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| US vs. North Korea Pre-game interview with Mia Hamm |
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| June 28th: US vs. North Korea (Rita, Jamie and Jocelyn) |
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| June 29th: US Women's Team Training Session finishing drill |
Sunday-Monday June 27th -28th
Most people who know me know that I’m not a huge tv watcher so I can’t claim this for fact, but prior to my departure I saw little press the Women’s World Cup on ESPN and tv in general; one day into my adventure I’m assured the Europeans handled it differently! Refreshing. My last European trip was not too long ago and quite memorable. Our 2008 Earlham Women’s squad took a ten-day trip abroad through Harvard Sports to Holland, Germany, Denmark and Belgium. Our 2008 squad was accompanied by senior faculty member Vince Punzo, Lori Watson andWalt Bistline along with his wife, Rabun. For those of you reading this blog who went on that trip with me, this flight over was far smoother, I was coherent the entire time and will note that I managed not to leave anything behind in TSA securityJ
My flight from Atlanta to Düsseldorf was a little over eight hours and served as a reminder that there remain genuinely honest and kind humans out there and when given the opportunity, find joy in helping others. I sat next to two of these people on my eight-hour flight. Dieter and Evonka, both medical doctors in Germany, reside between Düsseldorf and Cologne and were intrigued with my journey and likely my lack of the German language. These two are quite the adventuresome couple and decided that when we landed they were going to take the train with me and send me on my way. The S-bahn(train) took me from Düsseldorf airport to the main Düsseldorf station from there I took the Bahnhof train with the couple to Köln/Cologne switched lines and traveled from Cologne to Hennef. In the quaint and pleasant city of Hennef I managed to finish the last leg solo and navigated the bus lines to the Hennef Sports Complex.
This twelve day trip is run by the NSCAA with two leaders (Nancy Feldman, Boston University Women’s Coach and Randy Waldrum, Notre Dame’s Women’s Coach/2010 National Champions). Frank Tschan serves as our German liaison and has done most of the planning, ticketing and translations. Our first group meeting was Monday afternoon- almost everyone had arrived bright eyed and bushy tailed or just slap happy from the travel. The group ranges from college coaches to club coaches and everything between- all passionate futbol enthusiasts. We had introductions, outlines of the trip explained and match analysis assignment #1 for our first game, US vs. Korea (Tuesday evening).
The Hennef Sports Center, where we are based, is a training base for the DFB (German Coaching Education) and today was the commencement of the 10 month long pro licensure. There are 24 candidates sharing the complex with us, all of whom hope to finish in 10 months with the highest coaching license in Germany. The candidate’s range from form German national team members, professional players, highly regarded youth coaches and two highly decorated women’s players. We were permitted to observe their first day on the pitch. Three candidates were to lead a part of a session. Tomorrow they will sit in the “hot seat” according the director. This process is intense, thorough, expensive, humbling for many and like I said is a residential 10 month (Monday – Wednesday) program so this is just the beginning. No pressure at all.
Dinner was served and we all went down for the evening. Some slept better than others.
Tuesday, June 28
For my players, I woke up at 5:30am this morning and did a KTFitness workout with my roommate, friend and colleague, Jamie Gluck (Haverford Coach).
Breakfast was at 7am with a 7:30 departure for Dresden. German food is a friend of mine and I cannot be happier with the food served at the Sports Complex and in general. Fresh bread and butcher shops are a dime a dozen here. Part of me feels at home, as I reflect on growing up with German grandparents, eating hard rolls with butter and meats on Saturday breakfasts together. Muesli is my go to thus far with milk, a bit of honey and plain yogurt. Delish!
Along the seven-hour drive we crossed into Eastern Europe where up until October 1989 Germans were unable to cross from Western to Eastern and vice versa without going through designated patrolling stations. A Shell station has taken the place of one of these check points, but towers remain. We traveled to Dresden in Eastern Germany by way of the Autobahn and had a few bathroom stops along the way. .70Euros to use the bathroom- that was a surprise. However, if you purchase something at the rest stop store you receive a .50Euro credit and boy are the rest stop toilets clean. Dresden has a Roman history with varying architectures mixed in because of the numerous times it was built up and destroyed over the years. You see everything from Roman architecture to 1970s architecture.
It was announced today in the German newspaper that two of the German’s men’s national team coaches were quite impressed with the play thus far in the World Cup. One men’s national team player claimed he did not have time to watch the games. While the women’s game has developed it is no where close to bringing in the money like the Men’s World Cup. Steffi Jones, (half American, half German) the Head of Organization of the Women’s World Cup announced today she’s absolutely thrilled because they will break even with the Women’s Cup- this was her goal. Steffi was born by an American soldier, raised in the ghetto of Frankfurt by a single mother and has two brothers. She grew up on the streets playing the game mostly with boys. She played pro league in Frankfurt and grew up through the national team, played as a center back for the German national team in 2003 when they first won the world cup.
USA kicks off! On Tuesday evening our group sat in the first row behind Korea’s bench. It was if we were connected with the players- literally able to reach a hand out and touch their head as they jogged by. Nancy Feldman (Boston University Coach) even had words with Healther O’Reily as she was cooling down, “We love you Heather O’Reily”. Only a few substitutions were made by Pia Sundhage in US’s first game; in fact, Pia chose not to use her third sub and who would it have been… ? Mitts, Cox, Heath, Rampinoe, Morgan and Linsdey all warmed up (Alex Morgan and Rampinoe were subbed in the second half). Lauren Cheney got a start. Abby Wambach received Player of the Game, but if it were up to me I think I would have given it to Christie Rampone or Ali Krieger (both play in the back line).
Prosts (Cheers) throughout the evening and much good energy by our North American group.
Wednesday June 29, 2011
According to today’s German newspaper sports section, Korean coach claims that his team did not perform as well as expected because of the fact a few of his players were struck by lightening and have not recovered. Does this really happen…? And who knew…?
The German referees were highly regarded in the newspaper article and commended for their performance in the USA vs. Korea specifically for taking back USA’s third goal. Our entire group thought the third goal was good, but at the end of the day a win is a win and after speaking with media Pia celebrated like I had never seen jogging to her team, high fives and hugs- a happy coach to say the least. I must admit completing my assignment of match analysis was the worst part of the match. It’s hard to work and be at the world cup- I’m a far better observer.
This morning we were scheduled to observe the US Women’s team training session and it was amazing. Note: US bus is the only bus without a country label. Both New Zealand and England buses were at the training facility and when our bus pulled in there was no country indication on the outside. Eight women and six staff got off the bus for a post game training session. The hour session was intense, competitive and began with the basic passing triangle;)
Following the training session Pia Sundhage walked over to our group of eighteen and spent twenty minutes speaking to us about the team, their plan, the session, players’ strengths last night, her decision not to change the back line or use the third substitution. The underlining theme was discussion what is working for the women, what went well during the game and remaining loyal to her lineup as well as her happiness with the start of the World Cup. She then asked our group who stood out in the session and how this may impact her upcoming line-ups. I spoke up and said I thought Lori Lindsey stood out the most- let’s see if Lindsey gets an upcoming start.
A few things to know about our US Women’s National Team: Coaches emphasize what is working well, coaches have small group or individual discussions with areas and players needing tweaking, starting line ups given the day before, Pia is so very proud and impressed of how her women carry themselves and represent our country in press conferences and media, they eat all team meals together during this trip, she does not regulate their free time, because of the heat Dawn, the fitness coach, advises them to spend fifteen minutes outside in the sun to adapt, the first two days upon arrival were spent getting over jet leg with sightseeing and the third day they work with the ball, the players that played 90 minutes stayed back at the hotel and spent time in the pool with their fitness coach, after the North Korea game the players that didn’t play more than :15 minutes asked the coaching staff to run the :20min back to the hotel. The women jogged back through the streets of Dresden to the hotel and along the way Germans cheered them on their victory lap!
Now for the bus ride back.
Trivia for the day: What US National Team player has a brother who played at Earlham under Roy Messer?
Feel free to post your guess.
