Schwan Cup: Days 4 & 5

Hello again! It's been a busy two days, so I am just now getting back to the computer! Day 4 began with a clinic on "finishing." It was a bright and sunny day, but the humidity had finally dissipated, which makes it much more bearable for the boys. After the clinic, the team headed to the big stadium to watch the Naperville team take on the Cruz Azul team. The boys really liked the Naperville team, and they sat in the stands and cheered them on. Maybe that's why the Lightning were able to be the first team to score on this formidable opponent!




After lunch in the sun, the boys needed to have some mellow free time, since they had a game at 7:10 PM. We agreed to take a large group of them to a nearby mall that included a Hollister, which was the store of choice for this trip. The mall was one of those new malls designed to be like shopping in a market, with the stores outdoors instead of a big building. Very nice.

After shopping at Hollister:

Most of the guys went to check out A & F and American Eagle. Jordan and Jake and I went to the Borders books, where the boys discussed their favorite books, and Jake convinced Jordan to read Sabriel. (Jordan read it the entire trip home!)

They waited for the rest of the gang to meet up with us, reading in the easy chairs at Hollister.


We headed back to the hotel and prepared for our game against the Bangu Tsunami. This team, which is a select team for Minnesota, played Cruz Azul to a 0-1 final score, so the boys were nervous about how things would go. Well, they went great! The weather had cooled off and it was just like playing on a summer day in AK. The boys played the best game yet, and by the time it was all said and done, they only lost by a score of 0-1! It was so wonderful to see them playing; they shell-shocked the Bangu team for sure, which started the game with its second string, but soon realized that was a mistake. These boys just got better and better! The game was streamed live on the internet at Crystal Clear Sports, and I read on their site that the game will be saved and available for purchase after the tournament! (John, Jane, and Michelle watched the last part of the game from their computers in AK; so cool!)





(More pictures are at the Flickr site; and more will be added once I get Warren's card.)

The boys headed home for quick showers, as they were going to the Schwan Cup sponsored dance. The girls were dressed in their pretty dresses and cute skirts, the Schwan Zone was open for fun and games, and the dancing looked like a large crowd of kids all just standing very close together! LOL!




The boys were ravenous when they returned, so we dragged out all the food, piled into our room, and relaxed for a half hour before "lights out!"



Our final day of soccer play at the Schwan Cup dawned bright, clear, and very warm. We played at 10: 40, and we were playing against the second place team in the B bracket, the Trebol Football Club. We learned that this is a cream of the crop team from Illinois. Our boys again did a fabulous job. Although the score was 0-4 at halftime, the other team never got another chance to score, and we came very close several times. I must say that our boys truly raised the level of their game tremendously this week; they will be a formidable force in the state cup this year. They had to dig deep and play like they've never played before, and it was just great to watch them play better and better each game this week.

(I took today's picture with Kelly's camera, and will add them to the blog and Flickr tomorrow morning.)

The boys were free to do as they pleased after the game, and a large group of us headed to the Mall of America. (522 stores. Wow!) Our guys were in awe, and truly enjoyed walking around, riding a couple of rides in the amusement park in the center of the mall, and eating a burger at Johnny Rockets. Our car stayed until 9:00 PM, and headed home very happy and tired.




The Paul Bunyan Log Chute!


Burgers and shakes and 50's music!



A dip in the pool topped off the evening. I think they will be watching the final game tomorrow, but I also hear rumors about a trip to the water park and a return trip to the Mall Of America for some of the boys who had to leave earlier than planned.

Sleep well!