Studio 90 is Coming

U.S. Soccer’s video crew is getting ramped up in China and that could only mean one thing…Studio 90: China ’07 is almost ready to roll. U.S. Soccer videographers have been shooting footage and interviews since the team arrived, and shot the heck out of the squad prior to leaving the USA, which means fans will be treated to some entertaining video when extended coverage kicks off next week. For several warm up videos before Studio 90: China ’07 gets going, log onto all_access video on ussoccer.com.

Bingo Night!

Did we mention that there is a lot of downtime to kill in China? To pass some of that time, general manger Cheryl Bailey and assistant coach Billy McNicol organized a game of bingo…with big stakes on the line. The total pot for three rounds contributed by the players? $80. The creative bingo cards featured spaces filled in with the players hotel aliases, their first names, their jersey numbers, the teams in the Women’s World Cup and the players’ hometowns. McNicol was stellar in his role as Bingo master, calling out the numbers, although some players asked for translation on several calls due to his thick Scottish accent. Nicole Barnhart won the first Bingo, followed by Marci Jobson. Each collected $20. Then Hope Solo cashed in the biggest prize of the night, winning the third Bingo and the $40 cash money that went along with it. Jobson actually didn’t win the entire $20. Sitting next to Marian Dalmy, she noticed that the young defender almost had several Bingos, and decided to form an alliance, shaking on a deal that if either won, they would split the prize. Two calls later, Jobson had Bingo, and was forced to fork over $10 to Dalmy.

Buggin’

First there was a field full of frogs, then air filled with dragon flies, and now it seems that a new plague has fallen upon the USA’s training facility in Shanghai. Well, Cat Whitehill saw one praying mantis. Okay, so it’s not on the same level as the other creatures that invaded and inundated the USA’s practices, but it is a pretty cool bug to look at. Whitehill made sure not to harm it (Said Cat: “First I thought it was just an extra-large grasshopper.”) and apparently it hopped on its way out of danger of stomping cleats and flying soccer balls. Speaking of training today, it was one of the coolest days (temperature-cool, not Fonzie-cool) since the USA arrived, perhaps the reason that nary a frog or fly was to be seen. Well, the goalkeepers did spot one very sorry looking frog, but they could not determine if it was dead or alive. The team scrimmaged again today and it was pretty intense. No doubt the players are hankering to kick someone else besides each other. Once again, Heather O’Reilly scored the lone goal in the 20-plus minute game. That kid is just plain fast.

Banner Day

On the way to training, the U.S. players noticed that banners advertising the FIFA Women’s World Cup have been put up on the light posts, and there are also several billboards around the city. The buzz for the tournament is beginning to pick up here in Shanghai, although the U.S. team will be leaving in three days for Chengdu, where it will open the tournament on Sept. 11 vs. North Korea. Many of the teams have arrived or are arriving very soon and the start of the competition is now less than 10 days away. This will be an important tournament for China, which lost the Women’s World Cup four years ago due to the SARS epidemic. China is no doubt motivated to stage a fantastic tournament, especially with the Beijing Olympics next year, and all indications are that they will.

Rest and Relaxation

The U.S. players took full advantage of their first day off from training, relaxing around the hotel, taking short excursions around Shanghai and doing some shopping. Heather O’Reilly and Leslie Osborne visited the tallest operational building in Shanghai, which is right next to what will be the tallest building in Shanghai (currently under construction). They also went to the driving range and hit golf balls for an hour. Several players went to coffee shops and made the USA’s first trip to McDonalds. You know the food is good at the team hotel if the first trip to McDonald’s doesn’t come until five days into the trip. Several players did some light shopping (usually shopping is of the heavy variety for WNT players) and the team capped if off with a meal at an Italian restaurant at night. It’s back to training tomorrow.

I’ll Have the Noodles

Shanghai is dotted with street vendors selling food, some recognizable, some not. In all honestly, some of it looks pretty tasty, although only the bravest soul would sample it. That brings us to the team hotel. Did we mention how awesome this place is? It’s beautifully decorated and modern, and the chefs are very talented. The staff has gone out of its way to meet every need of the U.S. team and it’s by far the best food the team has had on its many trips to China. Other highlights of the hotel: slow moving escalators which speed up when you step on the first step, a glimmering staircase in the main atrium that lights up in different colors after 5 p.m. and super fast elevators. It takes just 12 seconds to get from the 10th floor to the lobby.

Postcard from China: Cat Whitehill

Every so often during the Women’s World Cup, a U.S. Women’s National Team player will write an e-postcard, filling in the fans back home on the happenings of the team, off the field activities, and anything else on their mind. Today, Cat Whitehill checks in from Shanghai on her coping with college football withdrawal, her intense Connect Four game with Hope Solo and Team Cat that will be arriving soon.

Click here to view today's postcard.