ENGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Gregory Bull is based in San Diego and has worked for the Associated Press in Mexico, New York and California since 1996. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 2024 as part of a team of Associated Press photographers covering immigration. Bull has also covered eight Olympic Games.
Why this photo?
Canada and South Africa both played cautiously in the first game of the knockout tournament. The way Sunday’s game played out, it looked like there were only one or two game-deciding moments. As a result, one team achieves a historic victory, while the other team is eliminated from the World Cup and ends up packing their bags. As Canada’s Stephen Eustaquio approached the ball, it very much seemed like this might be the moment of the game. It was also historic for Canada.
How this photo was made
The South African defense swarmed and Canada’s attack appeared to continue to stall near the penalty arc. My position in the corner means there’s a lot of bodies in and around the ball. Tracking the ball and players through a maze of bodies means you need to think carefully about your concentration strategy. I decided to reduce the focus point on the Sony a1m2 from “small” in the center focus point to “extremely small” to accurately focus on one player. On this play, when the ball was headed back to Eustaquio by a South African defender, he was surrounded by five defenders and teammates, all of whom had moved from my position in front of him. It was clear from his approach to the ball that he was going to take a shot, but he stepped up and got past the defender. Since the focus point is small, I had to stay calm and predict where he would reappear and whether he would clear the defender. I finally got a clean shot. At this point I have two cameras, the longer lens on a monopod balanced on my arm and shoulder, and the shorter lens (in this case the 50-150mm lens) to shoot. The key is to hold everything and stay as still as possible. The focus point is small, so a steady hand is required.
.Why this photo works
The game ended without a goal, so it was clear that a goal would have been a likely winner at that point. This photo serves as the definition of the single moment that sent Canada to the World Cup and sent South Africa home.
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