RHIAN SOCCER JOURNALS           

SLEEPLESS IN KANSAS - ON TO PORTLAND    18th September 2011

I had a rough night of sleep last night. Part of it may have been thinking  about the good result against the USA, but I just couldn’t seem to doze off. 

Of course, it didn’t help matters that there was a big wedding being held in our hotel. The participants loudly made their way to bed some time around 4:00 am. From my observations it sounded as though they had all had a really good time.

The good news that arises from my insomnia is that I can still watch the Rugby World Cup. The tournament is in full swing in New Zealand. Live games from the other side of the world mean that when I am awake at 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning, this is prime viewing time for Rugby. Wales and England both won their pool matches, while Canada had a good showing against France. I was really impressed with the Canadian commitment and performance. 

Next morning, the players who had played the majority of the game against the United States met at the hotel swimming pool. The rest of the suad had a light training session at the field. The pool session felt good. The session just consisted of a light paddle and some stretching. This was exactly what I was hoping for. I know I am not alone in suffering from a rather sore body today. Last night's encounter was a bruising encounter.

We had quite a bit of downtime after our pool session, mostly just for us to rest and we used the time to  visit the nearby coffee shop. Our flight to Portland was not until 4:00 pm.

The Kansas City airport is rather small, so when we arrived with all our gear, the noise level and activity rose considerably. The American team was on the same flight as us, so two whole teams, with all their equipment  in a tiny airport seemed to overwhelm the airport and booking staff. Other travelers kept well clear from us.

We arrived in Portland after what felt like a ten hour flight. We landed at about 8:00 pm local time, the equivalent of 10:00 pm Kansas City time. The time change and travel explained our hunger and our tiredness. This was especially true of those who were part of the wedding ceremonies without wishing to be!

After a brief drive to our hotel, we quickly unloaded the bus, put our bags in our rooms and headed for the food room. It didn’t take long for everyone to eat as much as possible, in as little time as possible, as bed was a-calling!

I have included some photos of the Baie D'urfe team I met earlier this year and whom I know are supporting the Canada team.