Day Off

Tomorrow is a day off for the U.S. team, and it’s much deserved, especially for the group of veterans who have been doing fitness-related drills and games all week. The level of training for the 12 players, who will basically form the core of the team that will attempt to qualify for the Olympics, has been fantastic. In addition to the tremendous hard work, the quality of soccer, the finishing and the crispness of practice has been highly impressive. On Saturday, the team starts practicing as one group and will train until Feb. 17, at which time head coach Pia Sundhage will choose the Algarve Cup roster. There will be at least five full-field scrimmages next week, giving the players plenty of time to gel in an 11v11 environment, as Sundhage continues to evaluate her roster and lineup in preparation for putting out as starting lineup for Olympic qualifying. Of course, prior to traveling to Mexico, she will get four difficult matches to continue to evaluate the team at the Algarve Cup in Portugal, where the USA will play China, Norway and Italy, plus a placement game. Check back this weekend and we’ll see if we can find out what some of the players did on their Friday off.