Our flight was pretty uneventful and everyone arrived in good spirits. We flew all day and arrived at the hotel with HUNGRY boys! A trip to Chipotles was in order...
We had a relaxing day on Monday; a chance to recover and adjust to the time change and the weather. We headed to Soccer USA to check out new gear possibilities, and also to the Puma Store to check out their merchandise. (Ironically, there was one other team checking out the Puma Store: the Velocity girls from Alaska!) The team had a practice and a session of yoga with Danny's mom as well.
Monday was hot and sunny...but when we woke up bright and early for our first game against a Canadian team, this is what we saw:
It was pouring rain! Fortunately, the rain let up by the time we were ready to play, and made for nice playing weather.
The boys had a good game. This team was quick to the ball and it took a while for our boys to settle into their rhythm. We ended in a 1-2 score. The worst part of the game was the final 15 minutes. Tanner turned his ankle and had to be taken to the medical clinic; he ended up on crutches for the rest of the tournament. Very disappointing. He's taken it in stride and with a great attitude.
We had a beautiful evening for opening ceremonies. Teams paraded in; sky divers glided into the stadium; fireworks exploded, and the band played. The energy was fantastic, and the boys agreed it was a great time!
We spent the next two days swimming, watching tv, playing small sided games, watching the Minnesota Thunder beat a Guatemalan team, and playing our other two opponents, both from Minnesota. We won those games 5-0 and 2-1.
Tomorrow we begin the playoff bracket with a game at 1:00 PM. The boys are pleased to be able to sleep in a bit, and they are excited to play hard and play well.
There are tons more pictures at the Flickr account, which you can access via the Flickr link on the side, and Kelly has been taking pics with her long lens and has shared them via her .mac account:
Kelly's Album
Enjoy them!
