Gearing Up in the Algarve

Hope Solo makes a stop in front of Megan Rapinoe during the USA's first training in Portugal

The U.S. Women's National Team has arrived in Portugal, but due to a seriously shaky Internet connection at the team hotel, the WNT Blog has been adversly affected. In fact, unless there is some technical wizardy accomplished, this may be be the first and last post of the trip! Suffice it to say, it's very possible the blog may be spotty and intermitent, but we shall do our best. All you really need to know is that the U.S. team arrived in Lisbon on the morning of Feb. 26 and took its usual three-hour bus ride down to the Algarve region. For the veterans who have been to this tournament many times, it's like the family vaction to the same spot year after year. For the rookies here for the first time, they are ready to experience all the good things the Algarve Cup has to offer (quality Internet not being one of them). Said once-capped midfielder Tina DiMartino, who is at her first Algarve Cup, "I heard the crepes and ice cream were great." Oh, they are, Tina, they are. The U.S. team had its first training on Thursday afternoon and while there were some wobbly legs, the 6 v 6 games were of suprising quality for players who just stepped off a transcontinental flight a few hours before. The U.S. team will train almost every day leading up to its March 4 opener against Denmark, a match pitting the particpants of the last two Algarve Cup Finals.

Tina D is looking forward to the crepes and ice cream