counted. Mexican League soccer teams can really draw a crowd. I can only imagine how much fans it would have drawn if Chivas was playing long-time rival America. On Jan. 4, I covered a double header at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. That day Chivas played against Atlas and America played Atlante and the stadium was filled to 27,000 capacity.

Being on the field is great. You get to rub shoulders with the players, look up at the crowd comprised of avid soccer fans and beautiful women. If the action is good, you are bound to end up with a stinky sweaty shirt like I did tonight. But it's all part of the excitement. Who can beat that. I'd probably pay to get a seat and watch the game, so being able to have the access is great. Even when angry fans start throwing bottles on the field and you have to fear for your life. Luckily, today I didn't have to dodge bottles, but I did end up with a few ice cubes on my back.

Overall, today is the epitome of what I seek in photography. It's the rush of having to make a nice image while everything around you moves at a fast pace. The uncertainty if you will get a nice action photo that is well focused and generously exposed. The chasing the ball around with the lens the a way small puppy follows his master's hand when he's about to throw the Frisbee. You end up tired, hungry and with a headache, but you also end up with the satisfaction of being able to capture one of the many aspects of Mexican culture.

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