INIESTA'S GOAL CELEBRATION. THE BEST CHOICE?

Lluis Capdevila, a journalism student at UPF, commented on the blog if the photo, reproduced in all the newspapers, of Iniesta’s joy after scoring in the last minute against Chelsea, a goal that will allow Barcelona to play the Champions League final in Rome, was the best choice.
Instead, Lluis would publish the goal’s photo considering it as the match’s decisive moment.
I think newspapers have been right. The magic of photography is to be able to freeze a moment in time and offer it to the viewer. The joy of Iniesta after scoring has these components: a single image with all its symbolic force to bring you the joy of all the fans of FC Barcelona. The goal is fantastic, yes, but its image can not compete with the video, already posted on Youtube and recreating much better the goal. Iniesta's portrait stands out much better showing us the hero of the match.

FOTO CESAR RANGEL / LA VANGUARDIA

I remember two crucial goal’s photos, also from Barcelona F.C, which by its plasticity and meaning have become icons. One of Nicolas G (Carlos Perez de Rozas also have a great shot of the same goal) captures that moment that Evaristo, Barcelona’s front center, scored the goal that eliminated, for the first time, a nearly invincible Real Madrid in the Champions League.

FOTO NICOLAS G.

The second one, more recent, is the picture Jordi Cotrina took showing the historical Ronald Koeman's goal at Wembley against Sampdoria, which gave the Barcelona its first European Cup. As often happens in great pictures there is an element of luck. Jordi was not on the opponent's goal, the most common place to capture the goals, incidents and joys of the team of the Catalan capital, but in the Barca's own. And from there, with a Nikon D3 and a 400mm f: 2.8 he was able to capture the shot of Koeman and the hole left by the Sampdoria barrier. A historical photo!

NIKON F3, 400 mm f:2,8

Lluis Capdevila shows in his blog, Iniesta’s goal published by The Guardian.

FOTO THE GUARDIAN

El Periódico de Catalunya publishes on its inside pages,a different goal view taken by Jordi Cotrina with a Nikon D3 with a 20-35 mm f:2,8 zoom, fired by remote control behind the Chelsea's goal. I asked Jordi why he had not pictured Iniesta’s joy; Jordi explained me that he was unable to get a seat at the left of Chelsea’s goal, where FC Barcelona’s followers gathered. "I know that in 95% of cases, after scoring, players always go toward the stands where his followers are to celebrate. I could not get a site there because there were all the agencies and I thought I might get a different photo on the other side and that in case should something happen on Barcelona’s side, as it happened, my newspaper would be already covered by the Agencies "- told me Cotrina.

Jordi took, at the end of the match, a wonderful photo of the embrace between Messi and Guardiola, but as he recognizes "is the garnishing and it was very tasty, but the garnishing after all; the main dish is the picture of Iniesta’s joy".

FOTO:JORDI COTRINA