To see all the pictures from the game, CLICK HERE:
I was recently asked to attend the Atlético Ottawa football game (re:soccer), on the 28th June, 2024, to provide photographs for the Coding for Veterans (C4V) organization which helps veterans achieve certifications in cybersecurity, data analysis, computer coding, and a host of other cyber disciplines. It’s funded by Veterans Affairs in Canada in conjunction with the University of Ottawa and the Veterans Administration’s G.I. Bill in the U.S. (this is new in the U.S.) through the University of Southern California. It is a self-paced, online only course of study so is available in both countries to all veterans meeting the acceptance criteria. I’ll stop here on this as it is part of a larger article going to Esprit de Corps Magazine.
I was also introduced to another veterans support group, Treble Victor Group, who helps military people leaving the military transition into new careers in the civilian sector by supplying support, a network of mentors for all walks of life, and skills training. I’ve not been aware of this group so I look forward to learning more about them in the future.
However, at the Atlético Ottawa football game, on the 28th June, 2024, C4V hosted a Military Appreciation Night to raise awareness of the contributions of military members and bring attention to its programs. In attendance for C4V was Jeff Musson, Executive Director of C4V, and doing the coin toss for Atlético and Forge FC (Hamilton) was our Parliamentary Secretary for National Defence, the Honourable Marie-France Lalonde. Again this year, the Military Wives Choir sang the national anthem from center field.
takes the coin toss for the teams.
The game was hard fought between the two teams with Ottawa scoring first at the two minute mark. I wasn’t even out to the field yet from changing my lenses and I’d already missed a good photo opportunity! Play moved back and forth for the rest of the half but Atlético went into half-time with the 1-0 lead intact. However, within three minutes of the second-half starting, Forge got a goal, but not by their own effort as Ottawa scored on themselves. At 55 minutes, Forge got the go ahead goal but that only lasted seven minutes before Ottawa evened up the score at 2-2. The crowd went crazy when del Campo put in Ottawa’s third at the 70 minute mark which looked like it would be the winning goal until the 88 minute mark when Forge managed to tie it up again. Things looked like a draw until, in stoppage time, Ottawa’s Torres got the winner to close the night (4-3). So people got their money’s worth with an exciting game ending in a win.
I will say that I find soccer the hardest game to photograph. Hockey, although fast, is in a small, confined space. North American football, although played on a large field, generally has each play confined to a small portion of the field and the players are generally grouped together. Rubgy, also played on a large pitch, generally doesn’t see the ball travel very far in play unless kicked. Golf is easy as no one is moving and the player is confined to a spot on the grass. Soccer, on the other hand, has the players all over the field, the ball travels from one side of the field to the other in a second as well as to one end of the field to the other just as quickly. Players are always moving in front of you and you never know when a goal will be scored. Add in to the mix bad lighting (at night) and you will almost never get the picture you want.
