Stadium Training

The USA got in its one allowed practice at the game venue today, going for 45 minutes on the manicured grass of the Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Center Stadium, which seats about 32,500 fans. There is a rather large track around the field, which pushes the stands quite far from the playing surface, but the stadium looks spectacular and will serve as a fantastic venue for the first two U.S. matches in Group G. Since it's two days before the opening match of the Olympics, U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage wanted to go more than 45 minutes, so the U.S. players grabbed their stuff, slung the bags of soccer balls over their backs and walked five minutes to one of the training pitches outside the stadium, where they resumed their work. The team will train for one hour tomorrow in its final pre-Olympic practice. U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage and team captain Christie Rampone attended the official press conference earlier this evening. You can read quotes from the two on ussoccer.com. Speaking of Rampone, check out the special ussoccer.com feature on how the U.S. captain traded in her high tops for cleats.

The Qinhuangdao Olympic Stadium is ready to rock.