When it rains, it pours

It really doesn’t rain much in Southern California, but this evening the skies seemingly tried to make up for all the dry days, pelting the players with sheets of cold rain during the USA’s second training. But hey, when you’ve got cool Nike rain gear and you're running around to keep warm (and you're not in snow and sleet like much of the country), life is good. Rainy practices are often fun, and the players seemed to be enjoying it. The team was split into two groups for the afternoon training, with one group lifting weights and the others doing technical work on the field before flip-flopping venues halfway through, with the soggy players heading into the gym and the weightlifters putting on their cleats for the field workout. The USA’s morning session consisted of only a fitness test (but don’t use the word “only” to the U.S. players, who have to undergo the often painful “beep” test). As usual, everyone made it through without passing out and the diminutive Tina DiMartino, a midfielder from UCLA, had the best score. That kid can run, and run, and run some more. Tomorrow the USA has another double day, which could be on field turf if the rain persists through the night, which is what the experts are forecasting.