The tournament is coming up very fast and I am looking forward to the arrival of family today and tomorrow.

 

Yesterday, Wednesday 22nd June, was our team accreditation meeting, a mixture of photographic head and shoulder shots, meet the press and some "action photographs." I thought "action" meant something to do with soccer, but this was not the case. "Action" at this meeting meant looking down at, and then into the camera.

 

 

Even though it was not quite what I was expecting, the whole procedure  was still fun. The Tournament will use the shots for player introductions in the stadiums. Germany has really impressed us with all the attention to detail and the work they have so obviously put into the tournament.

 

 

Of course when compared with the men's FIFA World Cup tournament the preparation might seem a little paltry. But , we are not the men and we are still growing the women's game. As far as I am concerned, and this will be my third World Cup, Germany has been great. A big thank you from all of us.

 

The German ambassador to Canada welcomed us on behalf of the government and gave us a plaque.

 

 

We also had FIFA and other meetings yesterday. These are often not the most interesting of events, but I understand their importance. The referees go over the rules and regulations of the game; rules that we have all known since we were 5, but I guess they need to be reviewed. I always find it interesting when we go over the offside rules! There are always a few very clear and obvious decisions in a match, , but there are always one or two calls that are slightly less than cut and dried. The offside rule actually has plenty of room for interpretation in it, so maybe it is good to be reminded that the lineswomen have a split second to decide whether an offside player has interfered with a good play, or otherwise. I usually only agree with the lineswomen when the call goes my way, which is weird, so to be reminded that these women are doing the best job they can when making a decision about a play that happened faster than you can blink your eye, can only be a good thing.

Today, Thursday, has been a quiet day with only one training session. My family arrives today and tomorrow, an exciting reminder of how close things really are now. More and more fans of the women's game are waiting for us when we come out of the hotel. No longer is there just the one die hard fan, but she has been joined by several more.

 

 

Most people in the Berlin streets seem to know who we are. The full red Canadian outfits may of course help with this, but there only a few people waving and only a couple of people interested in getting autographs. It is pleasant to walk around the streets and not be bothered. It helps to get a feel for this beautiful city.