Showdown!
The England and U.S. Fair Game staffs have been criss-crossing China, following our respective teams. We have come together in Tianjin for the big showdown. Will it be an epic battle that shifts the balance of power in women’s soccer? I’ll let you know in about 10 hours. Regardless, it promises to be an entertaining match.
The England contingent, while satisfied at making the quarters, are hungry for more and are hoping for an upset. The U.S. crew is not taking England lightly and will confess to being a tiny bit nervous.
We are all hoping for a great match. Much of England will be watching, as the match will be played live at the favorable time of 1:00 pm. A quality match, win or lose, in front of a potentially huge television audience could go a long way towards advancing the sport.
For the U.S., a loss here would be a disaster. Not because it’s England, but because they have never left a major international tournament before the semi-finals. They are, in fact, expected to win every tournament by a significant margin, playing exceptionally beautiful soccer for a full ninety, every time they take the field. It’s a lot to live up to, but I expect our girls are up to the challenge.
Last night, I attended England’s training session with two of my English colleagues. We were hoping to get a hint of Hope Powell’s lineup. England’s press officer jokingly identified me as a “spy” (at least, I think he was joking). Powell did not tip her hand in the slightest. We were hustled off the field promptly at the 15 minute mark, after seeing the team stretch and knock the ball around a bit.
Greg Ryan has been characteristically tight lipped about his plans to contain Kelly Smith and the England squad. That leaves us all to speculate what personnel and formations we will see on the pitch come match time. Ryan has developed a nice rapport with the foreign press, responding with wit and humor to endless questions about game plans and tactics that we all know he isn’t going to answer.
I haven’t had a chance to sneak a peek at the pitch yet, but if it matches the outside of the Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium and the training fields, we are definitely in for an improvement.
As for the city … all I can say so far is that this is the first stop over where I’ve been physically aware of China’s famously poor air quality, every time I take a deep breath.
The temperature is up today which could favor the Americans. Playing in hot and smoggy conditions should be nothing new for a team that trains in Los Angeles.
Whoever is not left crying will check in after the match. I hope it’s me!
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