New Training Site

The U.S. team trained for the first time in Chengdu today, at the Chengdu Institute of Information Technology. The training facility, which is a small stadium on the modern and new campus, was outstanding. There is an excellent pitch, entrances for media and players, 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup banners hung about, and the some scenic view of trees and well manicured gardens. The only problem was the goals. Seriously, these things must have weighed 700 pounds each. That U.S. team has seen some solid steel goal posts in its time, but these things must have been cut from girders used to build the massive skyscrapers in Shanghai. These goals gave “portable” a whole new meaning. It took the entire U.S. support staff…coaches, equipment managers, athletic trainers, doctors and press officers to move those behemoths safely on and off the field. If King Kong needs some push-up bars, we know were he can find them.