Schwan USA Cup, Day 3

Oops! The last time I posted, I had my schedule mixed up. So... if you are logging in to find out about the exciting action at last night's dance, I must disappoint you. Last night was the night for a USA Cup sponsored beach party, which we did not attend, due to our late game. TONIGHT is the the USA Cup sponsored dance, and I will be attending and taking some photographs. Sorry about that!

On to Day 3's events. Because we had two games and the temperatures were high and the humidity oppressive, we had a fairly mellow day. Breakfast at 9:00 AM was followed by "down time," which consisted of TV viewing and arcade play in the hotel.

At about 11:45 AM we headed over for our first game of the day against the Naperville Lightning. (Click the name to read more about this club.) At half time, the game was 2-3, with a final score of 2-7. The boys played better than yesterday; they seemed more comfortable and were very excited to score on this tough team. (Austin scored one, and Daniel H. got a beautiful penalty kick into the net.) The heat was incredible, mostly due to humidity. The boys liked this team; they said they were nice guys, and our team stuck around to chat with them after the game. We plan to watch them play Cruz Azul this afternoon. (NOTE: there are about 100 pictures at the Flickr site. Warren is getting pretty good with his camera, so be sure and check it out for lots more pictures of the games!)









We headed over to a local restaurant called Chipotle for a yummy, fresh lunch. If you have been to Qdoba, you know what Chipotle is like. They were incredibly fast, and the food was light, fresh, and delicious.



(Poor Charlotte...she was so hot and feeling a bit tired...)

The boys also got a lemon ice from the Culver's across the street from our hotel as a light refreshment. Some more downtime and laundry washing followed.

Our next game was against the Northern Lights United Soccer Club, from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Playing at 7:10 PM really seemed to help the boys; the air was not as hot and they played even better than previously. The final score was 0-4; we are improving with each game. We had several shots on goal, including one that hit the post. The boys were moving the ball better than they have been, and they again played their hardest. I have not seen these guys give up even once; it has been awesome to watch.









The boys rode back to the hotel this time instead of walking. It's fun to listen in on their comments. Several times I have heard boys mention that they will "really school when we get back to Anchorage." They seem to feel that they are raising their level of play...I t's great to hear them finding the positives.

Apparently this team used some language on the field. Jake and Jordan both mentioned overhearing expletives from the players; Jordan told one of them he "owed him a quarter!" The player wasn't quite sure what he meant by that, LOL!

Dinner was at Culver's, and then they had a dip in the pool. It is quite a sight: 15 rough and rowdy boys wrestling in that tiny pool. They had an absolute ball, and fell asleep without any trouble!

Today they are heading off for a clinic on "finishing," followed by watching the Naperville boys take on Cruz Azul. Then they'll have some free time to take part in some USA Cup activities, a game at 7:10, and the ... dance ... really. There is a dance this time. I promise!

And...yes...I did visit a yarn shop. That's a post for the other blog though. ;-)

More Photos Posted!

Warren has been taking pictures and I got them downloaded this morning. When you click "More Photos" (in the left sidebar) you'll be taken to a photo from his set. You can click on the name of the set on the right side of that page, and you'll get his whole set of 125 pictures (!) that can be viewed as a slide show. Same events; different perspective! :-) There are some pictures of the boys in their "friendly"match against a MN team on Monday, in addition to the events I took photos of...Enjoy!

Schwan Cup, Day One, Evening....

This was a busy time, and I took lots of photos. Other parents did as well, and so we will have way too many photos for the blog. I am uploading the extra pictures to my Flickr account. If you look in the left sidebar of this blog, you will see a Flickr badge, titled “More Photos.” Click on one of the pictures you see there, and it will take you to my Flickr account, where that photo is stored in sets. You can click on the sets and watch them as a slide show. Please email me if you need help with this, because there are lots of great photos, and I want everyone want be able to see them! So, on to the details…

After a relaxing afternoon, almost all boys napped. (Even though they swore they could never fall asleep…wink, wink.) We met in the lobby to head out for dinner and the Opening Ceremonies. The team was happy to learn that the Olive Garden was our dinner destination. We enjoyed good company and delicious food. The guys were gentlemen and we had a great time.





Opening Ceremonies began at 7:45 PM. It was an exciting and amazing event. The Schwan Cup is in its 23rd year, and is the largest sports tournament in the Western Hemisphere. This year, 1006 teams are competing, with about 16,000 participants. There are 21 countries represented…

My camera was kept busy during this exciting event. It seemed that I had a “photo opp” everywhere I turned. Things got started with a parade of teams. Alaska was well represented and cheered for, and each country or state clearly showed its pride. Hats, flags, costumes, and chants filled the arena as each team was introduced. (Be sure to check out that link of "More Photos" on the side; I got pictures of many of the teams as they entered the stadium, including the Brazilians, and the Scots in their kilts!)


Once the teams had positioned themselves on the field, skydivers parachuted in with the game ball and a banner. One skydiver wore a helmet cam; the video can be found here. (Scroll down almost to the bottom of that page.)




The Italian National Coach, Roberto Donadoni, was the guest of honor, and he wished all the teams well, telling them to play hard, play fair, and have fun. Local teams presented the Italian and US flags, and a soccer player from a girls’ Wisconsin team sang the national anthem so beautifully that it brought tears to my eyes. There was a lot of pride in that stadium…


After the national anthem, the very first team from England to play in the Schwan Cup presented the torch and lit the flame in the center of the stadium. Then came the fireworks and a live band/concert.





The teams dispersed and roamed the field, eating free ice cream and pizza. It was fun to wander the field and watch all these young people from so many places and cultures sharing their love of football and life. Teams were trading pins, shirts, souvenirs, and anything they could.

Brazil was very popular; they had Brazil/Ronaldinho shirts to trade!

Here, the Mexican boys were trading souvenirs for a peck on the cheek:

As space opened up at one end of the field, our boys found a ball, took off their shoes, and played. When they kicked us out of the stadium, they moved across the parking lot to another field and played ball under the street light, until 10:30 PM. Then we loaded up the dripping, exhausted boys and hustled them to bed. It had been a very satisfying, exciting day. They slept well…and were getting pumped up to take on Cruz Azul in their first game tomorrow.




Our next day will be pretty mellow and relaxed, with light meals, rest, team meetings, and mental preparation. Our next entry will be following our first game!

Soccer News...

Jake got the letter yesterday confirming his acceptance on the Alaska Olympic Development Program team! He was very nervous about making it, and very relieved to get that letter! We are all very excited that he was chosen. He'll head to Oregon in June/July for the camp. Here's the link to the program, if you'd like to see more about what ODP is. One thing that helps put it in perspective is that only 18 players from his age group in the state of Alaska are chosen...


Martin's team finished the indoor season last week with the best record they've had. They held tryouts for the summer season tonight, and also had some discussions with another team here in town about the possibility of merging. (As boys get into their teens, teams get smaller.) Martin also has tryouts for the Dimond High School soccer team this coming week. He's really enjoying soccer more and more these days.... and we love watching him play! (Of course, skiing is always at the top of his list, and Spring Break is just around the corner!)