Why do we love soccer? Because it’s the beautiful game, of course, but also because it brings us together and lets us express, fully, outwardly and dramatically, the kind of emotion we’re encouraged to contain elsewhere in life. At every match I've been to, no matter the country, the people in the stands and on the streets are obsessed, and their energy equals or surpasses that of the players on the field (minus the running).
The Women's World Cup will be held July 20 through August 20, 2023, in Australia and New Zealand.
The US women's team now has equal pay with their male counterparts, and they are four-time champions, so the stakes will be high, on and around the field. While the athleticism and emotion are unfolding on the pitch, I will be photographing the US matches during this upcoming Cup through the eyes of a fan, just as I did in 2014 in Brazil, in 2015 in Canada, and in 2019 in France. I would love to provide photos and perhaps audio of this essential component of the game for the New York Times.
I recently photographed and field-produced the latest Serial, "The Coldest Case in Laramie,” created by reporter Kim Barker, which ran on February 23 and a follow-up piece on February 29, 2023.
As I photograph, I move around the stands, exploring the faces and feelings and highly colorful outfits of those who have gathered for the match. I’m always looking for the people with the most explosive emotions, those pouring everything they have into supporting the players, those who best capture the sensation of being there. The Cup is like no other sporting event I know.
The US will co-host the 2026 Men's World Cup with Mexico and Canada. Soccer fandom has grown exponentially since the US hosted in 1994. Telling the story of this Cup through the fans' eyes is essential to telling the whole story of this event, and providing this sort of complete coverage will be a good precursor to the 2026 Cup.
It can be silly, it can be serious, but what is always there is passion.
Soccer is a game of towering highs and desperate lows, and the fans feel it all.
