One Extraordinary Photo: US forward Christian Pulisic denied by Turkey goalkeeper

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Marcio Sanchez has been a staff photographer with The Associated Press since 2002. He started in San Francisco and later moved to Los Angeles. Sanchez is currently is a U.S. news photo assignment manager.

Why this photo?

The AP tribune position at the World Cup is designed to capture scoring plays from the perspective of the attacker, goalkeeper, and defenders with minimal obstruction. I focused on U.S. forward Christian Pulisic, who was playing in his first match since being sidelined with an injury. I anticipated he would be involved in scoring opportunities, and he was.

How I made this photo

Based on pre-tournament discussions with editors, I worked with a 400mm lens to show the full anatomy of the play. As Pulisic entered the attacking zone, I stayed locked on him while keeping the goalkeeper in frame. I shot a sequence, timing the moment the goalkeeper dove and the ball deflected off the post.

Why it works

The image captures the tension and split-second drama of a key scoring chance while highlighting one of the World Cup’s recurring storylines: exceptional goalkeeping. Turkey’s goalkeeper made several crucial saves, including two against Pulisic, helping secure a 3–2 victory.

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