In a few hours, I will be heading to Lisbon to catch a plane home. It has been an incredible week of soccer here in the Algarve and while I am anxious to get home to my family, I am sad to see it end.

It isn't often that you get the opportunity to see a team transform before your eyes and while they still have some work to do, I feel like the team I saw take on Denmark today was a better and different team than I saw against China just last week. They faced tougher opponents as the tournament wore on and while their new, more possession oriented style of play wasn't automatic when the pressure was turned on, they stuck with it and it looked better and more natural with each game.

During the opening minutes against China through the waning minutes of the final, I was struck by the chatter I heard out on the field. The team was communicating at a volume I haven't observed since Julie Foudy left the pitch. Sometimes it was captain Christie Rampone exhorting the troops. Other times it was Kate Markgraf shouting out instruction. Heather O'Reilly was frequently heard calling for the ball. At first I wondered if it was my imagination or if the chatter was more noticeable due to the lack of fan noise on the field, but Rampone confirmed my observation.

"The communication is just really good, better than I think it’s ever been," said Rampone. "It’s definitely something we’ve been working on in training because everyone is responsible out there. We’ve been working on being on the same page and having the same voice instead of making so many different commands and I think everyone is feeling more and more comfortable."

As to Pia Sundhage, other than a quick interview at the College Cup, this was my first real exposure to her. She has an enthusiasm that is contagious and while she is a very savvy coach, in some ways she is just a big kid that loves soccer. She talks a lot about belief, courage and confidence. Her team seems to have bought in and will leave the Algarve with more confidence in what they are doing as they have seen it work.

The team will get a week off when they get home although they have a running program to keep them on track, then they are back together to get ready for Olympic Qualifying.

As for me, they are still pictures to post, videos to edit and thoughts to share (as well as Issue 12 to pull together), but they will have to wait until I get back to Georgia and get a few hours sleep. Thanks for sticking with us during the 2008 Algarve Cup. Look for an update on Friday.

There is good news and bad news from today’s match against Norway. The bad news is that U.S. had a really rough first half. They had difficulty solving Norway’s pressure and had a tough time playing the ball through the midfield.

The good news is that the U.S. had a really rough first half, but stuck to the game plan, found a way to solve the pressure, and came back and spanked Norway 4-0 in the second half.

Yes, they had a little help from Norway’s ‘keeper, Ingrid Hjelmseth, but both goals that were in part the result of ‘keeper error wouldn’t have happened with out some pretty spectacular individual effort. Natasha Kai did well to read Hjelmseth’s casual ball placement and put herself in great position to take advantage.

“The big lift in the second half was Tasha Kai’s goal to start off our scoring streak,” said Heather O’Reilly. “Her energy and read on that play was just phenomenal.”

Amy Rodriguez’s shot was weak and should have easily been handled by Hjelmseth, but a nice ball from Wambach and some equally nice moves from Rodriguez put her in position to take the shot in the first place.

Wambach and O’Reilly’s goals were first class.

Pia Sundhage once again used all six subs (Tarpley, Whitehill, Heath, Rodriguez, Lopez and Osborne) and was pleased with the effort she got off the bench.

“The players coming off the bench, they did a great job and that’s a strength,” said Sundhage. “We will play the bench and that’s a message I want to send.”

This match was a better opportunity for Sundhage and the coaching staff to assess Nicole Barnhart and she looked good. Her performance here should keep her in the mix for the trip to Beijing.

Christie Rampone earned the Sierra Mist Player of the Match for the second game in a row. Rampone had an outstanding World Cup and just seems to be getting better and better.

I think it is pretty safe to assume that Natasha Kai, Amy Rodriguez, and Lauren Cheney are competing for two spots on the Olympic roster. They’ve each gotten a start in this tournament and so far, I can’t say that any one has distinguished herself one way or the other over the other two. We’ll see what happens on Wednesday when the U.S. takes on Denmark.

Today's 2-0 win over Italy wasn't as "pretty" as the 4-0 trouncing of China earlier in the week, but it was more exciting.

It was nice to see the team knocking the ball around so well and it's good for the ego to score a bunch of goals, but when a team rolls over like China did, there's no drama.

Italy didn't roll over, not for a moment. They pressured the U.S. from the opening kickoff to the final whistle and though it wasn't always "pretty", it made for an lively match.

“It was really a battle. The Italian team was definitely inspired and motivated for this game for the whole 90 minutes," said Heather O'Reilly whose second half goal was a beauty. "It’s not like they lost their desire at any point. It was a very intense game, so it was really a battle for us to calm it down, ping it around, and keep possession, and I don’t think we did that quite as much as we would have liked, but we won 2-0, it’s a great win and we’re moving on towards Norway.”

The midfield shined against China, but it was the back line, led by Christie Rampone, that stood out against Italy. They were tested by the Italians, especially number eight, Melania Gabbiadini, who was consistently dangerous. They came out unscathed, but had some help from the Italians who were frequently caught offsides.

“It was a great match for us because it challenges us. We seemed a little stressed at times…but we just have to stay composed," said Rampone. "We’re a good team. We’re good on the ball and we just have to believe that and I think these games test us, which is good going into qualifying because at times like that we have to compose ourselves and settle down.”

It is imperative to the development of this team to be put in uncomfortable situations before they get to the Olympics. It's easy to possess the ball when there is no pressure, but this was an opportunity to test themselves against some consistent pressure. It wasn't perfect, but it was an important step towards being able to handle the heat the next time they face down a Brazil or North Korea.

Greetings from Albufeira, Portugal. I arrived last night, just in time to catch a decent nights sleep and hit the U.S. match with China.

This was my first time to see the team play since the Pia era began, unless you count the teeny video stream from the Four Nations Tournament in China. They looked good – definitely different – but really good.

Possession was the name of the game and they played it well. One touch passes ping-ponged around the pitch, starting at the back and working their way through the midfield to the forwards. There was the occasional long ball thrown in, just to keep China guessing, but the U.S. dominated the match exploring the angles of the pitch with short passing.

After the game, Abby Wambach was pleased with the team’s performance.

“The first half of that game is one of the best halves we’ve played in a long time, not even these past four games, but the past couples years. Things are starting to feel right, where it’s not a struggle. We’re learning how to play the game in angles, “ she said.

Of course, China didn’t put up much of a fight. They were content to stay packed in for most of the match, I can only assume in hopes of breakaway chances, which were few and far between and for which they seemed ill equipped to take advantage of. If China’s new coach, Elizabeth Loisel was looking to use this tournament to get a Chinese Federation that already seems disenchanted with her off her back, she didn’t get off to a good start.

The back line has undergone a bit of a makeover, at least for this match. Kate Markgraf was back in the center in her first match since the World Cup. Captain Christie Rampone joined her there with Lori Chalupny at left back and newcomer Rachel Buehler on the right. Buehler put in a more than solid performance in her first cap, which lasted a full 90.

Shannon Boxx and Carli Lloyd were both outstanding today in the midfield and earned a nod from head coach Pia Sundhage who called their play “tremendous”.

Lindsay Tarpley added another goal to her already impressive tally for 2008 to get her team off to a good start. That was it for the first half. Tobin Heath, who subbed in for Tarpley at half time, recorded her first full international goal just minutes into the 2nd half. Abby Wambach and Carli Lloyd rounded out the scoring giving the U.S. their biggest win against China, ever.

That’s it for tonight. I’m going to post some pictures in the Photo Gallery before I get kicked out of the internet cafe which is already closed! I will report in tomorrow after practice.

Christie Rampone has been named captain of the U.S. Women's National Team. Christie has always been a great role model for her teammates, quietly leading by example on and off the field. In recent years, she has worked on finding her voice and becoming a vocal leader as well. Congratulations Christie, may you reign in peace!

The National Soccer Hall of Fame ballots are out and a handful of WNT veterans are up for election into the Hall. Joy Fawcett makes her second appearance on the ballot, having narrowly missed her opportunity to go into the hall last year with Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy. She should be a no-brainer this year. Shannon MacMillan makes her first appearance on the ballot and deserves serious consideration by the voters based on her heroics in the 1996 Olympic gold medal campaign alone. Danielle Fotopolous, also a first timer joins Cindy Parlow and Tisha Venturini-Hoch in rounding out the female candidates. If you have strong opinions about who should get into the Hall this year, shoot an email to any of your favorite soccer writers as they are likely voters.

The NSCAA Convention kicks off in Baltimore on Thursday of this week. It is a huge gathering of our soccer community. The new women's professional soccer league will be making some big announcements from there, including their name so we will finally know what to call them! I will be blogging amidst the mayhem and will do my best to post updates as they are made available.

The Four Nations Tournament begins tomorrow with the U.S. taking on Canada. To date, the only broadcasts I am aware of are on CCTV-5 and they are broadcasting all of China's matches. We should be able to catch U.S. v. China on the January 20th at 2:30 am (ET) in the morning. For some suggested ways to stream the broadcast, check out this Big Soccer thread. Give yourself plenty of time to get it working as it can sometimes be a bit laborious (especially if you don't read Chinese). And, beware of Chinese porn. ;-)

* Photo - New U.S. Captain, Christie Rampone takes time to reach out to some young fans.

For about the first 10 minutes of last nights match against Sweden, I felt like I had stepped right back on the roller coaster ride I had barely survived a few nights before. The Swedes came out firing and the U.S. was forced to defend almost exclusively in the opening minutes. Sweden earned four corners in the first four minutes of the match and five in the first 10.

“We did well (to hold off Sweden during the first few minutes). We held our ground when they came at us and we defended a lot more than we wanted to, but I think that the team stayed together and stayed strong,” said defender Christie Rampone who turned in another first rate performance.

Any doubt I had about Ryan’s choice to start Leslie Osborne as defensive mid over Shannon Boxx evaporated early in the match – about the time she boomed that header halfway up the field. That’s also about the time the match started to settle down for the U.S.

Not too long after, Kate Markgraf played what, according to her, was an uncharacteristically long ball over the Swedish defenders. It bounced over the keeper and into the path of Lori Chalupny who had timed her run perfectly. She was taken down near the goal line and earned a penalty kick, which was made by Abby Wambach.

“I saw (Lori Chalupny) holding a run so I just hit it and I kind of surprised myself with how well I hit it. I hit it how far Cat (Whitehill) hits it, and that’s kind of unusual. I think she inspired me to kick the crap out if it.” said Markgraf.

Boxx subbed in for Carli Lloyd at half time and erased any memory of the less than Boxx-like performance she turned in against North Korea. She took command, cleaning up messes all over the field.

Kristine Lilly and Wambach combined for an insurance goal in the 58th minute. Lilly sent in a beautiful ball to Wambach's chest which she settled and half-volleyed past the dumbstruck ‘keeper. It was a world-class strike

Wambach is having a great tournament Not only has she scored three goals, but she has also thoroughly entertained with fancy footwork, not often seen in a player of her size. She’s not the player she was in 2003. She is much, much more.

The U.S. survived Sweden’s attempt to get back into the match as time started to run down. It was another exciting match, but this one was a little bit easier on my blood pressure.

The U.S. goes into Tuesdays match against Nigeria dead even with North Korea. Both have four points and a two goals for goal differential.

What an awesome match last night! If I was less emotionally invested in the outcome, I'm sure I would have really enjoyed it. As it was, I was a nervous wreck! It was an emotional roller coaster.

After the first half, I was faced with the reality the U.S. could lose. I hadn't previously given that serious consideration and I was concerned that my plane fare to Tianjin was non-refundable. The North Koreans were bringing it and the U.S. didn't look like the best team on the field for the first 45.

I hurriedly shot off an email to my esteemed colleague Jen, who was in Shanghai awaiting the start of the England/Japan match. I included this passage:

Hope looks good especially as I am not sure she has ever been challenged like this. The ball is slippery though. I am nervous!

To which she responded today:

Enjoyed your portentous comment about Hope looking good and being tested and how wet it was.......!!!!!! Whoops!

I'm not English, so I don't exactly know what portentous means, but I'm assuming something like prophetic.

The second half started and while the pace was still frantic, it seemed more even and I was feeling better, especially after the goal. I was still on pins and needles, just hoping that they could hold on.

And then Wambach went down and left the field with blood streaming from her head. I was concerned when they didn't immediately replace her. They were having a difficult time containing North Korea with 11 on the field. How could they do it a man down? They couldn't and after the second goal, I was cursing Greg Ryan and our over-dependence on Wambach. In Ryan's defense, he thought the doctors would be able to get her on the field quicker. And, Wambach certainly contributed in the equalization and remaining minutes, so what do I know?

The last 20 minutes are a blur of ups and downs, big saves and near misses. I think my heart rate returned to normal at about noon today. I have mixed feelings about the result - disappointed at the loss, but grateful for a point in a match that could have easily been lost and thrilled to have been present at such an amazing match.

So, I haven't re-booked my flight from Tianjin to Wuhan. Especially after Sweden's result against Nigeria, everything is even and I'm betting on the U.S. to rebound in a big way and take the group.

Image is from Brad J. Smith (ISIPHOTOS.COM)