PhotoBlog - soccer

9
Aug
2012
5:43pm, EDT
U.S. women win third-straight Olympic gold
Nic Bothma / EPA
Carli Lloyd celebrates after scoring the 1-0 lead against Japan during the women's gold medal match at the London 2012 Olympic Games on Aug. 9.
Robert Ghement / EPA
Carli Lloyd scores against Japan's goalkeeper Miho Fukumoto.
Robert Ghement / EPA
Christie Rampone, left, and Hope Solo celebrate their victory over Japan.
Robert Ghement / EPA
U.S. players celebrate their victory over Japan.
Nic Bothma / EPA
Alex Morgan jumps over the slide tackle of Japan's Saki Kumagai.
Robert Ghement / EPA
Tobin Heath, right, vies for the ball with Japan's Homare Sawa.
WEMBLEY, England (AP) — Hope Solo found herself enveloped in a group hug at the final whistle. Abby Wambach ran to join the fun in a celebration that unleashed a year of bottled-up frustration.
The U.S. women's soccer team won its third straight Olympic gold medal Thursday, beating Japan 2-1 in a rematch of last year's World Cup final and avenging the most painful loss in its history. Full Story
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Slideshow: Olympics Emotional Moments

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6
Aug
2012
4:57pm, EDT
A moment of true sportsmanship, as Japan consoles a defeated France
Christophe Simon / AFP - Getty Images
France's Camille Abilly looks on as Japan celebrates their victory at the end of their women's football semi final Japan vs France event at Wembley stadium during the London 2012 Olympic Games on Aug. 6, in London. Japan won 2-1.
Damir Sagolj / Reuters
France's Camille Abilly is consoled by a player from Japan after Japan defeated France in the women's semi-final soccer match at Wembley Stadium in London at the London Olympic Games, on Aug. 6.
Christophe Simon / AFP - Getty Images
Japan's Aya Miyama chats with dejected France player Camille Abilly at the end of their women's football semi final Japan vs France event at Wembley stadium during the London 2012 Olympic Games on Aug. 6, in London.
By Natalia Jimenez, NBC News
It is not often you see players of opposing teams going out of their way to console one another after a game has ended. Their interaction is usually limited to a friendly handshake or pat on the back.
These images of Japan's Aya Miyama comforting France's Camille Abilly, after Japan defeated France 2-1 in a close semi-final match, stood out from other post-game reaction photos. While we have no way of knowing what words were exchanged between the players (and we can only assume there was a bit of a language barrier between them), their body language speaks for itself. It is clear Miyama took time to try and comfort the distraught Abilly, and Abilly seems to eventually accept her kind gesture.
In such intense competitions, where emotions run high with adrenaline, it is reassuring to know that these Olympians are not only extraordinary athletes, but show true sportsmanship as well.
Editor's note: This post has been updated to correctly identify the Japanese player consoling France's Abilly. It is actually midfielder Aya Miyama, not Azusa Iwashimizu.
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Damir Sagolj / Reuters
France's Camille Abilly is consoled by Japan's Aya Miyama, after Japan defeated France in the women's semi-final soccer match at Wembley Stadium in London at the London Olympic Games, on Aug. 6.
Slideshow: Olympic Emotional Moments
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32 comments
It wasn't Azusa Iwashimizu. It was Japan's captain Aya Miyama, as you can see by her armband. And there was not much of a barrier language: Miyama and Abily were team-mates when playing in USA, in LOs Angeles SOL, some years ago, and they can decently communicate in english. They became good friends …
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7
Jul
2012
9:34pm, EDT
China Daily / Reuters
Players compete in the 2012 Swamp Soccer World Cup China in Beijing on July 6, 2012. The 10-day competition kicked off on July 5. Thirty two teams consisting of six players, including at least one woman, are taking part. The winners receive a 2012 London Olympics commemorative torch, local media reported.
Swamp soccer starts in China
.
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I guess all of their uniforms are brown ....
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5
Jul
2012
5:12am, EDT
Andre Penner / AP
Fans of Brazil's Corinthians cheer at the end of the Copa Libertadores final soccer match against Argentina's Boca Juniors in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on July 5, 2012. Corinthians won 3-1 on aggregate.
Corinthians crowned as champions of South American soccer
The Associated Press reports — Brazilian club Corinthians finally won its first Copa Libertadores title on Wednesday, beating six-time champion Boca Juniors 2-0 to win the final 3-1 on aggregate.

Corinthians won the title unbeaten over 14 matches of Latin America's main club competition.
See more great sporting images in The Week in Sports Pictures slideshow.
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2
Jul
2012
5:32pm, EDT
Hundreds of thousands celebrate Spain's Euro 2012 victory with massive parade
Javier Soriano / AFP - Getty Images
Spanish national football team players parade on an open bus in Madrid on July 2, a day after winning the Euro Cup for the second time 4-0 against Italy.
Pablo Blazquez Dominguez / Getty Images
Spain football team players celebrate with the UEFA EURO 2012 trophy on a double-decker bus during the Spanish team's victory parade on July 2 in Madrid.
Hundreds of thousands packed central Madrid to give a hero's welcome Monday to "La Roja" - the national soccer team that erased the country's gloomy mood by winning the Euro 2012 Championship.
--The Associated Press

Spain fetes its soccer champs with happy abandon

Slideshow: Best of Euro 2012

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I was rooting for Italy ....
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2
Jul
2012
5:35am, EDT
Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images
Mario Balotelli of Italy cries as he shows his dejection following defeat in the Euro 2012 final match between Spain and Italy at the Olympic Stadium on July 1, 2012 in Kiev, Ukraine.
Super Mario's tears: Euro 2012 final proves a step too far for Balotelli and Italy
Spain did such a great job of shutting down Italy's attack in a 4-0 rout that star striker Mario Balotelli rarely even got the ball in a scoring position, The Associated Press reports.

At the final whistle, Balotelli stormed off the pitch in frustration - shoving aside a team official who attempted to block his path to the changing room, as coach Cesare Prandelli screamed at him to turn around.

Balotelli eventually came back out and accepted his runner-up medal, then dropped to the pitch where he was consoled by Prandelli.

"I told him he has to accept losses, that these are experiences from which you can take strength for the next opportunities," Prandelli said. "You need to know how to accept these things. That's sport. Many players have lost and suffered, but it's all over now."
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1 comment
Cheer up and try a new hairdo ....
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1
Jul
2012
4:51pm, EDT
Emilio Naranjo / EPA
Spain defeats Italy 4-0 in Euro 2012 final
Spanish supporters celebrate while watching the final of the UEFA EURO 2012 between Spain and Italy in Madrid, Spain, July 1. Spain won 4-0.
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I was rooting for Italy ....
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29
Jun
2012
6:43am, EDT
Luis Robayo / AFP - Getty Images
Watching Euro 2012 in a shack on a Colombian hillside
Farmers watch telvised coverage of the Euro 2012 semi-final in a shack on a hill in Calandaima, a rural area of Miranda, Colombia, on June 28, 2012.
Local farmers are in dispute over lands occupied by the army to give them a tactical advantage in the war against FARC guerrillas, Agence France Presse reports. The farmers, afraid of being caught in the crossfire, want the troops to leave the area. A caravan of Colombian social activists on Thursday moved to the top of the Calandaima hill to deliver food to the peasants.
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Match report: Balotelli muscles Italy into Euro 2012 final

ProSoccerTalk: Analysis of Italy's win over Germany

Slideshow: Best photos from Euro 2012

PhotoBlog: Nervous tension as fans watch Spain-Portugal semi-final

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28
Jun
2012
5:52am, EDT
Extreme tension, joy and despair as Spain kicks Portugal out of Euro 2012
Denis Doyle / Getty Images
Spanish fans react while watching the Euro 2012 semi-final match between Spain and Portugal on June 27, 2012 on a giant outdoor screen on Paseo de La Castellana in Madrid.
Jon Super / AP
Spain's Cesc Fabregas celebrates with his teammate, goalkeeper Iker Casillas, after Fabregas scored the decisive penalty in the shoot-out against Portugal in Donetsk, Ukraine in the early hours of June 28, 2012. "When I stepped up to take the penalty I said to the ball that we had to make history and that it shouldn't let me down," Fabregas said later.
Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images
Fabregas, third right, and Casillas are engulfed by their team-mates at the conclusion of the shoot-out, which Spain won 4-2.
Armando Franca / AP
A Portuguese fan sits dejected in the stadium after his team crashed out.
The Associated Press reports — Spain again failed to dazzle at the European Championship yet still advanced to its third straight major championship final, beating Portugal 4-2 in a penalty shootout Wednesday following a scoreless draw after extra time.
Cesc Fabregas, who came on as a substitute in the second half, scored the deciding penalty after Bruno Alves hit the crossbar for Portugal moments earlier.
Spain will next face either Germany or Italy in the final on Sunday in Kiev. Read the full match report.
Related content:

ProSoccerTalk analysis of the Spain vs. Portugal match

Slideshow: Best photos from Euro 2012

Full Euro 2012 coverage on NBCSports.com

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4 comments
Its a great game ......But very misunderstood in the US. It is very strategic and thus can't really hold the attention of our sports fans. There are a lot of intricacies that cannot be understood unless you have either played the game or followed it very closely. I love it and miss playing ....
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14
Jun
2012
11:31am, EDT
Faces of the fans at Euro 2012 soccer tournament
AFP - Getty Images
Pictures taken in June 2012 shows supporters from various countries during the Euro 2012 soccer championships.
Reuters reports -- Germany are blazing a trail, leaving awed competitors in their wake. Greece are perilously close to the exit.
It could be the euro zone, but this is Euro 2012.
Even at Europe's biggest international soccer tournament, it is hard to get away from the debt crisis afflicting some of the countries playing in the 16-nation competition.
Politicians from indebted countries such as Greece, Spain, Italy, Ireland and Portugal hope success on the pitch might - at least for a while - deflect attention from unemployment, homelessness and failing banks.
Read the complete story.
Gerry Penny / EPA
A Croatian supporter is seen before the Group C preliminary round match of the UEFA EURO 2012 between Italy and Croatia in Poznan, Poland, on June 14.
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OK
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13
Jun
2012
11:55am, EDT
Netherlands fans get wet and wild
Kim Ludbrook / EPA
A Netherlands national soccer team fan gets soaked with water in the fan zone in central Kharkiv, Ukraine, hours before the Netherlands' UEFA EURO 2012 Group B preliminary round against Germany, Wednesday.
By Jonathan Sanger, NBC News
Racist chants during a training session and a loss to Denmark last week have not dampened the spirits of Netherlands fans ahead of this afternoon's game against Germany. Defeating Germany is even more important now to keep the Dutch competitive in the tournament. For a preview of today's game, check out NBC Sports.
Jerry Lampen / EPA
The Netherlands national soccer team fans arrive at a metro station in Kharkiv, Ukraine, to join fans in the fan zone hours before their UEFA EURO 2012 Group B preliminary round against Germany Wednesday.
Jerry Lampen / EPA
The Netherlands national soccer team fans arrive at a metro station in Kharkiv, Ukraine, before their UEFA EURO 2012 Group B preliminary round against Germany on Wednesday.
Kim Ludbrook / EPA
The Netherlands national soccer team fans enjoy the atmosphere in the fan zone in central Kharkiv before their game against Germany.

Everything you need to know about Euro 2012.
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12
Jun
2012
2:03pm, EDT
Polish and Russian soccer fans clash before Euro 2012 game in Warsaw
Rafal Guz / EPA
Polish and Russian fans clash during a march of Russian supporters to the National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland on Tuesday prior to the Group A preliminary round match of the UEFA EURO 2012 between Poland and Russia.
Peter Andrews / Reuters
Polish soccer fans shout at Russian supporters as they walk protected by Polish riot police in Warsaw on Tuesday.
Rafal Guz / EPA
Police intervene as Polish and Russian fans clash during a march of Russian supporters to the National Stadium in Warsaw.
Jerzy Dudek / Reuters
A Polish soccer shows a wound from a rubber bullet during clashes with police and Russian fans in Warsaw.
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1 comment
Harry McNicholasStill lots of poverty in Ukraine and the people have been locked up for years. I think the writer is correct. The poorer the country or the state the more racist they appear to be. People who are satisfied with their status rarely become racists.
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