RHIAN SOCCER JOURNALS     

SWISS ORDER AFTER ITALY 17th May 2011

Happy National Day to all my friends in Norway. I am sure that everyone at the LSK Kvinner Club will be enjoying themselves and celebrating Norway's National Day. I shall be thinking of you.

 
The Canada squad trained yesterday morning at the Mancini Rapk Hotel, then headed to the airport for our flight to Switzerland. I am really looking forward to the trip as I have never been to Switzerland, and I have always heard good things about the country.

Our flight took off at around 2:00 pm, and it seems like a very long time since we last all traveled together. Thank goodness, as it is always easier to travel alone than it is in a group. This may sound like an odd statement, but checking in a team is quite the process. It is much easier to just take care of yourself and your own piece or two of baggage.

 
My first impression of the country as we landed in Switzerland was the very greenness of it all. My second impression, was its cleanliness and order.  I had forgotten while we have been living in Rome, that cars and drivers do not have to speed and ignore traffic Laws. We have become used to drivers making up their own rules about speed limits,  lanes and parking spots. It was a shock to see people using their turning indicators and driving in the lanes delineated for them. It is shocking to have to come to terms with such order. I now realize that i am not the rebel I thought I was. I am really quite a law abiding citizen who enjoys rules, order and cleanliness.

Our match kicks off tomorrow night against Switzerland and, I am looking forward to it. We did not perform as well as I would have liked in our last game against them, so it is always good nice to have another chance soon afterwards, to make amends.

The match apart, I regret that I do not think I am going to be able to see much of Switzerland itself, not on this visit. This is especially true as we are staying at an airport hotel 5 minutes from the airport, but a long way from anywhere else. We are really only here for one full day. I do know that I definitely want to come back here, on my own, to do some proper exploration of the country.

 
The CSA announced today that Canada is going to be hosting the Olympic Qualifying tournament in 2011 - probably in Vancouver. It will be wonderful to be playing in front of our home fans in such an important tournament. Thank you CSA. And, congratulations to Jeannette Kuc, who was elected to the CSA Executive Committee.