It was a really strange experience, as soon as it came time for the first kick. As I've mentioned in previous images the ground management kept us completely in the dark about what was going on pre-game, so we didn't even know ahead of time who was kicking off.

The result was that after all the pyrotechnics and the rev-ups of the audience pre-game, as soon as the ball was kicked it was like someone had let air out of a balloon. The crowd fell into a silence; nobody was cheering, nobody was yelling, there was barely a sound.

Things started to warm up once some attacks were made, but it took a while.

In any case, the first kick was from AC Milan striker Olivier Giroud (#9) (who, as I recall, received the largest cheer when his name was read out on the AC Milan squad list before the game started).

Giroud is an interesting character. He was born way, way back in 1986, making him 37 as of this match; positively ancient by striker standards. Indeed as far as I can recall he's the oldest guy on the field by some margin. As his name suggests, he's French, having been born in Chambéry in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of south eastern France.

Obviously he's been around the traps. His senior career started at Grenoble in the region of his birth (2005-2008), including a 1 year loan to Istres on the far south coast of France. In 2008-10 he played for Tours in central France before switching to Montpellier for 2010-2012, again on the south coast of France. He then had a long stay in the English Premier League first with Arsenal (2012-2018, 180 appearances, 73 goals), then with Chelsea (2018-2021, 75 appearances, 17 goals). That was an odd period. Apparently Chelsea gained some silverware with him there, BUT... at every club that he has played for since leaving Grenoble (when he was still basically a kid, remember) his average goal scoring rate was somewhere in the 0.4 to 0.55 goals per game. Except Chelsea, where it plunged to 0.23 per game. And that's over 3 years, so it's not a blip. At Milan, it's back up to 0.49. However this is academic because he's headed to the Pension Fund Competition, alias Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States. It's the only place outside of Fantasy Island where you can still be playing as a striker while eying off your 40th birthday cake.

Giroud is kicking it to midfielder Tijjani Reijnders(#14) who is behind our striker Tammy Abraham (#9).

"Wait, what's wrong with your lens", I hear you ask. "Why does Reijnders look out of focus?" (Actually you may not ask that; it depends on what resolution you see the photo at.)

No, the lens is fine. However some of the pyrotechnics that went off just before the match were right between me and Reijnders, and the air was still heated making it appear to shimmer.

Giroud appears to be giving the stink-eye to whoever is between Bove (#52) and Dybala (#21). I don't have any shots showing who that is, but from the starting 4-2-3-1 formation it was probably Angeliño (#69) who despite technically being a defender was playing in midfield for this match.

Giroud is indeed right to be wary of him, if that's who the eye is toward. But then, Dybala and Bove (the two Romans on the right) are both dangerous as well. Tammy Abraham (#9) can be, but usually when he's closer to the goal.