Croatian Photographer Gets Trampled By Celebrating Players, Gets Amazing Pictures As He's Being Stomped On

Photographers and video guys – the real heroes of the World Cup.  When they’re not religiously scanning the crowd for the hottest female fans to put in high definition Getty galleries, they’re displaying the utmost grit to capture the beauty of sports from the closest vantage point possible.  And most dangerous.  As Yuri Cortez found out.

Yuri Cortez is a chief photographer for AFP Mexico and when Croatia scored their semi-final-winning goal in the 109th minute against England, he was in both the wrong place and the right place at the right time.

It was quickly evident that one photographer did not get out of the way in time and ended up on the bottom of the pile. That is Cortez under the Croatian pile, and amazingly, it appeared that he was still snapping pictures with one of his cameras.[Business Insider]

Soccer cleats hurt buddy!

Check out some of the shots he got.

Yuri was okay.  Unlike the guys on the pitch he didn’t need to flop around for 20 minutes and get magic healing sprayed on his face and upper body.

Even got a sweet smooch.

Official notice for American guys behind the camera.  Get some kneepads, wrist guards, umpire chest protectors whatever you have to, get yourself in the action and get us some pics.

[Photo Credit AFP Mexico, Carl Recine/Reuters]