Thanks Juarez...

One more thing...We would be remiss if we didn't thank the kind people of Juarez who made our stay very warm and comfortable. This city has gotten some very bad press in the past, and deserved or not, the U.S. team always felt very safe and welcome in this border city just below El Paso. Our Mexico hosts were fantastic, the security tight but not overbearing, the tournament was well-organized and of course the fan support was phenomenal, even though most of the time they were cheering against us. Still, after the penalty kick shootout last night, chants of USA! USA! USA! rose from the fans in appreciation of an exciting game and a great performance. When would you think that would happen in Mexico? "We won them over," said a smiling Heather O'Reilly after the game. I think for all the people we met on this trip, that would be an accurate statement. So, thanks Juarez...We say adios, muchas gracias, and Nihao.

Champs!

It was a game worthy of a Final tonight at Estadio Olimpic Benito Juarez. Give full marks to Canada for some inspired play, some tough defense and a marvelous performance from goalkeeper Erin McLeod. In the end, the fans were treated to a game that shows why people love soccer...full of passion, some great attacking ball possession from the USA, close chances for both teams, great saves by both goalkeepers, a few goals (including Carli Lloyd's magnificent free kick), lots of drama, and yes, penalty kicks. (No matter that they say, most fans love penalty kicks. Maybe not players, though). Speaking of penalties, the USA took some great ones tonight under huge pressure, as did Canada, but kudos to U.S. GK Nicole Barnhart for her huge save to end the match in the biggest match of her career for the WNT to date. The USA stays unbeaten so far under new head coach Pia Sundhage and heads into a well-deserved break after 25 days on the road, which included a training camp in Los Angeles. The team is extremely excited as after three months of traveling abroad, they finally get to come home and play in front of the home fans. First up, Australia on April 27 at WakeMed Park in Cary, N.C. See you there...

Pounding the Pins

After lunch today, the U.S. players took a few hours to relax at a local bowling alley, breaking up into teams (you just can't get away from competition with these ladies) for a WNT Bowling Tournament. While the U.S. players may not be the most talented bowlers in the world (except apparently for Kacey White), the effort and enthusiasm was certainly there. It was good for the squad to get out of the hotel for a little bit of fun before the big game against Canada tomorrow when it will be all business. (While there were more than a few strikes, it's fortunate that the team is not bowling for the CONCACAF title). See below for some WNT Blog video on the outing.

Team Annoying

Today's pre-game practice was extremely light, consisting only a soccer tennis tournament this morning with five teams made up of four players each and one team of support staff (that, ummm...didn't win a game). The winners were the quartet of Abby Wambach, Heather O'Reilly, Amy Rodriguez and Rachel Buehler, who dubbed themselves "Team Annoying" for their proclivity to cheer wildly, high-five and chest bump after every point, whether it went their way or not. While some of the other teams did in fact find them annoying, other teammates admired their enthusiasm and ability to stay positive no matter the circumstances. It's a good lesson that positivity can reap rewards, like the team soccer tennis title! The training was good for the U.S. to re-charge their legs and minds for the championship game against Canada as both teams have played three matches in the last eight days. The mood is very positive in the U.S. camp after qualifying for the Olympics, but the team is also very excited to be playing in the tournament Final, because, well, what soccer player doesn't love a Final?

Dinner and A Show

Tonight, the team got out of the hotel for a wonderful dinner at a local steakhouse called La Cabana. (If you are ever in Juarez, we highly recommend). The players were in fine spirits as the dinner served as sort of a celebration for qualifying for the Olympics and the team had a great time. The evening was certainly complemented by a two-man band (guitar and drums, and they also had a song machine that played melodies) at the restaurant that played some excellent renditions of some American classics, including Hotel California, I Just Called to Say I Love You and La Bamba. The players sang along loudly and enthusiastically (which is pretty much how they do most things when the team is out together). U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage, who is talented on the guitar and as a singer, was called up to the front of the room and brought down the house with rockin' rendition of Chuck Barry's Johnny B. Goode. She was then joined on "stage" for a second number by team doctor Scott Powell who (and we CAN'T BELIEVE we have haven't mentioned this in the WNT Blog yet) was a member of the "1970s rock and roll revivalist /comedy group Sha Na Na" before he went to medical school and became an orthopedic surgeon. "Originally from New York City, Sha Na Na performed covers of doo wop hits from the 1950s , simultaneously reviving and sending up the music, as well as 1950s New York street culture, in their performances." (We love Wikepedia). Known as Santini during his Rock n' Roll days, needless to say, Doc Powell can still carry quite a tune and they combined for a touching duet of Bye, Bye Love, originally by the Everly Brothers. Among other amazing experiences in his "former life" Doc Powell played at Woodstock and had a small role in the cult classic "Caddyshack" as Gatsby, one of Rodney Dangerfield's buddies. Doc has so many great stories, he could have his own blog, but he's too busy taking care of the U.S. team these days.

Recovery Day

Today was a recovery day for the U.S. WNT. No training on the field, no soccer balls, just a trip to a very nice local gym for some light running on treadmills, some time on the stationary bike, perhaps a few minutes on the elliptical machines and some core work. It was a much needed low-key training after playing three matches in six days, the last of which qualified the USA for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. After the gym workout, a few players showed why the just might be the GOAT at el boxeo (Ok, so none of our players are going to challenge Laila Ali, but they did show some decent pugilistic skills). See the video below to glimpse Heather "The Irish Annihilator" O'Reilly and a few other purveyors of the sweet science.

11 Down, One to Go

Just FYI...with the USA and Canada qualifying for the 2008 Olympics this evening, there is just one spot left in the 12-team tournament. All that is left to decide is the Brazil vs. Ghana playoff on April 19 in Beijing prior to the Olympic Final Draw. Brazil finished second in the South American Women's World Cup Qualifying in 2007, which also served as 2008 Olympic qualifying, and Ghana finished second in African qualifying, meaning the two countries will square off for the final berth. Kudos to Canada for pulling out a hard-fought 1-0 win over Mexico in front of a sold-out crowd tonight to earn its first berth to the Olympics for women's soccer. As the USA found out a few days ago, it is not easy to play in a stadium like that. A sad day for Mexico women's soccer for sure as the people of Juarez created an fantastic environment for their team, but in the end, the Mexicans could not manufacture a goal despite playing an excellent soccer match.

2008 Beijing Olympics Berths by Confederation
Host: China
Africa: Nigeria
Asia: Japan, North Korea
Europe: Germany, Norway, Sweden
CONCACAF: USA, Canada
Oceania: New Zealand
South America: Argentina
Playoff: Brazil vs. Ghana

Beijing...and IN!

Sort of a strange game tonight in that as far as we remember, the U.S. WNT has never played a match in a dust storm before, nor against a team that sat so far back on defense that their sweeper was at the top of her own penalty area. Still, give full credit to Costa Rica for having a game plan and sticking to it...and holding the USA scoreless for a half was certainly a moral victory for Central America's top team. But at the end of the day, the USA got it done and is headed to BEIJING for the 2008 OLYMPICS! An oddity is that as many times as the USA has been to China (nine times since 1998), the team has never played in Beijing. Of course, with four venues for Olympic women's soccer in other cities than Beijing, depending on the draw, the USA may have to make it to the medal round just to get to China's capital city. For the record, Beijing, Tianjin, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai and Shenyang will host matches in the Olympic women's soccer tournament. The draw is April 20 where the USA will find out which countries are in their group and where the matches will be played. Stay tuned...

Priorities

The "Dedicated Fans of the Day" award goes to Stephanie and Kassie, who read on the WNT Blog that the USA would be training in El Paso this morning and set out on an adventure to find them. They knew there were only a few options as far as fields for practice and kudos to the amateur sleuths for tracking down the team. As a reward, they got autographs from and pictures with a bunch of the players. We won't mention what high school they go to, as well, umm...they didn't this morning, and while the WNT Blog certainly is an advocate of pristine academic attendance, if there is one reason to play hookey on one day of the year, it's if the U.S. WNT is in your hometown. Heck, the U.S. team doesn't come to El Paso very often. In fact, this was the first time ever. So thanks for the support ladies and Go Mustangs! (Whoops).

Welcome to the United States

This morning, the U.S. team crossed the border back into Texas for training in El Paso, which meant everyone had to get off the team bus and show their passports to get into the USA. It had to be amusing to see 20 identically dressed athletic women in soccer gear walking through passport control, yes? On the other side, the players met some of the U.S. border guards and took some pictures. The guys told the team that they love when the USA beats Mexico in soccer, because if they don't, they hear about it all day from the Mexican citizens at the border crossing. Fortunately, the WNT gave them some bragging rights for a few days. If both the USA and Mexico win their semifinals, the teams would meet again on April 12 in the championship game of the tournament, but Costa Rica and Canada will have something to say about that tomorrow.

Kansas and Mexican Food

Last night, the U.S. team went out to wonderful dinner at a local restaurant (although, if it's Mexican food in Mexico, do you just call it food?). The location was chosen not only for its great authentic cuisine and enthusiastic wait staff (or perhaps for the Mariachis who dedicated a few songs to the U.S. team?) but because it was the night of the NCAA Men's Basketball championship game and the place had plenty of TVs including one big screen! Although the U.S. team was by far the most interested customers, the dramatic comeback by Kansas was thoroughly enjoyed by most U.S. players and we happened to snap a picture seconds after Mario Chalmers nailed his shot for the ages. We won't say who or how much, but U.S. equipment manager and Kansas City native Andrew Dessert picked up a few extra pesos in wagers with staff and players.

Day in El Paso

The U.S. team got an early start on today, hitting the road at 9:30 a.m. for the short drive over the border to El Paso, Texas. The kind folks at the USL's El Paso Patriots were nice enough to let the team train on their field. It was a beautiful, if very dry (in case you didn't know, this part of the country is quite dry) morning in El Paso and the team had an excellent day-before-game training. Then it was off to State Line BBQ for a scrumptious lunch (they know their BBQ in Texas, and special thanks for the folks at State Line), where the U.S. team got to watch the end of the amazing Arsenal-Liverpool Champions League match. They also signed some autographs for more than a few fans and bought some State Line t-shirts (a few of which had the slogan: "Eat Here, Diet at Home.") The team then boarded the bus (with very full stomachs) and headed back on the short drive to Mexico. Also, this just in: Abby likes ribs.

The Day After

The USA's big win over Mexico yesterday is front (sports) page news today in Juarez. Not only was the game a sell-out, but it was carried on a Mexican cable station and it seems U.S. forward Natasha Kai has gained some notoriety. After scoring two goals yesterday and celebrating them to the max, Kai got quite a few friendly jabs from the locals today when she went snack shopping with team GM Cheryl Bailey and team captain Christie Rampone. The gist of most jabs was, "We don't like you, you scored two goals on us! But you are a good player." The U.S. had today off from training, with some players going for a jog in the morning and the rest for a brisk walk. The team will train on the field tomorrow, going over the border to practice in El Paso, followed by a BBQ lunch! Tonight, the team is going out for, you guessed it, Mexican food. We hear the steaks are scrumptious at the restaurant.

Pinata Party!

If you haven't checked out the latest all_access video on ussoccer.com about Stephanie (Lopez) Cox's birthday party, it's worth the four or so minutes. As the team is here in Juarez, Mexico, and Lopez, ummm...Cox, is of Mexican descent, the team decided to celebrate in a more "traditional" manner. Let's just say that a pinata paid the ultimate price....and there was candy for all. Check out the link below.

Big Win

Truly one of the most unique games in U.S. WNT history today. Yes, there were some fans cheering for the USA today, but they had no chance to be heard against the 22,000 festive Mexican who knew their team was a big underdog, but were going to do whatever they could do spur their team to victory. The U.S. players were booed when they came out on the field before the game, booed when they scored, booed when they went into the locker room at halftime, but showing that it was a good-natured and savvy crowd, cheered at the final whistle. Of course, the fans were mostly cheering for a great effort from Mexico, but after the game the amount of Mexican fans yelling for the U.S. players and wanting autographs and pictures near the bus showed that while the Mexicans love their team, but they also love good soccer. In the end, an excellent result for the U.S. team under some adverse conditions (big crowd, loud fans, heat, qualifying match), in one of the biggest games in Mexican women's soccer history. Although, it won't be as big as Mexico's clash with Canada next Wednesday for a berth in the Olympics. We thought the crowd was loud today? Mexico's Wednesday game kicks off under the lights at 7:30 p.m. MT. Most importantly on the day, the USA moved one game closer to qualifying for the 2008 Olympics. All that stands in the way is Costa Rica, who played well in today's 1-0 loss to Canada. Right now, the players are resting and re-hydrating after an exhausting match, but they have almost three days until the next game.

Un Juego Grande

The promotion of the Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament here in Ciudad Juarez has been impressive. Of course, Mexicans love soccer and without many major events in this city, it seems the fans have embraced the tournament and their team. The buzz and media coverage for the USA-Mexico clash and the overall awareness for the tournament has been excellent with the Mexican media in as big of a frenzy as they could be for women's soccer. A sample of a few translated headlines from today's papers:

"A jewel waiting to be polished" referring to the Mexican WNT.

"With their sights set on the USA" as Mexico focuses on the big game.

"It's in their blood" for a feature on Mexican midfielder Monica Vergara and her family.

"USA shows dominance" about the Americans victory over Jamaica.

"Their objective is the top" as Mexico tries to win this tournament.

"They have their destiny IN THEIR HANDS"...'nuff said.

With the sell-out crowed at Estadio Olimpico Benito Juarez expected to arrive early and be in full voice for the entire game, the USA is in for a wild night (as they saw during the Mexico-Jamaica match when the frenzied crowd spurred Mexico to a dominating victory). No matter the result, the fans will certainly will be treated to an exciting, emotional and attack filled match.

Para Los Ninos

While the the vast majority of the fans at the stadium tomorrow night will be cheering for Mexico, the U.S. team found a few fans at the private school where about half the team trained today. While most of the kids sheepishly predicted a Mexico victory when asked by the U.S. players, one contemplative young man paused for a moment before saying, "ummm...2-2 tie." A future politician, perhaps? Still, the kids were excited to meet the U.S. players, even knowing a few of them by name. One young man asked, "Is Tarpley here?" The U.S. middie was at the pool workout instead, which disappointed the muchacho, who when asked why Tarpley was his favorite player responded, "Because she's blond!"

Big Phil

He's 6-foot-6, but he's not as gigantic as he looks above. The only portable goals at the USA's training today were smaller than regulation, which meant Phil Wheddon, the USA's super-sized goalkeeper coach, made for an imposing figure in the net. He's hard enough to score on in a regulation size goal, but this was ridiculous. Speaking of Phil, congrats to the USA's long-time asst. coach who was recently named head coach of the Syracuse University Women's Soccer Program. He will begin full-time work with the Orange as soon as his commitment is up with U.S. Soccer. Phil was the WNT's GK coach for the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup and the 2004 Olympics, before joining Bruce Arena's MNT staff for the run up to and through the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. We got Phil back for the run to the 2007 WWC and hopefully, if all goes will here in Mexico, for the 2008 Olympics. Go Orange!

Short Turnaround

After a bit of an odd game last night against Jamaica (who plays an offside trap against the USA and for the most part actually makes it work?), the players have just one day to rest and recuperate before facing Mexico for the Group A title tomorrow afternoon. Mexico played last Wednesday, so they've had three days of rest to prepare for the clash with the USA. The Mexican team was at the USA's game last night and when they left mid-way through the second half, it elicited one of the loudest ovations of the night as the fans serenaded them with chats of "Mexico! Mexico! Mexico!" as they exited the stadium. While the Mexican fans were surely cheering for the Jamaicans last night, it was good-natured and it seemed like they were just warming up for Sunday's clash, which will be played under the hot sun at 1:30 p.m. MT. For those a bit confused about the game times here in Juarez. When the USA arrived, Juarez was on Pacific Time. Early Sunday morning, Juarez changes to daylight savings time (Mexico "springs forward" later than the USA apparently), meaning the kickoff times for the USA's next three matches will be Mountain Time. We don't want you missing any of the game if you are a MatchTracker devotee. This morning, the players who played heavy minutes headed to a local pool for a workout while the rest of the team will train on the field.

Feliz Cumpleaños Stephanie!

Today was the 22nd birthday of U.S. defender Stephanie Cox. While birthdays are the road are commonplace for the U.S. WNT players who spend most of the year on the road, this one was a bit special. Cox (whose maiden name is Lopez) is of Mexican descent (her grandfather was born in the state of Chihuahua, where Juarez is located) and the U.S. team decided to celebrate with cake and a piñata! The U.S. support staff did an awesome job of obtaining the piñata (kudos to team videographer Noey Jouglet for suggesting it) and stuffing it full of candy, while the hotel staff hoisted it into proper bashing position as well as bob it up and down, making it extremely difficult to get a good smack at it. Cox took the first swings and knocked the head off the brightly colored paper-mache bull, but not much candy came out. Kacey White took the next at bat and looked as if she was playing for her hometown Texas Rangers (she swung and missed a lot), but once she made good contact, managed to knock a limb off. Natasha Kai batted clean up and busted the thing wide open, spilling candy all over the ground as the U.S. players scrambled to get their favorite pieces. Cox nèe Lopez has been a popular interview subject for the Mexican media who are more used to seeing Mexican-Americans playing for Mexico than American-Mexicans playing for the USA. We may have some video of the piñata party later on in the trip.