From the podium
I didn't post after our win but I'm sure most of you have heard that the US beat Austria 63-0. The gravity of this game didn't hit me until we were eating in the cafeteria across the street from the stadium ... a scoring record! Since this is the first, we are the first, everything is a first.
It's an incredible feeling. I was very nervous before the game but Coach Mac's words on the word BELIEVE the night before did help settle me down.
The game was tough on me physically, and to Austria's credit, they kept fighting. We had a chance to talk to some of them after the game.... the girls I spoke to asked me asked if we got paid to play football in America as we all looked like we lifted for a living. Hahahahah!!!!
Both teams stayed to watch Canada play Sweden. We were SO impressed with how they played. Sweden's team is full of very young (read: ages 16-18) players, but they played a great game. Sweden blocked a punt... and had some good plays. The game was almost scoreless at halftime; Canada slipped in for six but missed the extra point. Sadly, Sweden lost 12-6 but we all went down to the bottom level and gave them all high fives as they went into their lockerroom. We had a great time cheering for Sweden and their No. 27, who had a good game against the defense. Pretty sure Canada was not cool with the biased cheering but that's another story... :)
I even kind of cried at the beginning of the game we weren't even playing... the perspective of being here as history is made is overwhelming. I definitely cried when our national anthem was played, and it was cool because Pederson (Chicago player, left tackle who is my football soulmate .... as she knows everything about the offense) sang with me. She also scolded me for crying, but whatever... I'm a crier!
I had a few higher snaps and made a few wrong blocks/steps during the game but it was very cool to cut for the first time EVER in this kind of game and two ended in really good plays (as we watched film this afternoon and I could verify... I knew one girl for sure fell on me). There was only once I tried it that it didn't work.... but today has been hard on me physically because my neck/traps/shoulder are KILLING me. We don't have any therapists and we didn't have much ice at all until today when one of the managers ordered some from a company. It's weird being in Europe sometimes for that kind of stuff...no one uses ice here. I saw Donna (who plays for DC) who had this direct stim machine and she literally made me sob when she used that thing on the top of my traps (the highest point of which are technically in your head), and it was an insane pain, but felt a little better after. I am a giant bruise --- my entire right arm and some on my left is bruised.... but otherwise... still living.
Our new cheer debuted at the game, and that was awesome, and we learned how the "international" handshake is done. Very cool experience overall. Going to bed.. but we toured Skansen today on a bus and got to walk a bit in the city center. I took about 1,000 photos. AWESOME place. I want to move. :P
Also met a guy downstairs tonight who had a cute golden retriever named Molly -- he used to have a border collie and showed me photos. Miss my girlies! Everyone here has a dog and walks around all the time.. helps that we are right adjacent to a park on a lake. Today I learned that Sweden has 90,000 lakes. Amazing.
Tomorrow is practice at 9 a.m. (which is 3 a.m. ET) and watching Germany vs. Sweden, and Canada vs. Finland.
It's an incredible feeling. I was very nervous before the game but Coach Mac's words on the word BELIEVE the night before did help settle me down.
The game was tough on me physically, and to Austria's credit, they kept fighting. We had a chance to talk to some of them after the game.... the girls I spoke to asked me asked if we got paid to play football in America as we all looked like we lifted for a living. Hahahahah!!!!
Both teams stayed to watch Canada play Sweden. We were SO impressed with how they played. Sweden's team is full of very young (read: ages 16-18) players, but they played a great game. Sweden blocked a punt... and had some good plays. The game was almost scoreless at halftime; Canada slipped in for six but missed the extra point. Sadly, Sweden lost 12-6 but we all went down to the bottom level and gave them all high fives as they went into their lockerroom. We had a great time cheering for Sweden and their No. 27, who had a good game against the defense. Pretty sure Canada was not cool with the biased cheering but that's another story... :)
I even kind of cried at the beginning of the game we weren't even playing... the perspective of being here as history is made is overwhelming. I definitely cried when our national anthem was played, and it was cool because Pederson (Chicago player, left tackle who is my football soulmate .... as she knows everything about the offense) sang with me. She also scolded me for crying, but whatever... I'm a crier!
I had a few higher snaps and made a few wrong blocks/steps during the game but it was very cool to cut for the first time EVER in this kind of game and two ended in really good plays (as we watched film this afternoon and I could verify... I knew one girl for sure fell on me). There was only once I tried it that it didn't work.... but today has been hard on me physically because my neck/traps/shoulder are KILLING me. We don't have any therapists and we didn't have much ice at all until today when one of the managers ordered some from a company. It's weird being in Europe sometimes for that kind of stuff...no one uses ice here. I saw Donna (who plays for DC) who had this direct stim machine and she literally made me sob when she used that thing on the top of my traps (the highest point of which are technically in your head), and it was an insane pain, but felt a little better after. I am a giant bruise --- my entire right arm and some on my left is bruised.... but otherwise... still living.
Our new cheer debuted at the game, and that was awesome, and we learned how the "international" handshake is done. Very cool experience overall. Going to bed.. but we toured Skansen today on a bus and got to walk a bit in the city center. I took about 1,000 photos. AWESOME place. I want to move. :P
Also met a guy downstairs tonight who had a cute golden retriever named Molly -- he used to have a border collie and showed me photos. Miss my girlies! Everyone here has a dog and walks around all the time.. helps that we are right adjacent to a park on a lake. Today I learned that Sweden has 90,000 lakes. Amazing.
Tomorrow is practice at 9 a.m. (which is 3 a.m. ET) and watching Germany vs. Sweden, and Canada vs. Finland.
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