Happy Mother's Day from the WNT

We all know that the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "Soccer Mom" but the latest all_access video brings it to another level. While in Washington, D.C., the team took time out after a training to thank their moms for, among other things, all that time driving them to practices and tournaments and sitting in the lawn chairs on the sidelines, as well as all the love and support over the years. So, here is a special Mother's Day Tribute from the WNT.

Technically Difficult

We would like to apologize for the problems with MatchACCESS last night during the Canada game. Best laid plans can come unravelled and we had some major difficulty with the Internet connection for the web stream. We were going to show you the match on ussoccer.com today, but once again, some unforeseen circumstances reared their ugly head in addition to the gremlins invading our technology. We will get some highlights of the game up on the site ASAP as there were some fantastic goals last night (in fact, all six were pretty darn good) and they do deserve to be seen. Thank you for your patience.

Yesterday and TODAY

Coming off the rousing 6-0 victory over Canada last night at RFK Stadium, four U.S. players are scheduled for a brief appearance on the NBC Today Show in New York on Monday morning. Jersey girls Heather O'Reilly, Carli Lloyd and Tobin Heath, along with Rochester, N.Y.'s Abby Wambach should be on live with the Today Show crew at around 8:30 a.m. ET. The weather is forecast to be, in meteorological terms, "yucky" so we're not sure how that will impact the appearance, but after the USA's match in Cary, N.C. n April 27 against Australia that was played in a virtual monsoon, a little rain and wind won't bother these players.

Go Time

The USA's pre-game practice today was quite a wet one as a steady rain fell during the entire hour. The team trained on turf at Georgetown, so the rain was hardly noticed, although the players were drenched when getting back onto the bus. It is supposed to rain a little bit tomorrow morning, but it should be cleared up by game time, which is a good thing as we don't want anything to interrupt the ussoccer.com MatchACCESS web stream. Would rain impact a live webcast? Probably not, but we don't know how that stuff works, so better safe than sorry. Fans can watch the game and/or follow on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker. The team has been training hard this week so suffice it to say, the players are excited to get on the field for an actual game after kicking each other all week. The U.S. team will go on a week break after this game before re-grouping in Los Angeles for a two-week training camp. FYI: The USA's opening match in the Olympics is 79 days away.

RFK Preview/Rewind

The U.S. team took in the first 45 minutes of the D.C. United-Chicago Fire game tonight at RFK Stadium. The players got to walk on (well, next to) the field before the game and were impressed with the plushness of the surface, which surely made everyone even more excited to play on Saturday night. Interesting note about RFK Stadium. Back in 1995, RFK hosted the first-ever domestic WNT match that was played in a big stadium. It was actually the final game of that year at the Nike U.S. Women's Cup, which came just after the USA returned from the third-place finish at 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup in Sweden. The USA beat Norway that day (the same team that had knocked them out of the WWC and gone on to take the title), winning 2-1, on goals from Mia Hamm and player named Tammy Pearman, who came off the bench in her first-ever cap to score the winning goal, which turned out to be the only goal of her career. She would play in just eight more games for the USA spanning 230 minutes. That game was watched by 7,083 fans, which was at the time the largest crowd ever to watch the U.S. women in the United States. Just under a year later, 76,489 would watch the Olympic gold medal game in Athens, Ga...thus introducing the WNT to America and the world.

Rain, Of Course

The U.S. WNT has encountered rain at every stop on this three-game domestic tour and this morning there was a little spritzing during training, but nothing major. Tonight, the skies opened, thunder roared and lightning struck! Ok, so we heard a bit of thunder and it rained a bit harder. The rain is supposed to last through tomorrow morning and afternoon (and maybe evening), which should make the pre-game practice a bit wet, but hopefully it will clear up on game day. In Cary, N.C. for the first game against Australia, of course it rained and stormed so hard that the game was delayed for about an hour. In Birmingham, Ala., it rained on the morning of game day, but cleared up quickly and the weather was glorious for the match. The pitch at RFK is in fantastic condition, so it surely can absorb some rain, but it would be nice for the fans to have a clear day on Saturday in what will be the USA's last visit to the Eastern part of the United States before the 2008 Olympics.

UFT

No, the UFT is not a new mixed martial arts league, it's the Ultimate Fan Ticket and it's pretty cool. We thought we'd bring it up in the Blog because we just got this great pic of Abby and Ultimate Fan Ashley Mimaki at the match in Cary, N.C. Ashley and her dad braved terrible weather conditions to get the Ultimate Fan Experience. What is the Ultimate Fan experience you ask? Read on...

The Ultimate Fan Ticket is a unique fan experience that provides dedicated U.S. Soccer fans with a unique game-day view of the Men's and Women's National Teams by bringing fans as close as possible to the action on and off the field.

While the exact itinerary for the UFT experience changes with each game, the package includes:
Top Level Ticket
Customized U.S. jersey
Pre-Game field access
Behind the scenes guided stadium tour
And more!
Call 312.528.1227 or e-mail tickets@ussoccer.org for more information on what the UFT includes for upcoming U.S. National Team games.

Now, we certainly can't promise that every Ultimate Fan will get an up-close-and-personal meeting with their favorite player (Ashley is one luuuckeeee girl), or that they will get their boot as a special gift, but we can promise that it will be pretty fun to get a not-often seen look at what happens at the stadium on game day.

BBQ in BHAM

Last week when the USA was in Alabama preparing to play Australia at Legion Field, the team went to the childhood home of Cat Whitehill (formely Reddick) for good 'ole fashioned Southern BBQ. The meal was arranged by Cat's parents, Phil and Anne Reddick, who ooze Southern hospitality. It was a fantastic meal (although we had to roll a few players and staff out of there such was the massive consumption of the scrumptious food), with some great company and it's always nice to visit the Reddicks when the team comes to Birmingham. We caught a bit of the festivities on camera, and while this video will be up on ussoccer.com's all_accesss video, we thought we'd show it to you on the WNT Blog as well.

Training at Georgetown

The U.S. team hit the field at Georgetown University this afternoon on a magnificent day and trained for almost two hours. The team had been off for almost three days, having played last Saturday afternoon in Birmingham, traveled on Sunday and had Monday off. It was a pretty intense session which included some four v. four games, some one v. one drills and of course, some shooting. Afterwards, the team signed autographs for some young girls, including the above trio from the Bethesda Soccer Club. Thanks Kacey and A-Rod!

WNT in the Community

Yesterday we wrote about a couple events the WNT did for Athletes for Hope in and around Washington, D.C. Today we bring you a few pics. A few players are going to read for kids on Thursday at the hospital as well.

Day Off, To Give Back

Today was a day off from training for the players of the U.S. WNT, but that doesn't mean they weren't busy. In between some much deserved R&R, several players spent the day giving back to D.C. area children on behalf of the charitable organization Athletes for Hope. A baker's dozen of U.S. WNTeamers went to the Children’s National Medical Center in Northwest Washington in the morning and then five players went to the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington in Southeast Washington, D.C. in the afternoon. At the hospital, the players visited four different divisions and met with children during bedside, playroom, and classroom visits. Later that evening, five of the players held a soccer clinic for over 30 D.C. area children at the Robert V. Murray Metropolitan Police Clubhouse #11. “This was a wonderful opportunity,” said midfielder Leslie Osborne, “I’m so glad we were able to get involved on our day off. Both of these organizations do amazing work, and we were all happy to help out and make the day special for these kids. I know that they made it very special for all of us.” Well said, Leslie.

Touch Down in D.C.

The U.S. WNT traveled from Alabama to Washington, D.C. today (direct flight) and got to the hotel in the nation's capitol about 6 p.m. This is the first time the USA has been in D.C. since facing Sweden in its opening match of the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup. The team actually flew into Baltimore and then drove to D.C., watching most of the movie "Juno" during the drive, which of course almost the whole team had already seen. The team arrived a bit later than usual so the late lunch turned into an early dinner. For some reason this late lunch was a veritable feast (although the WNT almost always has a tasty spread at team hotels), meaning that the late dinner was probably a bit much. Most of the players ate anyway. We have told you this in the past, but these players burn a lot of calories every day. Not tomorrow, though, which is a day off for rest and relaxation. Almost the whole team will go to a local hospital tomorrow morning to visit with some children and then the rest of the day is there own. We're not sure if any sightseeing is in the cards, but for sure there will be some mall shopping and movie going. The team returns to training on Tuesday.

MatchACCESS is Back

This just in: Fans will be able to watch next weekend's USA vs. Canada game on May 10 via web streaming on ussoccer.com's MatchACCESS. The game will be streamed live at 7 p.m. ET from RFK Stadium, the USA's first visit to the historic venue since the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup. The USA will travel from Birmingham, Alabama, to Washington, D.C. tomorrow to set up camp in the nation's capitol. The squad will have Monday off before hitting the training field on Tuesday in preparation for the Canada match. U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage's boxer -- which she named Cruyff Pele Beckenbauer -- will surely be watching from Sweden, where he stays with her sister while Pia is in the USA.

Cardiac Kids

Has the U.S. Women's National Team ever won two consecutive games with winning goals in stoppage time of the second half? We don't keep records on that sort of thing, but we're pretty sure that's never happened before. Has the WNT ever scored two own goals in a match? Once again, hard to look that up, but were almost 100% sure that hasn't ever happened. We do know that the U.S. team has never allowed four goals before AND won the game. We also know that the team has allowed three consecutive goals in a half, but it's happened maybe three or four times in 23 years. Suffice it to say, a wild and wacky game, but also extremely exciting and entertaining for the fans in Birmingham and on Fox Soccer Channel. Long story short, it says a lot about the current U.S. team to come back from the body blows of allowing late goals to score winners on what was almost literally the last kick of both games. While surely the team and coach Pia Sundhage would like to win in more traditional ways, the confidence and experience the team has gotten with two amazing and dramatic game-winners cannot be understated. Next up, it's Canada in Washington D.C. on May 10 and we'd like to remind you that the last meeting between these two teams was in the championship game of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament a few weeks ago where there was also drama, as the USA scored in overtime before Canada tied the match with just a few minutes left in the game. Penalty kicks ensued and the USA won 6-5 as Nicole Barnhart saved Canada's seventh kick. With this recent history and after the last two matches, if you are a soccer fan in the Washington, D.C. area, you might want to think about spending the evening of May 10 at RFK Stadium.

Tickets: http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_6094850.html

Turf Time

While it rained during the evening and early morning here in Birmingham, it seems that at game time it will be cloudy, but dry...and the sun is even starting to peak through the clouds. So, all-in-all, it should be a fine day for soccer in Birmingham, Ala. (The forecast calls for a bit more rain but the sky is saying that's wrong). Still, a little moisture on the Field Turf surface at Legion Field is not a bad thing. The team will leave for the stadium in a bit, but here's a look at the pre-game training yesterday at Legion Field.

Grab a jersey...

...Briana Scurry, Hope Solo, Heather Mitts, Christie Rampone, Cat Whitehill, Stephanie Cox, Kate Markgraf, Rachel Buehler, Lindsay Tarpley, Shannon Boxx, Heather O’Reilly, Carli Lloyd, Leslie Osborne, Angela Hucles, Kacey White, Natasha Kai, Lauren Cheney and Abby Wambach...as you are the 18 players who have been chosen to suit up for the USA tomorrow against Australia. Getting a rest are three players who have been getting quite a bit of PT in Lori Chalupny, Amy Rodriguez and Tobin Heath, as U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage continues to give playing time to a number of players as she continues the process of choosing the 18-player Olympic Team.

Cat Media Tour

If the sports fans of Birmingham didn't already know Cat Whitehill, they do now. (Of course, they did already...Not too many female Olympians from Birmingham). Cat has hit the media hard this week, doing several radio interviews, numerous TV and newspaper interviews, and this morning she went live on the Fox 6 morning show from the soccer field by her church, which is also where she went to middle school and the place where she played soccer as a little girl. Lauren Cheney and India Trotter joined for two live segments, the second of which featured the ladies taking shots at sportscaster Jeh Jeh Pruit. Unfortunately for Jeh Jeh and fortunately for the viewers, Cat nailed him in the chest with her shot...and those who know Cat's game know that she can pound a soccer ball. Sorry Jeh Jeh! But good TV none the less.

Whoa Nellie, It's Legion Field

The U.S. team will train at Legion Field on Friday, getting its first feel for the artificial surface that will host the May 3 match live on Fox Soccer Channel at 4 p.m. CT (as well as ussoccer.com's MatchTracker for those who don't have FSC...and shame on you if you don't). This will be the USA's first match on the fake stuff this year and first since facing Mexico at PG&E Park in Portland on Oct. 16 after the WWC. This will be the 11th game on an artificial surface for the U.S. women and they have yet to lose on the non-grass.

Fair in Morocco

It's a bit off topic, but we thought it was worth mentioning the U.S. Soccer Sport Envoy Program. Recently, former U.S. WNT player Lorrie Fair, a starter in the 2000 Olympics, the youngest member of the historic 1999 Women's World Cup Team and half of the only pair of twins ever to play for the WNT, traveled to Morocco on behalf of the program. Fair is currently working in London with Chelsea Football Club (you think she'd get a Champions League championship ring if they win it all?) and playing for their women's team. Launched in 2006, the Sports Envoy program pairs U.S. Soccer with the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs on a sports initiative that sends players and coaches from U.S. Soccer’s National Teams as State Department Sports Envoys to conduct clinics and spark a dialogue with local children around the world. Each program includes one male and one female Sports Envoy. For more info on Fair's trip and some video, see below.

http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_5963786.html

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=-lzs9ywiEGU

Lori Likes Desserts

While the WNT Blog certainly espouses the virtues of proper nutrition, when you burn as many calories as the WNT players do every day, you can afford to splurge on a dessert or two, or four...Long story short, Lori Chalupny had a little bit of everything after the BBQ dinner at the Reddicks tonight. We're pretty sure she ate it all...