Day One, Afternoon....

The guys played their pick-up game against a Minnesota team, losing 0-1. They had several shots on goal, but couldn't quite get it in. It was a good chance to get used to the fields (what does a flat, grassy field actually feel like?) and the temperature. (Sorry there are no pics of that; I was grocery shopping at Super Target...)


Lunch was a fun and rowdy event, followed by clean up. Connor got vacuum duty...

After lunch the boys had some free time. Several went swimming, and several joined Jake and me for some shopping...





Our first stop was to Soccer USA, just down the road from the hotel. The boys had a ball here. (snicker...) As you can see from the pictures, cleats were purchased (on sale, no less) and lots of happy guys were in evidence!












After Soccer USA we drove over to the Schwan Cup Headquarters to check things out. There's a huge play zone full of activities to do, though they are not open yet. There was also the Puma World Store, where the boys checked out yet more soccer gear. They also checked out a field nearby to see what they'd be playing on.






At 3 PM the guys headed to their rooms for some mandatory downtime. We'll be heading to Opening Ceremonies after dinner. I'll be back with more pictures later!