Game Day in Richmond

Well, it's game day here in Richmond, and a GORGEOUS day it is too... The locals are telling us they can't believe how nice and warm it is - though they're warning us that temps will drop when the sun goes down. It's another cloudless day, and the twilight kickoff should make for perfect soccer weather.

We'll post the USA starting lineup shortly, and of course you can follow tonight's game live on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker!

Happy Halloween!

We hope you all had as much fun on Halloween as the WNT. The team went all out in celebration of the holiday and of Riley Rampone's third birthday. We can't properly put the party - which included bobbing for apples and an eyeball pinata - into words, so pictures will have to do...

Dalmy fulfills her childhood dream of being on the Wheaties Box..

Boxxy = Foxxy

Tash Kai's interpretation of a referee..

Can you guess who's behind the masks??

There were two doctors in the group - Tina Ellertson and Kacey White. Since Tina was holding her little cow (new baby Mya), Kacey needed to hold the bigger cow, HAO, to balance out the photo

Hucles the Hometown Hero

Virginia Beach, Va., native Angela Hucles has returned to her home state for Saturday's game, which is about two and a half hours from Virginia Beach and an hour from her alma mater, the University of Virginia. There are about 11 members of the Hucles family expected to be in attendance cheering their favorite Gold Medalist.

Her four goals at the Olympic Games mark one of the most clutch performances in U.S. WNT history, and they actually came in three consecutive matches - one against New Zealand in the Group G finale, one against Canada in the quarterfinal and two against Japan in the semifinal. Hucles had scored just five over her entire career heading into this year, but now has seven in 2008 as well as a place in U.S. Women’s National Team lore.

Together Again...

We're back! The Women's National Team arrived in Richmond throughout Thursday evening and held their first training session on an absolutely beautiful morning at the University of Richmond Stadium. As you can see, there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

Tina Ellertson

Today marked the return to the team for defenders Marian Dalmy (torn ACL) and Tina Ellertson (second child). Both hit the pitch today for a relatively light practice. Dalmy arrived yesterday evening with maybe the most unbelievable travel story we've ever heard - okay, not maybe, definitely the craziest.

Her connection through Atlanta was supposed to be smooth, she wasn't even have to deplane as the flight to Richmond was just a continuation. That changed however, when they landed in Atlanta and a baggage worker noticed that a cage that was supposed to contain two CHEETAHS was open and the cheetahs were nowhere to be found. Cheetahs. Like, the big cats. Anyway, zoo employees were called in to tranquilize the animals and incredibly, no damage was done to any of the other bags or any people. Don't believe us? Read for yourself...

Marian Dalmy

Chalupny Speaks

Well, it's a few days later than we'd thought, but we got some answers to your Blog questions for U.S. defender Lori Chalupny. We picked a few of the best questions and here is what Lori had to say to your inquires:

zoe said...

Hey Chupa!
Congrats again on the gold!!

Just wondering..what was going through your mind as the ref blew the whistle at the end of the gold medal game? what was the most special moment for you?

Chalupa: Hi Zoe, thanks for the question. I will never forget the moment the whistle blew. I had always dreamed of winning an Olympic gold but never really thought about the final whistle. To tell you the truth, I don't really remember what I was doing or what I was thinking. I was just overcome by emotion. It's hard to pick out a favorite moment from that day, but I think standing on the podium, singing our National Anthem and watching our flag being raised was the most emotional for me. It was a moment of such joy but also pride. I was so proud to be standing there with the other 17 girls.

Don from Warminster, PA said...

Hi Lori,
What a great job you and the team did in the Olympics and against Brazil. You and the girls played as a cohesive unit where Brazil seemed to play more like a group of individual stars. I saw that all of the games were very physical. Was there a team you played that was more chippy or trash talking than the others?

Chalupa: Thanks for the kind words, Don. We really felt like the strength of the team was how we played together. All 18 players contributed to us winning. We had scoring from so many different players and we really believed in each other. As far as the teams' being physical, it is more in the game plan of some teams to battle it out rather than try to break you down with skill, but every team is physical. When you are competing so hard and are playing on the edge you are bound to get a little rough.

Lefty's Lounge said...

Hi Chups,

My question for you is that after all you have been through since the beginning of 2007 after sitting out for 3 months and then all that happen before the Olympics, how has your resilience helped you play the way you did at the Olympics?

thanks,
Corey

Chalupa: Great question Corey, I think everyone playing at this level has to have some resilience and self belief. I think everyone on the National Team has had to deal the some huge setbacks in their career. Personally, the Olympics was emotionally very up and down. Not only losing the first game but also getting a concussion that held me out of the second was tough. I think the important thing is being able to look at the bigger picture. You have to know where you want to end up. As a team we always knew its not where you start but where you end that's important.

Zar000000 said...

Ms. Ginger Princess,

You truly are an awesome athlete and an inspiration to girls across the lands.

My question, I don't know if you played in the former WUSA but I'm sure you'll play in the new league forming, how does one reconcile feelings about playing against former teammates when the WNT gets fielded out to various pro teams? Or is everyone just that everyone is a professional and sucks it up, that's the way the ball dribbles?

Chalupa: We are all so excited to get the pro league started but you bring up a good point Zar000000. Although we have never played against each other in a real game, we play against each other everyday in practice so I don't think it will be a big deal. Even though it can get pretty intense on the field we are all pretty good at letting those things go.

yvonnet11 said...

I was amazed watching the team during the Olympics. Being around amazing athletes was probably an extra bonus. Which team USA athlete were you most excited to meet?

Chalupa: Thanks yvonnet11. One of my favorite things about the Olympics was staying in the Olympic village with all of the other athletes. It was pretty amazing to look around and see world-class athletes all over. It was really cool talking to the other U.S. athletes and hearing their stories. We got to go to some of the other events as well which was really neat. I think I was most in awe of the gymnasts, Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson.

She's Done It!

After 192 scoreless games for the U.S. Women's National Team, three Women's World Cup tournaments and three Olympic Games, Kate Markgarf finally got her first-ever international goal in the 31st minute of her 193rd cap. The players had decided before the three-game series against Ireland that if they got a penalty kick, they wanted Markgraf to take it. At first, when Natasha Kai was chopped down in the box, the U.S. co-captain was hesitant, but a quick word from co-captain Christie Rampne (basically, "you gotta take it") sent her to the penalty spot. Markgraf, with ice-water in her veins, cooly deposited the ball in the lower left corner by talented and six-foot Irish goalkeeper Emma Byrne. Mia Hamm would have been proud of the finish. So ends the longest streak in U.S. history of games without a goal, a record Markgraf is likely to hold, well, forever. But now, she is not the only player field player of note that has never scored a goal. She has erased the goose-egg and her caps/goals reads 193/1...and that's pretty cool. So, Stephanie Cox (51 caps/0 goals) you're up next! By the way, please feel free to post your CONGRATULATIONS to Kate on her first-ever goal. It was defnitely one of the best moments of the three-game tour.

Chicago Debut for Red Stars, Sort Of...

The three members of the U.S. Women's National Team that were allocated to the Chicago Red Stars of the WPS -- Kate Markgraf, Lindsay Tarpley and Carli Lloyd -- will play in front of their new hometown fans for the first time tonight since being assigned to the club last Tuesday in NYC. The three players, seen above with Red Stars head coach Emma Hayes and WPS co-owner Steve Nash (you might know him from the two NBA MVP awards on his mantel), will all be starting tonight at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill., against Ireland at 7 p.m. live on ussoccer.com's MatchAccess. Shannon Boxx will captain the USA tonight as she will be honored before the match for her 100th cap, earned during the Olympic quarterfinal match against Canada. While this will be Boxx' 105th career cap, it will be her 100th career start. Here's the U.S. lineup:

USA: 1-Hope Solo; 17-Lori Chalupny, 3-Christie Rampone, 15-Kate Markgraf, 2-Heather Mitts; 16-Angela Hucles, 7-Shannon Boxx – Capt., 11-Carli Lloyd, 9-Heather O’Reilly, 5-Lindsay Tarpley, 6-Natasha Kai.

Lindsay Tarpley, who sat out last game when she was a bit sick, is getting the start at withdrawn forward underneath Natasha Kai, who has scored in both of the Achieve Your Gold matches so far.