Yes we’re are a little behind on our site upkeep! We’re just pretty damn busy producing, shooting and editing season 2 of the show!  And if I don’t say so myself… it’s lookin’ alright.

We’ve been to Tampa, Toronto, D.C., Chicago, Las Vegas and Costa Rica already and we’ve got more places to hit.  We’ve talked to amazing people, seen some awesome sights, watched some incredible soccer… and hung out with our fair share of beautiful women.  It’s all headed your way to the small screen on both GOLTV (in Canada) and FOX Soccer.

Remember to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ to get all our updates.  While your there, give us a shout, send us a message!  We’ve got great things planned for the upcoming season of We Live Soccer and we want you people to be apart of that. Let us know how you’re living soccer, tell us about how crazy your supporter group is, show us why you are one of soccer’s hottest. You never know, if we think you’re cooler than cool, maybe we’ll put you on the old picture box for the whole nation to see.

In the meantime, here are just a few shots of from the upcoming season. And we’ll try to eat our fiber and be a little more regular here on the blog.

Time to be honest – I dig on the occasional video game.  And by “occasional”, I mean at least a couple of hours a week.  And by “at least a couple of hours” a week, I mean – oh never mind.  Just understand that I do like some video games.

You will find that the United States is a video game nation powered by Madden NFL. It is the sports franchise that dominates the video game landscape. There are even television shows dedicated to Madden NFL football.  I don’t look down on those people, honestly.  I respect them.  They love playing a game and have a good time.  No harm in that, right?  Well I am no where near that level of fanaticism for any game.  I get the odd game in here and there after work is done and the kids are in bed for the night.  But there is a passion that resonates with me and others like me: FIFA soccer.

The one game that has always held a special place in my heart has been the FIFA soccer franchise, which is produced by EA Sports. I have had a version of this game for every console since the 1996 incarnation.  And much like its big brother, Madden NFL, the game focuses on realism and actual pro player ratings.  You get to experience virtual players who are designed with their actual level of skill as based on the performance of their living counterpart. It lends itself to some very fun and realistic video game action.

I’ve won FA Cups, Olympic medals, Community Shields, and even used Alan Shearer to score a last second game winner allowing long-suffering England to hoist the 1998 World Cup.  Truly I am a man who has been living the dream. So, as you can imagine, in recent versions of the game, the Rooney’s, Messi’s, and Ronaldo’s of the virtual world tend to run rim shod over the “mere mortal” players.

This is why I come back to play over and over again (and also it’s a great way to kill time when I’m on the treadmill.  Seriously, you can jog for like an hour and it feels like 5 minutes.  You have to try it.  Just be safe.  I speak from experience.)  Anyway, I come back to it over and over because of its realism, sort of.  Occasionally, EA Sports likes to make some players even more amazing then their real-life counterparts. 

For instance, when I play against my nemesis, Wayne Rooney, he likes to torment me with jukes and dekes unlike anything you’ve seen from a human.  It becomes downright comical at times.  That is until I try to take him out of the game with an absolutely malicious tackle.  This very seldom works as this super human virtual Rooney detects that somehow.  He manages to keep the ball, dance around my tackle, and proceed to beat my goal keeper in a variety of ways.  I am left scratching my head, vowing vengeance, and then find myself surrendering even more goals as I try too hard to equalize.  Ah – good times, good times!

Come to think of it, I’m not sure why I keep coming back to the game.  That damn Rooney (and Messi, don’t get me started on his virtual prowess.  Craaaaazy.)

I guess I should stop ranting about video games and go get back to my life.  However, if you are cut from the same cloth as me, drop a comment below. Maybe we can even play a game on line sometime.  Just don’t mock me when I flip out over your virtual superstars skills and try to take him out with every member of my back 4.  Also, please don’t ridicule me when my team has to forfeit because too many men have been sent off.  You have been warned.

We’re getting ready for season 2 here at the WLS headquarters and we have a great post coming tomorrow from our man with the plan Kent. All things tying together… he’s writing about his mad skills with the EA Sports FIFA series and one of our final profiles from last season was our behind the scenes look at FIFA 12.

So before we get you Kent’s take on rockin’ the game, here’s our look at EA Sports from last year (with a little bit of our new graphic look!)…

While some of my American friends and co-workers may scoff at soccer as being a “boring” or “not for them”, they almost all change their tune when it comes to league design.  These friends and co-workers may be criminally insane as well, but that is actually not the point here. (And, for the record, I said “may”.)

Who cares about league design? Well, I do.  So there!  But honestly, in most European soccer leagues, there are no conferences or divisions or playoffs (well standard playoffs as we know them.)  There is none of that crap.  There is one league.  There is one giant table of teams and every team plays with the goal of being number one.  Get a win? There are points for that.  Get a tie? You grab a point for that. The team with the most points at the end of the season wins the title. The simplicity is elegant and refreshing.  And don’t forget relegation.  Oh my, never underestimate the pain and agony of relegation.

What is relegation?

Well, it is a “motivator” to make sure all teams are performing to the best of their ability. Basically, if your team finishes in one of the bottom spots in the table, they are relegated to a lower league the next season.  Then, the top teams from the lower division replace them at the top flight.

To put it in American terms: based on 2011 Major League Baseball standings: Houston, Seattle, and Minnesota would be playing in AAA this upcoming season, and they would be replaced in MLB by the Pawtucket Red Sox, Durham Bulls, and Columbus Clippers.  Insane, right?  Not so much!

It is a crazy and downright frightening feeling to have your favorite team in the relegation “zone” fighting for survival.  And let me tell you, it adds a great deal of tension (and a bit of fun) to the proceedings throughout the end of the season.  You will see teams literally weep with joy for finishing out the season above the relegation zone.  And, on the flip side, you will see the despair of those who are being “sent down”.

To further add to the excitement, teams finishing near the top of the table get to play in special European cups the following season.  These are prestigious tournaments held across Europe with the top teams from leagues from England, Italy, Spain, Germany, and many more.  The revenue streams as well as the credibility that comes from playing in Europe can propel a team for years to come.  They suddenly become a viable destination for the top talent across the globe.

Other amazing aspects of overseas soccer are tournaments like England’s FA Cup.  This prestigious event traverses all of England’s leagues.  So the English Premier League and all of its “minor leagues” get to play.  You win and you keep going.  Normally, an established Premier League team wins this event, which goes on concurrent with the existing season.  But sometimes these lower division teams come out of nowhere and shock the world. In 1980 West Ham was out of the top flight and came through to win it all.  And as recently as 2008, we saw Cardiff City make it to the final only to succumb to Portsmouth (who, incidentally, was the only Premier League team to make the semi-finals!)

None-the-less, it is always a treat to see major teams like a Manchester United take the pitch at an away leg game against a smaller team, like Huddersfield Town in their old Leeds Road stadium.  It can be culture shock for both fans and players.  To use the baseball analogy again, it would be like the New York Yankees showing up in Niles, Ohio to play the single A Mahoning Valley Scrappers.  Their stadium seats a whopping 6,000 or so people. And, more importantly, the game would matter!  It would be worth something, not just an exhibition.  It would be televised internationally! How cool is that? I am sure it would be quite a treat for the fans and players of the minor league team.

Ultimately, the design of these leagues is far superior to those we see in the major U.S. sports.  There is always something to play for.  Be it the top of the table, a particular tournament, or even just avoid regulation.  Every match counts for something.  And we all know that is not something we can say for most of the sports in our country.

I am writing this in a post-match glow.

As you likely know, Barcelona just took on Leverkusen in Champions League. What you may also know is that Leverkusen was positively thrashed by Barca, 7-1. Furthermore, you may be aware that a diminutive forward for Barcelona named Lionel Messi took the game over and basically disrespected anyone who has ever tried to play soccer. Why, you ask? Well, he was that good. Any of us who have ever touched the pitch now look foolish for even trying. Messi showed us what football looks like. He reminded us what is so great about our sport, and why it has been dubbed “The Beautiful Game.” During the rout, Messi tucked in five goals. Many of them were of the “spectacular” variety. At one point during the second half I was quite sure I caught myself screaming like a little schoolgirl. This cannot be confirmed, however, and for that I am grateful.

(oh in case you have yet to witness… here be some highlights, or lowlights for you Leverkusen people, from our friends at FOX Soccer)

A quick check of twitter, facebook, and other sites among the web showed me that I was not alone in my accolades. Twitter was blowing up, and that was to be expected. But even mainstream sports sites in the United States were leading with Messi’s performance. This made me pleased. Honestly, we don’t that type of exposure on a mainstream level very often.

While Barcelona was wrapping up their destruction of Leverkusen, (10-2 on aggregate, daaaaaamn!), I couldn’t help but start thinking about other notable individual performances I have seen throughout the years.

• Romario personally lit up the Manchester United team when he was playing for Barcelona in 94. He made runs both with and without the ball that were downright mesmerizing.
• As a goalkeeper myself, I was particularly drawn to a match Peter Schmeichel played against Germany during the 92 Euro Final. He was flat-out clutch. Germany’s attack seemed incessant, and Schmeichel was brilliant in response. He singlehandedly delivered that championship to the Danes.
• Leverkusen was victim again in 2002 during the Champions League final. This time the culprit was none other than a pre-headbutt Zinedine Zidane. ZZ played sensationally in midfield the entire game before scoring the game winner on a cross from Roberto Carlos. That game winner often overshadows the masterful performance Zidane displayed in midfield. The volley was one of best goals ever scored in international competition.

Now, there are numerous great individual performances. Many more than just the few I have mentioned. These just happened to jump out at me. Feel free to sound off and let us know what you think. Will Messi’s performance be topped? Or is it not even at the top of the heap?

Well if you haven’t already watched it, you should see what all the fuss is about.  KONY 2012, I hope it works… and that he’s not the last guy that gets taken down.

Check out more info at www.KONY2012.com

Dear soccer fan, please forgive me.

This is my first soccer confession. We have been acquaintances for a little bit of time now and I have to be a bit more forthcoming with you. Personally, it is for the best. While some of this may hurt, I think it is imperative for you and I to be on common ground as this relationship progresses. So, grab an adult beverage (or not) and grit your teeth (or not) as what I am about to tell you may alter the course of our writer/reader relationship. In fact, it may make you lose any and all respect for me (that is, if there was any respect for me there to begin with. I understand that is quite a stretch.)

Here we go:

- For years there have been rumors circulating that I tried to name my first born “Beckham”. In many circles I denied this claim incredulously. It is time to come clean; I did lobby to name our first child after Becks. My wife, being incredibly awesome and having a sound mind, was able to see that doing so was not in our child’s best intentions. I relented. I felt shame. However, there are times when I look at my now 8-year-old son and think, “I don’t care what the others say, if your name was Beckham, that would be bad ass.”

Please forgive me. Are you okay? Can you continue? I hope so, as I must go on.

- Here is quite wicked googly. My wife and I traveled to London on our honeymoon and I never went to see a Premiership match. This confession alternately pains me greatly/gives me a smile. The pain side is obvious. Heck, our hotel was just blocks away from Stamford Bridge (which I didn’t even go see, I’m a horrible person.) It would have been great to see a game over there. It really would have. And we were overseas at such an exciting time in EPL history – Leeds and Chelsea were on the ascendency, Le Tissier was still mucking about and scored his 100th goal with Southampton, and guys like Beckham, Butt, and Giggs were continually trouncing others at the top of the table.

Why didn’t we go? Well, we were busy with other things. So, there’s that.

I’m not sure if you are okay.

You seem as if you are having some sort of a conniption. Let’s just try to finish up, no?

- I have been to exactly one MLS game, only one. Here I am, Mr. Superfan and I have only been to one MLS game? What gives, right? Well, wait. It gets better. The game I attended was in1997 – Kansas City Wiz vs. New England Revolution. Arrowhead Stadium seemed to be about ¼ full. People were unsure what to cheer about. The rules were weird. Honestly, they were still doing kick-ins instead of throw-ins and all that jazz. It was kind of a bad experience. Anyway, this was the second season of MLS. The league was still finding an identity. I only made the long drive from St. Louis to K.C. to see an idol of mine, Walter Zenga, between the pipes for the Revolution. Also, in an effort of full disclosure, Zenga did not even play that day. He rode the bench. It just added to the surreal feel of the event.

Now, that’s not to say I have not been an MLS supporter. Not the case at all, I just haven’t made it to another game. I truly intend to rectify this discrepancy during this upcoming MLS season. I owe it to my wife. I owe it to my kids. I owe it to you. I owe it to myself.

Well, that’s it. Those are my confessions. I trust that the eye-rolling/saliva drooling combo is a sign of forgiveness. Now, those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, right? You can’t tell me that you don’t have a soccer skeleton or two in that closet of yours, right?

We are fans of soccer. We, the collective soccer fan base, generally seem to enjoy a variety of things in addition to soccer. You will find members of our group who enjoy traveling, reading, and fine dining. You will find others among our midst that enjoy gaming, junk food, and diluted gin from the local grocery store. To each his own, right? (In an effort of full disclosure and brutal honesty, I have found myself enjoying all of those at one time or another. And, there is nothing wrong with any of those leisure activities, except for the grocery store gin. This, in hindsight, may be a cry for help. I’m just putting that out there.)

However, there seems to be at least one tie, other than soccer, that binds us all together: our proclivity to argue. Is there a fan base that bickers more than soccer fans? If so, I am yet to find it. Now, keep in mind, I’m not referring to the terrible riots and stampedes that we have seen recently and in years past. That is quite another level of horror and one that I hope we don’t find on our shores. I’m speaking just fan to fan. It seems that those of us in North America, perhaps because we have already been a bit persecuted just by being soccer fans, tend to jump down the throats of others who share a different soccer viewpoint.

For example, I recently got into a discussion with a new acquaintance at soccer sign-ups for my kids school league. It went something like this:

Acquaintance: “Hey, I saw you coach last year. You were wearing a Lampard jersey, right?”
Me: “Yes, that was likely me. I’m a big Chelsea fan. Who do you…“

Acquaintance: “Chelsea sucks. Lampard sucks. Manchester United is the best team in the world. Seriously, why would you even bother with that team?”
Me: “Well, I started supporting them in middle school after I read Glanville’s…”

Acquaintance (walking away and grabbing his kids): “Whatever. Chicharito is better than Torres or Drogba.”

Me: “Well, if recent form is the only thing we are going to look at, then I am inclined to agree with you, stranger. Your argument, while off-putting, is not without its merits. Where did he go? I’m talking to myself again, aren’t I? He left like a minute ago, didn’t he? Hey kids, did you see a guy over here talking to me?”

I am embellishing slightly, but the premise was the same. There seems to be, at least in my experience, real venom in many soccer dialogues with casual (and not so casual) fans in these parts. Maybe it is just the area I live in. Or maybe it is just my stupid, smug face. Is it the same for you?

That’s not to say all dialogue goes this way. I just had a nice give and take with a superior at work about Wayne Rooney’s recent work rate. (Wayne Rooney’s recent work rate, say that 5 times fast…) I am of the opinion that his work rate has suffered recently (again, just his work rate, not his play or results – settle down). I think, compared to his normal bull-dog approach, Rooney has been playing it slightly safer when away from the ball. My superior thought I was insane, and perhaps he is right. He made some valid points. We didn’t change each other’s point of view but we had some good dialogue. And at least he didn’t take his kids and run away after screaming his point of view. So, there might just be hope for us all.

We Live Soccer airs on FOX Soccer in the US and on GOLTV Canada and we bring you so many stories about so many different things throughout the season.  We are continually uploading those features to our PROFILES page so feel free to get your bad self over to the page to check out the who’s who and the what’s what and the where’s where in the North American game.  Did any of that make sense?  Short and sweet translation… go check out the profiles of cool things we shot.

I just uploaded a cool clip in which we met up with Bumpy Pitch.  We dig these guys as they make some ridiculously cool clothing.  Here’s the video with some instructions to follow for the rest of your day (but only if you are medically cleared to partake in).  Watch the video below.  Check out some more profiles. Go to BumpyPitch.com.  Buy yourself a shirt.  Go to the fridge.  Grab a drink.  Chill out.

How did you land the gig as Philly’s team photographer?

I shoot mostly college athletics in the Philadelphia area but have always been a big soccer fan; I was actually an inaugural season ticket holder for DC United in 1996 when the league started and I grew up in that area.   When I found out MLS was expanding to Philadelphia I was really excited and knew it was a job that would fit in nicely with my schedule.  I made some inquiries with some of the contacts I have developed over the years working around town, and found out that a colleague and friend of mine would be working for the team.    Aimee Cicero was hired as the teams Manager of Communications and I had worked with her for the previous 5 or 6 years while she was at Drexel and Temple Universities.  Once I knew Aimee was on the staff I knew I could make this happen and with her help I did!  Thanks Aimee!

Much of the MLS season runs through the summer when the majority of my clients (local universities) aren’t playing, so not only is it great work shooting a sport I love in a beautiful stadium, but it really fills during the collegiate offseason.

Coolest thing about the job?

I imagine most people will say the access, but after you shoot sports for a while you learn it’s not such a crazy thing, the athletes are people too, just better at sports than most of us are!   Being the Union’s Team Photographer, much like all the other places I shoot for the coolest thing is the people you meet and the relationships you make.

New ESPN Color Analyst Taylor Twellman was on the Union’s broadcast team this past season and it was really great listening to him talk before matches about the work he is doing with concussions.  The Union’s Goalkeeper’s Coach Rob Vartughian is a great guy and always comes over to ask how my family is before each game.  The Communications and Marketing staff are really wonderful to work with.   A lot of my best friends are people I work with on a regular basis for the organizations I shoot for, and I know I will say the same thing about the Union if I am lucky enough to shoot for them for a long time.

Now back to the access…that’s not too bad either, getting to be on the field when the Union walked out of the tunnel in front of a packed house against Everton, Manchester United and Real Madrid the last two years has been pretty cool!

Here is a shot of Jurgen Klinsmann celebrating after Robbie Rogers goal against Mexico, the first goal the team scored under his leadership. It was voted Sports Illustrated Snapshot “Photo of the Day” on the Google Chrome App when I took it.   If I wasn’t the Union’s team Photographer I would have never gotten the call to shoot this match from another client.

Who’s your favourite player to photograph?

Two guys come to mind here.  The Captain Danny Califf makes for fun photos with his sleeve tattoos and ever changing hairstyles.  He is really physical and always running opponents down with slide tackles and he gets into the box on set pieces and throws his body all over the place.  Second would be Roger Torres.  Although he comes on a lot of times as a sub, he always brings a lot of energy and the fans at PPL Park go nuts every time he touches the ball.  I think the fact he is 5-5 137lbs really gets people energized to see him.   Since he isn’t the biggest of guys he makes for some fun photos and good news is the Union just completed his transfer so he should be here for a while.  He’s only 20 years old!

On an average day, say your shooting game action, what’s your go to gear?

Normal game day set up is two cameras.  Nikon D3s body and Nikon D3.  In warm-ups I use my 400 mm f2.8 to shoot some close up face shots of some of the guys while they are near the sidelines.  On my other camera I usually have my 24-70 mm f2.8 to shoot fans or general stuff inside and outside the stadium.  Once the players go in from warm-ups  I take the 400mm off and put on a 70-200m f2.8 lens.  Sometimes I will use a flash for the Starting XI photo (PPL Park can be a tough place to shoot when the sun is going down.  The overhangs cast a huge shadow across some of the field while the stands in the background are still in full sun so it can be tricky sometimes but we make it work.  I usually leave my flash in manual at 1/16^th or 1/8^th power or so just to get a little kick of light on the players.   Once the game begins I am usually always two bodies, one with the 400mm the other with the 70-200mm for anything close along the sidelines.   The Auto-ISO feature the newer cameras offer has been beneficial at times when the field is half in shadow half in sunlight.  I shoot all action shots at f2.8. Occasionally I will use a 1.4x extender on the 400mm.  PPL Park is great because it offers a few places to shoot from where you can actually sit on the ground which I prefer to than kneeling behind the advertising boards.  The lower the angle you can get the bigger the action looks!

This year I have a few new ideas and will probably try setting up some more remote cameras.  I also always bring an assistant to the games with me as it is a big field and tough for one guy to cover.  You never know where the action might be and if you run around chasing it all game you might never catch it!  I have my assistant shoot with a 300mm f2.8 at the opposite end of the field and he did a great job catching some key moments for me last year.

For all you gear heads, my new Nikon D4 should be here within the next few weeks, I’m really excited for that!

I know you shoot a lot of other sports.  What’s the most difficult one to shoot?

Obviously each sport presents its different challenges.  I shoot a ton of college basketball, about 85 games a year, so that is certainly what I have the most practice at.  Indoor events are typically more difficult because you are thrust into some dark places which don’t allow high shutter speeds and might have horrible fluorescent lighting.  The new cameras have made this much easier though over the last 5 years.  I routinely shoot over 5000 ISO which was unthinkable before I got my D3.  Thank you Nikon…

Most difficult…how about volleyball?  I don’t shoot it often enough to get good at it and if you can’t anticipate where the ball is going, good luck trying to find it!

How competitive is it on the sidelines with other photographers?  Do you have to stake out your territory… is it all friendly?

Like I said before, it’s a huge field, and usually there are only 10-15 of us at a regular season league match.  There are certainly spots I prefer to shoot from, mainly the corners where I can sit as low as possible, but if someone else is there I don’t get too bent out of shape and move on to the next spot.  Sometimes being forced to move somewhere else can allow you to make a great image you would have otherwise never gotten and sometimes you wish you had been in your regular spot!

For some of the international matches it has been a little more crowded, but not too bad.   Real Madrid was a little crazy, and USA vs. Mexico also at Lincoln Financial Stadium was packed with photographers.  Obviously, a big rivalry and it was new USA Head Coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s first game at the helm.

How do you think the Union are going to do in 2012?

The jump the franchise made from season one to season two last year certainly exceeded all expectations.  Everyone is saying how young they are, but they have a really solid backline, and their attackers all have a very high ceiling.  Zac MacMath is a young goalkeeper and a lot will fall on his shoulders, but I think we saw enough last season to know he is capable of handling the number one GK spot.   Season three of any new coaching staff or organization is really where you can see things start to take shape and I think that will be true for this group.  I think Carlos Valdes is an awesome player who everyone in the league will be talking about this season.  Peter Nowak is a fiery guy and I wouldn’t bet against him with all the previous success he has had in his career, and if I did I certainly wouldn’t tell him!  Go Union in 2012!  DOOP!

What else do people need to know about Greg Carroccio and Sideline Photos?

Between being self-employed and my kids there isn’t a whole lot of time for hobbies these days.  Photography and playing sports have always been my two favorite things to do and I have fortunately been able to combine the two and create a job that I really enjoy.   I still play basketball regularly with a group of friends and golf as much as I can when the weather is nice.   Aside from that though I’m trying my best these days to grow my business by adding photographers and new clients, it’s a process but it’s moving in the right direction.  Thanks for having me!

Check out more of Greg’s awesome work and do the old follow thing on the twitter and book of face…
www.sidephotos.com
www.facebook.com/sidelinephotos
Twitter: @sidelinephotos