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March 10, 2001

U.S. National Team notes from Portugal trip #2

Courtesy Aaron Heifetz

Before the USA faced Italy, about a dozen players and all of the U.S. staff visited the Greccio Monastery, an architectural marvel built in the 12th century and cut into the side of a mountain that makes up one side of the valley in which Rieti sits. The ancient structure, built roughly 800 years ago, was the base for Saint Francis, who in 1223, as history tells us, set up the first nativity scenes outside of Bethlehem. Greccio is still home to seven Franciscan monks, although the U.S. players did not see them. The massive stone structure featured a museum with what were easily a hundred miniature nativity scenes of all shapes and sizes, made out of a vast array of materials. The nativity scenes had been sent to the monastery from people all over the world. The U.S. players had the opportunity to stand on a balcony of the monastery from which Pope John Paul II addressed thousands of people, which covered the side of the mountain, in 1983. A plaque on the wall commemorated the day. Told by the guide that the balcony was known as a place for people to just come and listen, U.S. head coach April Heinrichs asked for a moment of silence from the U.S. players (an extremely rare occurrence outside of a team meeting for the young U.S. squad). The silent U.S. players were enveloped by a harmony of chirping birds, rustling leaves and windswept grass, which suddenly became remarkably loud.

Already well aware that Rieti was the geographical center of Italy, the U.S. players were amused to find out that the city is also called "the belly button" of the country.

Besides Head Coach April Heinrichs, who spent a year in Italy playing in the late 1980s, defender Keisha Bell was the only U.S. player with any base in Italian. In her second semester of taking the language at the University of Florida, Bell's knowledge of Italian vocabulary came in handy while the U.S. players were shopping, ordering food and reading signs.

The U.S. players woke departed for Rome's Leonardo da Vinci airport at around 8:30 a.m. The flight took them to Lisbon where they hopped a 30 minute flight south down to the Algarve region, landing in Faro at around 5:30 p.m. Lacking the usual truck for the massive amounts of luggage characteristic of U.S. women's team travel, the U.S. staff worked quickly to fit almost every piece under the large tour bus, putting the "clowns in a phone booth" trick to shame. Team massage therapist Nestor Battung, a former gymnast with the requisite musculature, did most of the heavy lifting, defying physics as we know it by jamming, cajoling and squeezing the last few bags underneath the bus. The U.S. players gave the staff a healthy ovation after the door clamped shut and the bus departed on its 40-minute drive to the team hotel in Albufeira. Upon arrival at around 6:30 p.m., the U.S. players had dinner and then spent the rest of the evening chatting, studying and getting their laptop computers adjusted so they could get online from Portugal. The USA had its first training on Portuguese soil on Friday morning and found that soil slipper and muddy and from heavy overnight rains and trainings from the other Algarve Cup teams. The USA did some skill work, played some heading games, did some team choreography and then finished with penalty kicks.

The U.S. team hotel will also be home to Canada, Sweden and Olympic champion Norway during the Algarve Cup.

Midfielder Aleisha Cramer is recovering well from sore left ankle that kept her out of the Italy game and is probable for the USA's Algarve Cup opener against Canada. Defender Keisha Bell's sore left hip flexor is also coming along and she is expected to be available for action. Both Bell and Cramer trained on Friday. Mary-Frances Monroe has completely recovered from the swelling and soreness that resulted from an abscessed tooth. All other U.S. players are healthy and ready to go.

Solo clan expected in Portugal
Goalkeeper Hope Solo's father Johnny Solo (yes, that's his real name) emigrated from Italy to the United States as a young child. He has three brothers and two sisters, as well as his parents, back in Italy that Hope has never met. By coincidence, Solo's in-laws are on vacation in Spain and Portugal and may be at the USA's first Algarve Cup match, giving her the opportunity to meet her aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents for the very first time. If there is a large group of loud Italians rooting for the USA during the Algarve Cup, odds are that's the Solo clan.

Cat's gridiron corner #2
Who Should Start at Quarterback for the Florida Gators Next Fall.

"Brock Berlin is the man. He's got to get the nod. Rex Grossman is a great kid and he did awesome for a red-shirt freshman, but he lost to Miami and if you lose to Miami, you should lose your job. Berlin is inexperienced, but he's got the talent. And they shouldn't platoon quarterbacks. It just doesn't work. It didn't work with Palmer and Johnson and it didn't work with Grossman and Palmer. We lost to Florida State and I hate losing to those guys. When Grossman finally became the #1 quarterback, they started doing well, but I think the team should belong to Brock Berlin. He's the future of the Florida Gators, and plus he was born in Birmingham, Alabama so that just puts him over the top."

Mr. Bear replaces Mr. Koala on U.S. roster
With midfielder Jenny Benson and her 22-year old toy stuffed koala bear -- Mr. Koala -- both in pre-season camp with the Philadelphia Charge, the USA is without veteran leadership in the stuffed animal department. However, midfielder Mary-Frances Monroe's traveling companion - Mr. Bear - is five years old and has been with her on every Women's National Team trip she has taken, giving Mr. Bear an edge in caps over Mr. Koala, who made his debut in China last January. Mr. Bear does not have the size or lasting power of Mr. Koala, but is better dressed with an American flag sweater and a felt cowboy hat with stars on the brim. Monroe carries Mr. Bear strapped to her backpack when the USA travels. Defender/midfielder Jena Kluegel carries the rookie of the group, Nosey Deuce, a Pound Puppy that she received last Christmas to replace the original Noser, a Pound Puppy she got in the first grade. Noser was leaking stuffing, and after two seasons of hazing and abuse from Kluegel's North Carolina teammates, had accumulated enough wear and tear to make international travel extremely perilous. Kluegel's mom Sue, aware of her daughter's attachment to Noser, sat her down at Christmas and with all seriousness said, "Jena, I know how much you love Noser, but I think it would be best if he stayed home with Bear (Jena's brother's childhood stuffed animal, but no relation to Mr. Bear), so I got you this new Pound Puppy." Said Kluegel: "Mom, thanks a lot, but I think we're getting a bit too crazy here with the stuffed animals."

Like many of the speedy youngsters in the U.S. Women's National Team pools, defender Amy Steadman runs track for her high school. But along with the usual events for the youthful sprinters - the 100m, 200m and 400m, add the pole vault to Steadman's repertoire. The 5-foot-2 Steadman cleared over seven feet last year as a freshman for Brevard High School before suffering an MCL injury playing soccer and is shooting for eight feet this year.

Serious candy talk
While there are no officials records kept, the young U.S. squad, which averages 19 years of age, seems to devour candy at a much higher rate than the veteran players, who are certainly not candy slouches themselves. Such consumption has turned several players into candy experts. U.S. defender Anna Kraus lists her top-five favorite candies and gives the reason why.

1) Sour apples
Says Kraus: "They have a great taste along with a perfect chewy texture."
2) Tangy Taffy
Says Kraus: "I love the cherry sparkles kind because it's an overflow of flavor along with that little sparkle crunch. It's a fun candy."
3) Twix
Says Kraus: "It's my favorite candy from the chocolate wafer family. It's the best three-in-one combo by far with chocolate, wafer and caramel."
4) Tropical Starburst
Says Kraus: "You can never get tired of one flavor because all of the them are great. It's better than regular Starburst because I'm not a big fan of the yellow and orange."
5) Kit-Kat
Says Kraus: "I had to have another chocolate in my top-five. It's the runner up in the chocolate-wafer family, but I don't like the oversized ones. I need the individual sticks, but the only bad thing is that my teammates always steal those."

STAT OF NOTE
The U.S. women set an unofficial women's international record against Italy by being whistled for no less than four foul throw-ins.

From the mouth of babes -- quotes of the week
The European tour has given precocious 16-year-old forward Kristen Weiss her first taste of international soccer. Weiss is loving every minute of the experience (literally, see below) and has not been shy in expressing herself.

Weiss, when told that Italian goalkeeper Giorgia Brenzan was 34-years-old, more than twice the age of the high school junior from Brecksville, Ohio. In all seriousness: "Wow. That's cool to be so old and yet so good."

And to 37 year-old U.S. assistant coach Lesle Gallimore, who was sitting near Weiss on the bench: "Hey Lelse, when are you gonna get out there? It's not too late."

Weiss, after working her jaws to sample some extremely un-pliable Italian candy that had the consistency of soft rubber:
"Chewy has been defined."

Weiss, after U.S. team doctor Bill Heinz informed the players that it would be unwise to eat fruits and vegetables that had not been peeled.
"So, we can't eat pears?"

Weiss, after the Italy game in which she had replaced Stephanie Rigamat in the 90th minute to earn her first cap after Rigamat had bashed heads with an Italian defender. The referee restarted play with a drop ball.
"I'm the drop ball specialist. I only go in for drop balls. If we would have had a drop ball in the 2nd minute, I would have gotten to play the whole game."

Goalkeeper Emily Oleksiuk's father is named Michael John Oleksiuk. He is of Ukrainian descent. Her mother's maiden name is Marcella Jane Oleksiak. She is of Polish descent. MJ Oleksiuk and MJ Oleksiak, with just a one-vowel difference in their last names, met at the beginning of their freshman year at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The confusion began when Emily's future mom went to pick up her freshman registration materials and found that someone had already mistakenly picked them up. The two ended up sitting behind one another during their freshman year in, get this, a Romantic Poetry class. They started dating, got married after college, and at the age of 23 Marcella Jane started having kids. She had two girls and four boys in eight years, and only had to change one letter on her driver's license. Emily's sister, Mary Ellen, is also a goalkeeper who plays ODP in Eastern Pennsylvania and is a member of the East Regional Pool.