A Football Report

Through Ryu’s Lens: One for history, Croatia take on Serbia

“I asked the players: ‘Where were you born? Have any of you ever played in Croatia?’ The answer was no,” he said. “The players are so young they don’t know what we had and what we lost. They live today in a new world.” - Siniša Mihajlović

The atmosphere was tense and emotions were raw, but as Croatia met Serbia in Zagreb in a match that always seemed on the verge of boiling over, there was nevertheless one overarching sensation: hope. Relationships have been strained, to say the least, since the dissolution of Yugoslavia throughout the 1990s, and with that in mind, visiting fans had been banned from attending the pair of matches to avoid any confrontations. But even with increased security and nationalist chants raining down, Croatia managed to hold strong against Serbia, 2-0.

More important, though, was what took place after the match ended. Croatian and Serbian coaches, Igor Stimac and Siniša Mihajlović, long-time nationalist symbols with their own decades-long differences, met in the center of the pitch and embraced. Maybe, just maybe, there’s a reason for hope. Ryu was on scene for the derby and all the emotions surrounding it.

Interact with Ryu on twitter @Toksuede and check his Flickr. Posted by Maxi.    

Through Ryu’s Lens: Beckham rises in Paris, Marseille falls

It was the grand derby, Le Classique between Paris St Germain and Marseille. PSG hoped to extend their lead in Ligue 1, and were somewhat fortunate to come away with a cool 2-0 victory. Beckham finally made his debut in France, coming on for the final 15 minutes and playing a chip that would lead to Zlatan Ibrahimovic grabbing the second for the French giants. Ryu was in town to see the derby, as well as Beckhamania jumping right into Zlatan’s arms.

Interact with Ryu on twitter @Toksuede and explore his Flickr. Posted by Eric.

Through Ryu’s Lens: The Champions League welcomes back Didier

The last time Didier Drogba kicked a ball in the Champions League, it was a cool penalty that allowed Chelsea to win the competition for the first time in the club’s history. So when Drogba landed in Turkey after an extremely lucrative and tumultuous 8 month trip to Shanghai, excitement was in the air as he could continue his already legendary career with Galatasaray. The Turkish giants welcomed Schalke in the round of 16, and Ryu was in town to capture the Ivorian making his return on the continent’s greatest stage.

Interact with Ryu on twitter @Toksuede and check his Flickr. Posted by Eric.

Through Ryu’s Lens: France vs Germany, Stade de France

For the first time since 1987, the French fell to Germany. It may have been a friendly, but it happened at Stade de France in Paris, no less. The come from behind victory was a product of yet another outstanding performance from Mesut Ozil, working the strings in the final third. Just look at THAT PASS to set up Sami Khedira for the match-winner. Ryu followed the Germans from Berlin to Pair-ee, capturing Deutschland defeat Les Bleus. 

Interact with Ryu on twitter @Toksuede and check his Flickr. Posted by Eric.

Through Ryu’s Lens: Old Trafford dreams trump FA Cup magic

The Theatre of Dreams was as vibrant as ever, and Ryu almost forgot just how incredible of a venue it is. Manchester United welcomed Fulham, but acted rudely to their guests with a display of pure demolition. Rooney, Chicharito, and Ryan Giggs led the way forward into the 5th round of the FA Cup, leaving Fulham with only a consolation goal for their trip back to Craven Cottage.

Interact with Ryu on twitter @Toksuede and check his Flickr. Posted by Eric.

Through Ryu’s Lens: The Unseen Scotland

The game? Montrose vs Rangers in the Scottish 3rd division. It wasn’t sexy, it wasn’t a great occasion. But these away days for Rangers fans have become rather infamous, as the Scottish giants have been forced to travel to small venues since being relegated after going into financial administration. But despite a lack of a luxurious stadium, both clubs were still backed by their loyal supporters. In Ryu’s words: “Great atmosphere. Terrible match.” The match ended as a 4-2 win for Rangers, so it couldn’t have been that bad (right?), but it’s probably fair enough.

Interact with Ryu on twitter @Toksuede and check his Flickr. Posted by Eric.

Through Ryu’s Lens: Zlatan, Zlatan, Zlatan

Oh, the Champions League was going on too? We were taken aback by the Zlatan Show™, and rightfully so. The Swede is the man of the moment, and watching Ibrahimovic in his element at the Parc des Princes in Paris was a sight to see, even if PSG vs. Porto was not a particularly memorable match. Ryu had his camera in hand in “Par-eeee” and did a little portrait of one of the game’s greatest characters.

Interact with Ryu on twitter @Toksuede and check his Flickr. Posted by Eric.

Through Ryu’s Lens: Germany vs Sweden

The Germans were winning 4-0. They’re the Germans. 4-0 is beyond over. Except it wasn’t. In the second half, Sweden marched back and scored four of their own unanswered goals. Zlatan led the charge, and our man Ryu Voelkel was on hand in Berlin to snap a few photos and watch the Germans collapse in an ineffable manner in front of their home fans.

(You can interact with Ryu on twitter @Toksuede and explore his Flickr)

Through Ryu’s Lens: Vintage Arsenal vs. Southampton.

Terms like “destroyed” or “ravaged” rarely do justice to what actually goes on throughout 90 minutes in a football match, but yesterday Southampton came to the Emirates and Arsenal filled their opponents with nightmares that could last far beyond the weekend. Thankfully, our man Ryu Voelkel was in London to capture the vintage Arsenal performance that would’ve made the Invincibles proud. Unfortunately for Gaston Ramirez, Maya Yoshida, and the rest of Southampton, they were also spending the weekend in the capital.

[Posted by Eric. Interact with Ryu on twitter @Toksuede and check his Flickr]