#kind of excited about france vs usa too actually

[kevinsdsy]

summer olympics football tomorrow why am i excited

[gucciwins]

World Cup - Lyon, France

Y/N roots for USA and Harry is the best

Word Count: 2.4k

A/N: The World Cup is my favorite. Harry is also add them together and it is a match made in heaven. The perfect opportunity presented itself and I could not let it go by. England vs. USA was an intense match but these teams played their heart out. 

Happy Reading !

July 2, 2019 11:00 am

You have the TV turned on to Fox Sports channel and are listening to the commentary before game time. Harry is upstairs doing god knows what but he said he would join you shortly. You think he agreed to join you because you made your famous cheese dip that he seems to enjoy. 

Honestly, you don’t think you will be eating at all this game. Not because you don’t want to ruin your USA jersey that proudly shows of number 17 and Heath across your back but because this game has you anxious and really want your team to make it to the finals. 

Harry told you it was just futbol but for you it was more than that. It is the sport you have played since you were six years old. The sport that made you strong and reminded you why friendship and teamwork is important. That communication is the key to success in everything you do. Overall, it shaped you to be the person you are today. Harry cried when you finished explaining what it meant to you and then agreed to watch it with you. 

You were upset that you couldn’t go to France for this world cup. Harry saw how upset you got when friend’s of yours sent you videos and pictures because you couldn’t make the trip due to a work issue that finally got resolved last week. It bummed you out but what did make you cry is when your friends got their Jersey signed by Christen Press and Alex Morgan. 

You claimed something was in your eye but Harry felt your pain. He promised to himself that he would go with you to the next one no matter where it was. Honestly, it led to some mind blowing sex. If you asked Harry.

11:55 am

“God Save the Queen” starts to play and you are staring in awe at the television. The stadium is packed in Lyon. You sing along quietly to “The Star-Spangled Banner”. You look at the starting line up and can’t help but smile at these twenty two women  who are about to fight for a spot to the finals.

This will be a long 90 minutes.

1’

“HARRY!” you yell wanting him to come as it’s starting.

“I’m coming, love.” He says sitting next to you pulling you close.

“What were you doing up there?” You question not looking away from the screen in front of you.

“I had some phone calls to make.” He reassured you.

Rose Lavelle cut of a player and in she goes. She crosses and it’s blocked. You jump up from your spot and startle Harry. 

“Wow, that was a close one.” Harry chuckles and rubs your arm gently calming you instantly. 

“Good thing I don’t got any popcorn in my lap or it would have gone flying” Harry jokes and you can’t help but laugh. 

There is not much talk from you anymore mostly listening to the commentators and what they think of this game.  

“I have a question.” Harry begins. He’s sees that you won’t answers and keeps talking. “Why do they-“

“YES!!!” you scream. “Goal, you go Press!” You cut Harry off but that goal was beautiful. Rose Lavelle let the ball go allowing O’Hara to send a beautiful cross and Christen Press was there to header it into the back of the net. 

You sit there looking at the replay and just stare at awe in that teamwork. This team needs to stay strong to make it through. 

“Sorry, love. I didn’t mean to interrupt but it was bad timing.” You lean over to give him a kiss. Harry pouting not used to sharing your attention. 

“I just wanted to know why the US has different captains.” 

“Oh, they got co-captains. Morgan and Rapinoe lead the team but only have one on the actual field. Like in high school I was co-captain with Tiff and we passed it onto the next who had the potential and the growth we saw in ourselves.” Harry gives you a forehead kiss and thanks you quietly.

“Did you see that shot? Lavelle, needs to be kept tight or she will score. Fast and agile she needs to be marked good.”

18’

A long beautiful cross and and another one to center field. White gets a touch on it and in it goes. 

You sit there shocked. That was a nice play but the US’s mistake was leaving them open. Harry waits for you to freak out and yell at the TV.

“Nice goal. This game is only going to get tougher.” You see that Harry is surprised at how calm you are. 

“H, me yelling at a television does nothing.” He chuckles and you both continue to view the match. 

“Oh hell no!” You yell. “Not a penalty. Don’t go there, England. You are better than that.” 

25’

“Oh my Alex is down.” Harry is confused at how you see that. 

Two players going for the ball and getting headed by a head rather than a ball can leave you hurting. She gets checked on and looks away. 

“It’s her birthday, love.” Harry nods his head to Alex Morgan.

“Yeah, could be a good or bad day for her.” You tell him. 

“I wouldn’t like to play on my birthday. Years later I’d remember that day forever if it was a bad time.”

You laugh at him. “At least the type of playing you do always leads to good memories.” You remind him. 

30’

Horan has the ball. She sends a cross into the box and Alex Morgan is there to finish the job. 

“GOAL!!!!” The television yells. “A very happy birthday for Alex Morgan.” 

You sit there shocked. Not expecting that at all. Harry can’t help but get excited because he may not know who to root for but he can celebrate a nice goal.

“This is too much.” You look over at Harry tears in your eyes. “This will hurt if we lose.”

Harry feels for his love. He knows what it is like to be all in for a team but mostly a passion. This is your passion that you care for. “I’m here to support you, love.” 

40’

Smack to the face. Bright arm up hits Morgan in the face. 

“Hey, that’s a yellow.” Harry yells.

You snicker quietly but Harry nods proudly when he sees the yellow given to Bright. 

Right after Horan and Scott are in a foul. It looks bad on both sides but England is given the kick. 

“This game is getting dirty.” Harry agress and says he doesn’t like it as well. 

45’

The whistle is blown and that is halftime. You sit back and breathe. You look over at Harry and smile at him. 

“That is what I call intense.” Harry says to you.

You laugh but agree with him. You get up and stretch your hands over you head. Walking towards the restroom. 

“H, this is break time. Use it. Don’t think I’m letting you get up second half.” You tell him with a smile.

“Can we do other fun stuff during this time?” He yells at you. 

“Get me a drink and refill the chips you finished and we’ll see.”

Harry could not move any quicker.

45’

“Harry.” He doesn’t answer and keeps kissing your neck. You are enjoying this, but the game is on in like a minute. 

“Harry!” You exclaim pulling his hair that makes him let out a loud moan. “The game started. Keep your hands to yourself.” 

He pulls away and sits on the other side of the couch. “Fine, no kisses or cuddles for you.”

“H, it goes both ways. You know that.” Not looking away from the screen. Wincing out loud when you see what almost played out a goal against your team. 

55’

You lean in closer seeing the Lavelle sprinting down the center of the field the ball at her feet. She never gets the chance to do much with three around her. 

You sit back defeated. 

You start getting a bit thirsty and reach for the Ginger Ale Harry brought for you when he moves it out of reach. 

“No, drink for you.” He tells you. You sit back upset but decide not to fight him on it. “No chips neither. I got those.” 

You look over at him and smile. He doesn’t like this smile. 

“No dip for you, I made it.” Harry grows sad quickly.

“Can we talk this out?” 

You dip a finger in the delicious cheese dip. You pop the finger in your mouth and pull it out slowly.

“I don’t think so.” You saw with a smirk and look away.

Harry sits there upset. What else is he supposed to do, he got himself in this mess. 

65’

Lavelle is subbed out for Mewis. She did well but it gets tough being a target. Right after O’Hara is fouled outside the box. Heath is taking the shot. It does not lead to a goal but it was beautiful.

“Why is Heath your favorite?” Harry questions knowing it could make you happy talking about a player you like.

Before you can think to answer. England scores. You sit back not knowing what to do. You stare at the replay and see Scott give the small touch and White takes the lead and gets it past Naeher. 

You and Harry sat in silence for the next minute when you hear the commenters say that it will be watched back by VAR because it could be offside. 

You wait and wait when finally it is announced that White was offside. You don’t know what to do in this situation. You hate this but you also don’t want to celebrate a goal being taken away. VAR is new technology that is definitely changing the game. 

“Do you want a cuddle?” Harry asks because he can feel the stress you feel from where he’s sitting. You nod quietly and he moves closer. 

You lay your head on his chest and curl your legs close. “I always want cuddles.” 

75’

This heatwave has not been kind to Europe. You’re thankful you don’t play but what a dream it would be to play on the USA team or at least meet them and tell them how awesome they are doing not only for the game but for women and fighting for equality.

Heath is out for Lloyd and you hope this hero can score. Grand applause for both but you are nervous for what the call may be prior to the subbing. It didn’t look like a penalty but it could be called as anything.

“Harry, hold me tighter.” You say.

“I got you, love. No matter what it is you’ll team will be fine.”

82’ 

A penalty is given and Sauerbrunn receives a yellow. You don’t like this one bit. This changes everything. 

You sit there wrapped up in the safest arms on earth and watch what could be a game changer.

Houghton, England’s captain takes the shot but it is blocked.  Naeher saves the US from a goal. USA celebrates  quickly and is ready for the attack. 

You let out a breath you were holding. Harry rubs his hand up and down your back. “All good, love.” He reminds you. “Let’s hope they stay strong.”

85’ 

England is getting a bit dirty but you think nothing of it. Bright and Morgan go for a ball and Bright hits her in the shin. A straight yellow, it seems show doesn’t remember the previous yellow before until she’s told and the England player gets the red. 

Well shit, you think. 

“Harry, Krieger is going in.” You tell him although he could see this.  You were just excited to finally get her on the field. She is also one of your favorites. That worn out jersey in your closet it proof. 

“She’s great, Jill Ellis doesn’t play her much anymore.” 

Morgan is fouled again. You're not surprised many have said Alex Morgan is the one to watch with and without the ball. England is not taking any chances.

90’

Harry seems to hold onto you tighter waiting for the whistle to blow expect it doesn’t.

“Why are we still going?” Harry questions.

“Extra time for what was stopped during the game. Stoppage time and such.” You explain.

“Okay, we can do this.” He tells you.

“We” you tease.

“Yes, after all this stress it’s we.” You snuggle closer and place a kiss on his chest letting him know you like that. 

Parris is a strong player but you are surprised at the fouls she is doing. The pressure is making her crack. 

England has control of the ball but does not use it well. You don’t know what to do. Expect wait for time to stop. 

Dunn gets head on ball and gets it out. Foul after foul USA and England both don’t stop fighting. 

96’

With seconds left, you sit up but Harry doesn’t let you go. You are waiting for the sweet sound of the whistle to blow. Come on. Come on. Blow it already.

The referee blows the whistle loud and clear. You stand up quickly and run around the living room. Yelling a bunch of nonsense.

Harry sits at the couch looking at you with the biggest smile on his face. You’ve got too much energy and there is only one person who can help you properly to release it.

You stop cheering and lock eyes with Harry. In the next few seconds you are wrapped up in his arms. Kissing him with all the joy that is running through your veins.

Harry pulls away. His pink lips swollen but a large smile on his face.  He runs his thumb down your cheek and lets out a dimpled smile when you kiss his thumb. 

“Do you fancy a small holiday, love?” He asks. 

“With you, anywhere in the world.” You promise him.

“How does Lyon, France sound?” He says with the biggest smirk on his face. “I have two tickets reserving us seats for the final.”

You stare at him in shock. Harry did what. You can’t believe he did this for you.

“Will you were a jersey for me?” That is the first thing out of your mouth.

“Why of course.” He says with a smirk. “Horan, on my back will make everyone go crazy.” You laugh at how cheesy he is.

Lyon here we come.

Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoyed reading it. Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated.

[serenity-writes]

about me tag!!

tagged by the lovely @fenrirgodspeed

sorry i’ve been awol y’all. finals have been kicking my ass ;-;

•How tall are you?

5′5!

•What color and style is your hair?

I have side bangs and long hair! It’s naturally kind of wavy so i have to straighten it all the time rip. I like it black & i’ve never dyed it any other color.

•What color are your eyes?

Dark brown!

•Do you wear glasses?

Yes unfortunately. Waiting for the day i can get lasik :((((

•Do you wear braces?

Had them in high school, it was awfullll

•What’s your fashion sense?

Am i going to class? probably leggings and a hoodie LOL

But honestly I love my trench coats and silk blouses and sheath dresses and all that business/professional wear. I would describe my style as classic!! I hope to fill my closet with nice things in the future

•Full name?

~a mystery~

•When were you born?

Sept 5!

•Where are you from and where do you live now?

Canada! Canada. exciting. :p but seriously, it’s great here

•What school do you go to?

I go to university!!

•What kind of student are you?

I used to fuck around a lot in school until it actually mattered. I’m happy to say I’m a straight-A student in uni!! Ofc it has come from a lot of tears and breakdowns but... worth it? ha. ha......

•Do you like school?

I think I’m bad at it, lol. Or at least I’m bad at studying in a productive way, I really just bang my head against the wall until something decent comes out. I’m not a huge fan of school but I like learning new things and when I get into something, I’m really into something.

•Favorite subject?

English lit + Creative writing!

•Favorite TV show?

I don’t really have favorites for anything, more like a tier list. ome top tier shows for me are: Friends, Brooklyn 99, The IT Crowd, Jane the Virgin (which you should all watch)!

•Favorite Movie?

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Inside Out, COCO (ruined me)

•Favorite books?

Lolita by Nabokov!! ! ! ! Anything by Nabokov really. Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong (technically a poetry collection but it’s brilliant and beautiful and heart-breaking) Most of the reading I’ve done these days is for class, sooo The Tragedy of Tragedies by Henry Fielding is a wild time. 

There’s so much more but my mind is blanking - forgive me

•Favorite pastime?

I love gaming (jrpgs, animal crossing, ace attorney are my vices tbh), watching TV, and eating. So much eating.

•Do you have any regrets?

I try to do my best to minimize any regrets!

•Dream job?

Judge!

•Would you ever like to be married?

YES so much yes. I can’t wait!

•Would you like to have kids?

yessir

•How many?

1 or 2!

•Do you like shopping?

Retail therapy is way too real for me. I really love spending money, haha.... But I also enjoy knowing styles and matching outfits together and just looking at aesthetically pleasing getups in general.

•What countries have you visited?

France, Italy, China, USA! I’d like to go to Korea, Japan, and Germany! 

•Scariest nightmare you have ever had?

I have a lot of chase dreams actually ;;;;; Probably a metaphor for something

•Any enemies?

Uhhh I don’t think so?

•Any significant other?

Yes! :)

•Do you believe in miracles?

Not really. I believe in working hard for what you want!

•How are you?

Actually really exhausted. I wrote a final on just a few hours of sleep b/c of allergies and ... meh. I’m looking forward to sleeping tonight lol!

Tagging.... (Sorry if you’ve already been tagged) @myotomespace, @edgarbright, @oswaldsirius, @jaciinclays, and anyone who wants to do it!

[junker-town]

Why have Americans traveled so well for the Women’s World Cup?

Despite language barriers and ticketing issues, Americans are loving France — likely because their passion for soccer has created a sense of instant camaraderie.

They’re easy to pick out, on United States game days: swarms of Americans, hauling their rolling suitcases and camping backpacks, staring up at departure boards and comparing tickets. Dotted throughout, familiar jerseys in red, white, and blue, some with three stars, some with two. They’re on their way to Reims, to Le Havre, to Paris. They’re waving the stars and stripes from the stands, temporarily turning the stadium into home turf. In a sense, the United States women’s national team hasn’t played a single away game since they began their 2019 World Cup campaign.

American fans tend to travel well for the national teams, and France has been no exception. Every train from Paris out to the cities the United States has played in has been so packed with Americans that you might be forgiven for thinking you’re back in the States, but for the speed and efficiency of the train. They’ve come from all over, alone or with friends or with family, flying in from California to Tennessee, from Texas to Michigan. Some are world travelers. Others have never been to Europe before. But when the World Cup was awarded to France, they all knew they had to go.

But why? Of course, France is a lovely destination lure, and plenty of fans said they deliberately rolled the World Cup into a summer vacation package as well. But they weren’t planning European vacations until the World Cup came along. The chance to be part of the capital-T Tournament was the trigger instigating a wave of ticket purchases, flight schedules, and hotel bookings.

Why are human brains wired to seek out emotional highs and lows, to crave excitement and fellowship? Why do fans huddle together in the stands in abominable weather for the love of something that has no regard for their feelings, that sometimes seems as susceptible to the whims of an uncaring universe as our own random lives? The Americans I spoke to were almost uniformly cheerful about flinging themselves into a country where they don’t speak the language and don’t know the systems — like my own travel group, who got stuck on the turnstiles exiting the Metro the first time because we didn’t realize our tickets wouldn’t let us exit in that zone. But most US supporters haven’t found it a problem at all.

Katherine Bickford, a strength training coach who traveled from Oakland, says an earnest attempt at a few French phrases enables her to find a Parisian happy to help. Karimah Browne, a teacher from Houston, says she underestimated how difficult it would be to get around without French, but that even while staying in a part of Paris with fewer tourists and therefore fewer English speakers, she found the people kind and helpful. The American fans uniformly seem in high spirits as they Google translate their way through the country. Perhaps it’s easy to stay chipper when your team is racking up record numbers of goals through the group stage, but you get the sense that even in the event of a loss, there would be that air of bonhomie that comes from being in this thing together.

Some of these fans have been watching the USWNT for a few years, others their whole lives. But the intensity of the devotion is the same, uniting them all here in France, an ocean away from home. Many fans I spoke to described an instant attachment to the USWNT, a sharp realization of compatibility that served as a point of no return. Elise Stawarz, a digital marketer who traveled from Nashville, went to a USWNT game in 2016 at the invitation of friends. At the time it seemed like good value for money at $20 a ticket, and as Stawarz puts it, “a good excuse to day drink.” She was hooked after 90 minutes and has been a fan ever since.

What is it about sports — about anything — that can create such an instant moment of sympatico? Maybe it says as much about the person as it does about the sport. For some fans, it’s a bolt out of the blue. For others, it’s a slow and steady affection over time, turning to love somewhere along the way.

Bickford says she was excited for the 99ers, stayed an intermittent fan for the next couple of World Cups and Olympics, then finally took the plunge about three years ago. Her wife suggested going to France for a couple of weeks and they’ve been hopping around the country, watching not just the USWNT, but other international players they came to know and like from NWSL.

Browne started following the USWNT during the 2011 World Cup and she “ended up becoming obsessed with all things women’s soccer.” She wanted to go to Canada in 2015, but as a fresh college graduate, it wasn’t feasible at the time. She resolved she would go in 2019 and spent a week in France during the group stage.

Jenna Choquette, an engineer who traveled from Ventura, California, attended a group game during the 1999 World Cup when she was around 11 and hasn’t stopped watching since.

There is a sense of sharing among all these fans, not just of a common experience, but of a pooled experiential history. Maybe you weren’t at the same game, but you remember that play, that miss, that goal. Or you weren’t a fan yet, but someone at a nearby table was there, and is only too happy to pass down their knowledge. It’s almost a kind of informal oral tradition, passing around stories until there’s a collective consciousness around them, and around the team.

As for the tournament itself, there have been logistical ups and downs. Stawarz hasn’t been able to buy merchandise at stadiums without considerable effort, waiting in line for 40 minutes just to buy a shirt. Choquette was trapped in a couple of bottlenecks at stadiums due to insufficient female security guards available for pat-downs, and also encountered extremely long lines for merchandise. Steph Bauchet, a student from Houghton, Michigan, says security in Nice was disorganized and created long wait times to enter the stadium, and that merchandise options were both disappointingly limited and in scarce supply, with some shirt sizes nearly sold out just 30 minutes after the gates opened. And Bill Nottingham, who traveled with his wife and two daughters from Chapel Hill, was one of the unlucky fans who got caught up in the ticketing mess. His family’s tickets for USA vs. Chile were scattered across several rows and they were left to sort things out themselves by going to the box office on game day.

But every American I asked about their experiences in France came down on the side of positivity. Long lines, paltry fan souvenirs on offer, tickets gone wrong — as long as they actually got to see games, none of them seemed to mind the surrounding noise.

“The community’s just so great,” says Hallie Craddock, who traveled from New Jersey for the first week of the tournament. She was there to watch as many teams as possible in the short time she was in France. Some of the teams she liked because they had internationals in NWSL, some just because it’s easier now to follow teams outside of the US. When asked if she could sum up the main thing she wanted to get out of this tournament, she said, “Connect with more women’s soccer fans from different parts of the world and get to see some really awesome football.”

[slhall]

The one in the amazing Publicis (6/28)

Today we went to see Publicis Ad agency and I was definitely excited to see them after the presentation we saw. We learned a lot about their history and how this company was built from scratch 3 times after being destroyed. Already I found that very inspiring since it was started by 20-year-old Marcel Blanchet. The third and final time it was built, it was created on the famous street, Champs de Elysee which made me that much more excited because all of the agencies we have been to so far, are kind of off of side streets or in the middle of nowhere. It’s the closest building to the Arc so I could only imagine how beautiful that view would be. 

Before going to Publicis we walked around Champs de Elysee a little and walked off on a side street and found this American Church that looked so pretty so we decided to go in. Inside it was gorgeous with elaborate stain steel glass that covered the roof. We were the only ones in there but a little boy was practicing on this piano type thing so the music added a cool aspect to exploring the church. After that, we went ahead and walked over to Publicis because we heard about the drug store that they had on the side. Walking up, we see this really elegant restaurant and next to it was the drug store entrance. When I think of drug store, I’m thinking it’s going to be like a CVS or something but I was soooo wrong. We walk in and there’s a magazine shop, little gift shop, a bar, 2 little grocery stores (1 for alcohol and 1 for food). I loved it! We walk into the alcohol grocery store and see these HUGE bottles of wine, champagne, and vodka. I have never seen bottles this big and probably would’ve bought one… if it wasn’t over $400! They also had a cute little grocery store for food and snacks that smelled sooo good. I would’ve never thought all this was in an advertising agency but that's what separates them from the rest. 

When it was finally time to go tour Publicis, we went into this movie theater and had a few presentations. The first was from our tour guide giving us a little insight into what the company was about and its history. The second was a presentation and talk from a strategist from the company that really opened up my eyes to a new position in the advertising world. He explained that he’s like a middle man between the client and the creative team (sort of like the account manager) but he focuses on what will get the clients point across the best or direct them to what will be the most beneficial for the cause. I really liked his position and felt like I could connect with that because I don't consider myself a creative but also not apart of the digital side either. I like thinking of ways to portray a message but can’t always execute it which is a lot of what his job is. He showed us a campaign that he helped collaborate with Vick’s. The campaign actually had nothing to do with the product but a movement for what the brand stood for. It focused around a young girl with a skin condition, what that condition is, and how she lives with it in her community. However, in the end, it actually showed that she was adopted as a baby by parents that looked past her skin condition and loved her for who she was and took her in as their own. It was a very inspiring campaign focused around adoption… something that doesn't exactly relate to Vick’s. Instead of advertising their product, they took a stand behind something and created talk and a characteristic behind their company instead. I thought this was an amazing and very creative idea which showed how successful the campaign was. He said his reasoning behind this campaign was to put Vick’s aside from all the other competitors. With this type of product, it’s hard to make it stand out amongst others and they started to see a drop in their sales. They needed something to stand out and this campaign definitely did the trick. The third presentation was a series of advertisements that Publicis has done over the years. When the lady was telling us the schedule for the day, I thought she said that the film was going to be about 15 minutes long… but boy was I wrong. It started off with the Tide Ad which I had no idea that Publicis was behind this because it’s my favorite ad of all time. Pure genius. So, I was excited at the beginning when they started with that. However, the film ended up being almost an hour long. it was really cool to see all of the advertisements but I kind of wish it was a little shorter because I started to get really tired during it and dozing off. It was like watching a movie, of all advertisements. Some of them were honestly very touching though and very inspiring. 

At the end, we walked up to their rooftop which is what I had been waiting for. The view was AMAZING. We saw all of Champs de Elysee and basically all of France. It was really cool because they said Publicis was built here so the founder was able to see his hometown from the rooftop to remind him of where he came from and always feel a part of his home was near him. That was my favorite part to hear and just a gorgeous view to take in. 

After the tour, we wanted to head somewhere to watch the USA vs. France game for the World Cup. We knew it was going to be interesting at any bar we went too because we figured we were going to be the only ones rooting for the USA. We went to an area around Notre Dame and found this really cool bar. When the USA scored their first goal, of course, we had to cheer and chant for our team. Of course, that resulted in ice cubes getting thrown at us from french people sitting behind us. At first, it was a fun game and we were just messing around… but then it came down to the last few minutes of the game and we were up. We were chanting and cheering and even the bartenders were cheering for our team (as a joke but still really fun). This girl started getting so mad and started screaming at the bartenders for cheering on the wrong team and that’s when it started to get a little too much. After our win, we decided to go ahead and leave to get away from any drama that was about to start and that’s when the ice started getting thrown again. It was definitely time to go after that so we paid our tab and headed out. Overall it was a pretty fun night though and I’m glad we went out to watch the game.

[itsworn]

Chevrolet and Ford’s battle for Glory At The 24 Hours of Le Mans

Americans at War in France

After the final qualifying session at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans the fastest of 13 competitors in the LMGTE Pro class (Aston Martin Vantage #97) was ahead of the slowest (Porsche 911 RSR #91) by only 1.756 seconds. That small margin meant that any of the cars in the category, including American rivals Ford and Chevrolet, had a fair crack at winning the race. The strategy for both Ford and Chevy was the same going in; stay on the lead lap by avoiding trouble so as to be there to fight for the win at the end, and adjust accordingly if and when trouble hits, as it almost always does at Le Mans.

Both Corvettes ran into problems early, with #63 suffering a tire puncture within the first hour and #64 coming away with a damaged wheel after being hit by another LMGTE Pro entry at the first turn on the first lap of the race. In contrast, all four Fords ran without incident in the opening hours, and all four took a turn in the lead, but as dusk descended issues came in quick succession.

Le Mans-Chevrolet-Corvette-Ford-GT: LMGTE Pro cars have to pit about every 55 minutes for fuel, but can double- or even triple-stint tires if they are not too worn. An engineer from Michelin checks tire condition to determine if new rubber is needed.

The #66 Ford GT, which started eighth on the grid and steadily moved up to take the lead around the six hour mark, suffered a rear suspension failure four hours later, while still leading. Ford GT #69 was running at the front in spite of a pronounced under steer condition when its tail lamps quit working, necessitating an unplanned pit stop for repairs. The crew replaced the rear body section, which houses the tail lamps, and that solved the problem, albeit only temporarily. The rear lamps failed again many hours later, requiring another costly pit stop. GT #68 struggled in qualifying but stepped up its pace to lead briefly Saturday evening. This car’s progress on track was, however, more than offset by mishaps in the pits that kept putting it back in the running order. The #67 GT struggled with shifting problems from the green flag forward. Strangely, this same car had the same issue in last year’s Le Mans race. This year the drivers managed to work about the unhappy shifter until about the half way point in the race, when the crew changed the shift actuator when the car was in the garage for its scheduled brake change.

Near the eight hour mark Corvette #64 suffered moderate damage in an accident with Tommy Milner at the helm. Milner lost the left-rear wheel, leading to impact with the retaining wall. Milner was uninjured, and the team was able to replace the rear wing and parts of the left-rear wheel assembly to get the Corvette back on track. They did however lose 4 laps, which was enough to put the car out of contention for a podium position despite running a near-perfect race for the remaining sixteen hours.

Corvette #63 maintained a good race pace through the night, and compensated for a slight speed deficit compared with some of its competitors with consistently faster pit stops. All of the competitors have to change the brakes at about the half way mark, and Corvette also gained time here. Besides taking advantage of a full-course safety car period to do the change, the crew set a best-ever time of 67 seconds to replace all four calipers, rotors and pad sets.

Corvette #63 drivers Jordan Taylor, Jan Magnussen, and Antonio Garcia ended up third after a puncture slowed their C7.R with only one lap remaining. Jan’s son Luca joined his dad on the podium.

As demonstrated in qualifying, Aston Martin had a slight speed edge over its competitors, and harnessed that to lead on and off for much of the race. But the sleek supercars from Banbury couldn’t run away from their rivals and when Sunday morning dawned, eleven LMGTE Pro entries were still in the race (two had crashed out earlier). Of these eleven combatants, seven were still on the lead lap and locked in a fierce battle with one another.

As the hours passed on Sunday, bringing the epic contest closer to its conclusion, Corvette #63, Ford GT #67, Aston Martin #97, Porsche #91 and AF Corse Ferrari #71 all looked strong enough to secure the win. Just past the twenty-three hour mark, when all competitors were heading toward their final pit stop, it was coming down to Ford, Porsche, Corvette, and Aston, with the Aston leading, the Corvette close behind, and the Ford and Porsche within striking distance.

The leading Aston and second-place Corvette came into their respective pits at the same time and predictably the Corvette got out quicker, giving Chevy’s sports car a fraction of a second lead over the V8 Vantage. One of the amazing things about endurance racing is that though it requires an entire team of individuals working in perfect synchronization, at the end of 24 hours of it often comes down to a one-on-one fight to the death. And so it was at Le Mans, with American Jordan Taylor in the Corvette and Brit Jonny Adam in the Aston Martin. Taylor had the advantage of exiting pit lane in the lead while Adam had the benefit of a slightly faster car.

The two drove nose-to-tail for more than thirty minutes, each doing his best to stay focused and avoid a mistake that would prove decisive. In LMP1, the highest class at Le Mans, Porsche’s 919 Hybrid had a comfortable one-lap lead over Jackie Chan DC Racing’s Oreca 07, making the savage battle in LMGTE Pro the focus of everyone’s attention.

Taylor managed to hold off his rival until the penultimate lap. Going into the second chicane on the famed Mulsanne Straight, the Corvette’s front wheels locked up under heavy braking, taking Taylor’s steering away and sending him across the chicane’s rocky island. The unintended shortcut actually opened up the gap to the Aston slightly, but it also cut the left front tire, which started to lose pressure immediately. As the tire went down the Corvette’s handling deteriorated proportionately, and with one lap remaining, Adam made his pass going through the right-hander at the end of the Ford Chicane.

Taylor’s handling and speed continued to fall off, eliminating any chance of passing the Aston. All he could do was hope to hold onto second place, but when his tire went all the way flat and then shredded apart the #67 Ford GT was able to easily pass. Minutes later, the Vantage blasted across the finish line in first, Ford’s GT roared across in second, and Taylor plowed across in third, with his left front wheel locked, his bodywork mangled from the flailing of the now-missing tire, and smoke billowing out from underneath the car.

This year the best endurance racing teams in the world came to Le Mans, just as they’ve done since 1923, to test the outright limits of man and machine. To the absolute delight of 258,000 spectators and many millions of TV and online viewers, this year’s race was the most competitive and exciting in memory, thanks entirely to the parity among the LMGTE Pro entries. Going into the race, any of the 13 LMGTE Pro cars had a fair opportunity to win, and after twenty-four utterly brutal hours of flat-out racing eleven of the thirteen were still there to take the checkered flag. The Ford GT vs. Chevy Corvette battle lived up to its’ promise, but in the end, the Brits got the better of both American icons, with a well-earned victory for Aston Martin Racing.

Preparing for Le Mans

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a monumentally difficult race and preparing for it is an epic undertaking, especially for the USA based Ford squad and Corvette Racing. Each program ships over 6,000 items with a cumulative weight that exceeds fifty tons. The bulk goes via cargo ship while the cars and certain spares and other items (crew fire suits, tools, etc.) that are needed in the USA at Circuit of the Americas for the final IMSA race before Le Mans, and at Watkins Glen for first IMSA race after Le Mans, travel across the Atlantic by plane. Both programs utilize a specialty logistics company to assist with the intricacies of shipping so much valuable gear, including of course getting everything through customs in a timely fashion. The items shipped via air go from Chicago to London rather than somewhere in France because America has a much simpler and more efficient trade relationship with the United Kingdom than it does with France. At the same time, the UK has a very simple and straightforward trade relationship with France, making it relatively easy to get large, complicated shipments to Le Mans via England.

Preparation for Le Mans goes well beyond the shipping of cars, equipment, spares, and of course people. On an individual level, each team member has to do what’s necessary to maximize his or her performance. To get an idea of what that takes, we spoke with a couple of drivers from each of the American teams.

Jordan Taylor (#63 C7.R Corvette)

“I find it very helpful to maintain my normal routine going into Le Mans. I get to Paris Sunday morning and do my best to relax all day Sunday. After a whole day of traveling your body is kind of weak and your immune system can also be slightly weak, so you don’t want to do anything to push yourself too hard, so I like to get here and at least acclimate a little bit.

We’re very busy all week with media activities, photos shoots, scrutineering, the driver parade, and of course practice and qualifying, but I try to just sleep as much as possible during the days leading up to the race. Like last night, I think I slept between 10 and 11 hours just to try to get back into it. During the flight here I barely slept, so that’s probably part of it, but leading into the race, Friday night and Thursday night, usually you don’t get a whole lot of sleep, so I think it’s important to kind of bulk up on rest leading up to it. That definitely does help. My first couple of years doing 24 hour races I was excited and the adrenaline was pumping so I didn’t want to sleep that much, and then in the later stages of the race I felt it. In recent years however, when I’ve prepared myself with more sleep during the days leading up to the race, I’ve felt way better.

As far as diet is concerned, I normally eat pretty healthy year round. I tend to have a sensitive stomach so if I eat candy or other sweets I don’t feel good, so I don’t change my eating habits for Le Mans. The night before the race we always have a nice meal here in the team’s hospitality, but leading up to the race I think it’s good to keep consistent with what my body is used to. If I did change it and my body had to adjust I might have problems going into the race. Consistency is important, so when I’m here I try to eat the same things I eat at home so my body is using the same sort of fuels that it normally gets. I eat a balance of proteins and carbohydrates, a lot of chicken, green beans and other vegetables, and fruits. And aside from an occasional piece of chocolate, I normally avoid sweets.

As far as mental preparation is concerned, I don’t think it’s productive to over think the race. When I was younger I did that, and it can really mess with you. You can start freaking yourself out with different scenarios that you think up. I think it’s good to have a plan going into it, but at the same time you need to trust your instincts and trust what you’ve done in the past, trust your experiences.

I’ll be up early Saturday morning with everyone else on the team, but I’m normally the third to drive in the race, so I’ll be awake about 12 hours before my first stint. Even so, I usually can’t sleep after my first stint. My second stint will be through the night into the early morning hours, and then I’ll usually be able to fall asleep for maybe one or two hours, which is a huge help.

After getting out of the car I debrief with the engineers, then I come back to the team’s hospitality and eat something immediately to refuel my body. It’s important to eat as soon as possible after getting out of the car to allow the food to digest before I get back in the car. So I’ll eat immediately, drink plenty of water, and then I’ll go to lie down with a radio because I like to kind of keep track of what’s going on. It’s always scary when you do fall asleep and then you wake up and you’re wondering how it’s going. So I usually go to my room with a radio and just lie down and just try to relax.”

Richard Westbrook (#69 Ford GT)

“With Le Mans there is a danger in how you prepare. Because it is so big, there’s a temptation to change everything. But I’ve found that if you change your routine too much it can be a problem. I really try and focus on treating it like I do any other race. I find it very beneficial to stick to my usual plan, so I come into this race like I would any other. I try not to get too worked up about it, because this place can beat you. You can get yourself wound up about nothing, so I try to treat it like a normal race. Of course, when you get in the car at Le Mans it is unique. When you see the trees down the Mulsanne Straight you know you’re only in one place, and that’s Le Mans.

Le Mans is a very fast track, though it’s not actually the most physical of circuits. But mentally it’s very, very exhausting. The concentration level at night is incredible because you’ve got such fast LMP1s overtaking you in the night, and long straights with difficult to see braking markers, which really takes it out of you mentally. So I slightly change my training to cope with this, focusing more on endurance and concentration.

As far as food goes, I think it’s very important to have a consistent diet leading up to the race so I try and stick to what I like and what works for me, and what gives me the most energy. Obviously we’re in France so food is slightly different compared with other places we race. For example, we eat a lot of Mexican food in Sebring, but we don’t eat Mexican food in Le Mans. So naturally there are some changes, but I try and eat the same ratio of carbohydrates to protein that I usually eat. Also, it’s very important to stay hydrated. It’s going to be hot this week, in particular, which is quite unusual for Le Mans, but it does happen.

Proper rest is of course another critical component. I want to go into the race well rested, and then get some sleep during the race. If my co-drivers triple stint there could be a maximum of 6 hours before I get back in, but if it’s hot and we can’t triple stint the tires it’s going to be a maximum of 4 hours, which is more likely. With 4 hours out of the car I’ll probably get an hours sleep because there’s no way to step out of a race car in Le Mans after doing a double stint and fall straight asleep. It takes time to get that adrenaline out. After getting out of the car, you have a quick debrief with the engineers. You try not to overload them with information, but you tell them the important stuff that might benefit the next driver. And then go and get something to eat, and get a massage, and just try and breathe and calm down, forget about that stint, focus on the next stint, and try and get some rest, but it’s easier said than done because sometimes you get out of the car and you’re just wired. The adrenaline is present and you can’t switch it off right away.

You’ve got two parts to this race. You’ve got racing in the day and racing in the night. I love racing in the night but it’s still always good to get the night bit out of the way because it is so intense, mentally. Racing during the day requires less concentration. I really enjoy the challenge of the night but once you get the night out of the way it’s like, great, my next stint is going to be during the day, with a clean windscreen, and I can just go.

I know that it’s easy to wind yourself up before getting back in the car so I avoid over thinking it. But as soon as I put my helmet on and leave the pits everything changes and my focus is on the job at hand. I know that’s going to happen, so I don’t get wound up at all getting in the car now. Of course, I always get a little apprehensive because I just want to get in and do the best I can, make no mistakes, and be as quick as possible.”

Super close racing was guaranteed with only 1.756 seconds separating all 13 LMGTE Pro class entrants in qualifying.

Joey Hand, Tony Kanaan and Dirk Muller drove Ford GT to sixth in class, one lap down from the leaders.

Excellent pit work assured that Ford GT #67 was in position to fight for the win at the end of the race.

Ford GT #69 qualified a scant .395 seconds slower than the pole-winning Aston Martin, showing it had the speed to win, but was ultimately put two laps down by several mechanical issues.

Corvette C7.R #63 suffered a puncture early in the race but recovered to run at or near the front in the race’s closing hours.

Ford GT #67 is one of two cars that runs in the European World Endurance Championship under the Ford Chip Ganassi Team UK banner.

Ford GT #66 was leading when a rear suspension failure about 10 hours into the race put it out of contention for the win.

Corvette C7.R #63 leads rival Ford and Ferrari entries heading to Tertre Rouge, the right-hander that puts Le Mans competitors onto the Mulsanne Straight.

During the months leading up to Le Mans Ford crew members trained hard and practiced pit stops to get their cars serviced and back out on the track as quickly as possible.

LMGTE Pro cars have to pit about every 55 minutes for fuel, but can double- or even triple-stint tires if they are not too worn. An engineer from Michelin checks tire condition to determine if new rubber is needed.

Corvette and Ford battling on the long stretch between Mulsanne Corner and Indianapolis early Sunday morning.

Corvette C7.R #64 lost 4 laps when a wheel came off on Saturday and then ran virtually trouble-free for the remainder of the race.

Two of Ford’s four entries running together through the Ford Chicane, the last bit of twisties before cars get on the front straight at Le Mans.

Corvette and Ford lead one of the Aston Martin Vantages at the beginning of the Mulsanne Straight, the fastest part of the Le Mans circuit, where LMGTE Pro cars reach speeds well in excess of 190 mph.

A beautiful sunrise greeted Corvette #63 and the other entries still running Sunday morning, about15 hours into the contest.

One of the most challenging and thrilling parts of sports car racing is the speed differential among the various classes. LMGTE Pro drivers have to deal with slower LMGTE Am cars as well as faster LMP1 and LMP2 prototypes.

Aston Martin Racing’s #97 entry had a few minor problems but ran at or near the front most of the race. Driver Jonny Adam passed Corvette #63 for the win with only one lap remaining.

The Corvette team is legendary for never, ever giving up. Jordan Taylor managed to complete most of the last lap of the race with no left front tire after it went flat and then shredded apart.

Darren Turner, Jonathan Adam and Daniel Serra celebrate their LMGTE Pro class win.

Corvette #63 drivers Jordan Taylor, Jan Magnussen, and Antonio Garcia ended up third after a puncture slowed their C7.R with only one lap remaining. Jan’s son Luca joined his dad on the podium.

Pipo Derani, Harry Tincknell, and Andy Priaulx were delighted to secure second place after the leading Corvette slowed on the last lap with a punctured tire.

Corvette driver Jordan Taylor

Ford driver Richard Westbrook

The post Chevrolet and Ford’s battle for Glory At The 24 Hours of Le Mans appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network http://www.hotrod.com/articles/chevrolet-fords-battle-glory-24-hours-le-mans/ via IFTTT

[junker-town]

Megan Rapinoe hopes USA vs France is a ‘total shitshow circus’

Rapinoe wants a spectacle for the World Cup quarterfinal.

The United States scraped by Spain in the round of 16 at the World Cup, holding out against some rough fouls, lengthy waits on VAR calls, and their own inability to finish. A 2-1 win, with both goals coming from penalties, isn’t exactly a vote of confidence ahead of a quarterfinal matchup against France, but that’s just been the trend for the big powers in this tournament as they one by one showed their weaknesses. France was exposed earlier by games against Norway and Nigeria, but the United States eventually got their turn as they got picked apart here and there by Spain.

But both tournament favorites are through, and are now meeting up early, due to meet each other on June 28 in Paris. No one, from Megan Rapinoe to Alex Morgan to Jill Ellis, flinched away from the possibility when asked about meeting the host nation this early in the tournament.

Rapinoe’s face instantly stretched into a gleeful smile when the question came up in the mixed zone. “Hopefully a complete spectacle,” she said, describing her ideal atmosphere. “Just an absolute media circus. I hope it’s huge and crazy. That’s what it should be. This is the best game, this is what everybody wanted. I think we want it. Seems like they’re up for it. [The media] of course are up for it, and all the fans. Maybe it’ll be a pretty even split between the fans in the stadium. We’ve been traveling pretty deep in this World Cup.”

Pinoe didn’t even pause as she jumped headfirst into her denouement, announcing, “I hope it’s just a total shitshow circus. It’s gonna be totally awesome. I think this is what everybody wants and these are the biggest games that you dream about as a kid.”

She also didn’t think playing in the sticky 90-degree weather in Reims would have much of an impact on the US’ physical recovery. “It was hot,” she said, “But I mean, this is like 30 degrees cooler than any NWSL game we ever play in for like five months straight, so I think the heat wasn’t too much of a factor for us today.”

Jill Ellis was slightly more circumspect about her hopes for a USA-France meetup. “I might not be as colorful as that,” she said when told about Rapinoe’s pardon-my-French moment from the mixed zone. “So many times when we play in big games, it’s actually where I get more excited,” she said, “So when we have our pregame meetings, it’s more, because it means more, it matters more, there’s more at stake and that’s why you do this. So I think you don’t go into one, professional sports, or two, coaching if you’re not in it for those purposes.”

“This was a tricky game,” she said, “Probably the hardest game in the 16 round. So for me I think it was good. I think it actually has energized our players. Again, it’s all kind of how you look at things. If the glass is half empty, maybe you look at it differently, but I’m half full and I’m like, holy shit that was awesome and let’s move on because the players are in a really good place. For sure this is the game, you want this game.”

Ellis also referenced France being just as ready to face the United States, invoking her counterpart, head coach Corinne Diacre. “I’m sure a lot of people want it later in the tournament, but it is what it is, so I think probably myself and Corinne are both like, we’ve got good players, good teams, good setup, and let’s go for it.”

Alex Morgan was matter-of-fact in her assessment of the matchup to come. “They played 120 minutes, which is 30 more than us,” she said of France’s R16 bout with Brazil. “And they get an extra day of rest. But you’ve seen that they’ve struggled at times. And so we’re going to have to look at that and pick apart the weaknesses that they showed and capitalize on those.”

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that neither the players nor the coach would show any apprehension, at least not in front of the press. Rose Lavelle might have summed it up pretty neatly when she was asked about potentially avoiding France after the United States had just beaten Sweden in group. “I think if you’re scared to play in a Women’s World Cup you honestly don’t deserve to win it,” she said.