Day 7: USA v. London (Tournament Game 1)

The WNT set-off at 7:45am this morning for their "10 minute" walk to the gym. Although they didn't arrive until 9:00am, at least they got a chance to enjoy the crisp morning air and a scenic walking tour of the area (including a nice view of a giant castle/chateau on a hillside). Once they made it to the gym, practice proceeded as usual as the team prepared for their evening match against London.

After a rest period and lunch, the WNT gathered in the campus cinema to watch video from their friendly match against Israel. The coaches discussed some defensive strategy with the players before sending them off to enjoy a few hours of rest.

The games took place at a stadium in Issy de Mortineau. The stadium was very nice, with a great floor, lots of room for spectators and new locker rooms.

Things were running on what we now like to call "French time," so we started the game a little later than expected and the first whistle blew at 6:45. Things got off to a bit of a slow start for the WNT, who kept a small lead but never drove ahead against the London team, who- although they had mostly foreign players (Slovak, Hungarian, French)- should have been easy to beat.

After half-time, the WNT pulled ahead a little bit only to have their defense break-down, and their offense struggle with turnovers, ending the game with a win, but not as big as it should have been.

Game 1: USA 24- London 22

Pictures soon....