So the time is near for the first ever game for WPS, Women’s Professional Soccer, www.womensprosoccer.com and I am so very excited about being a part of it. It has been interesting in pre season camp so far. Since coming back from the Cyprus cup with Canada, I’ve adjusted to the beautiful weather in LA with fun times with my teammates on the LA Sol www.losangelessol.com and great training sessions. I truly couldn’t have asked for a better set of girls to be surrounded by. They are passionate about the game, fantastic people and we all get along so well. On my team we have many different backgrounds so English isn’t always the language being spoken. We have Portuguese with Marta, Chinese with Huan, Japanese with Aya, French with Camille and well Canadian with me. I guess once I add the ‘eh’ our dialect of English becomes unusual but I’m not complaining as I like to be a bit different. I’m touching up on my French with Camille and know the basics of all the other languages from visiting each beautiful country but the good of it all is that football is universal and the ball does most of the talking. Our time off the field is where we work on our communication and it really does create some hilarious moments. I’m sure if I tried to tell you the stories it would turn into “I guess you had to be there” but there has been a lot of laughter. We are all looking forward to being a part of history for the first ever inaugural game for WPS in so many different ways.

I was talking with my good friend Angela Huckles last night (she plays for the Boston Breakers) and we were laughing how in 2001 with WUSA we were the young rookies coming out of college and looking up to older veterans on the team (like Kristine Lilly/Maren Meinhart) and how this time around we are the older veterans and how different yet funny that feels. In no means am I saying or comparing myself to the greats of Lilly or Maren but it is just a different mentality. We know firsthand the commitment and dedication we as players will have to serve to the game and to those who are watching to make sure that everyone is happy. We also know that every moment on the field is a prize and one never to be taken for granted. We appreciate that the games we play now are not about us in the least bit but the pioneers that played before us and the young girls who inspire to play like us. In knowing that, I promise you that every player you see on the field this season will be giving their very best. This is our dream coming true once again and we all hope and pray that this time it lasts. Thank you in advance for all your support and spreading the word that this is truly the best league in the world, with the best players and the best display of women’s soccer. Tune in this Sunday as we (the LA Sol) take on Washington Freedom at 3pm PST on Fox Soccer Channel. It will be a day to remember. I truly have waited so long for this to finally happen…

KK

Hey guys,

Just wanted to add up some links of highlights to our last two wins against Holland and Russia. Some exciting clips and also some great things happening with your team.

*Amy Walsh got her 100th and 101th and one cap

*CANADIAN COACH CAROLINA MORACE got her first win as our new Coach of Canada.

**Shannon Woeller got her first ever Senior Women’s cap….GO RUTGERS!!!!

We are playing better soccer and it is apparent in each game. It is very late here but I did want to let you all know what was going on. Hope you enjoy the highlight clips I got from www.canadasoccer.com. Goodnight and tomorrow’s final against England will be a great one. They are one of the most improved teams in Europe at the moment and will be a great battle for us.

The links (the page consists of a breakdown of the game and then the highlights…enjoy)

Canada vs Holland

Canada vs Russia

No I am not talking about Amy’s age…(I’m kidding Amy), but tomorrow when Amy steps onto the field it will be her 100th cap with the Canadian Women’s National team. I joke about age because Amy and I have this inside joke that goes back to 1997/98 when I first joined the national team. When she first saw me jogging she thought I was 35 years old and asked one of our teammates at the time, “who was the new 35 year old keeper”? I guess that was not a good day of jogging for me eh?. We laugh about it now but as we both get older the joke seems less and less funny, especially when we look across the table and their are girls there at really are 17 and 18 years old…oh how times change eh?

Well for those of you who have not followed Amy’s career from the beginning many years ago, I will let you know that this moment will be special for many of us as she really has been the passion of the team for many years. You see it in the way she plays every moment she is on the field. It has been my honour to play beside her for many years and I go to bed tonight so excited for her and her big day tomorrow. She will try to play this off as if it is not  a big deal, but for anyone who knows where the program has come from and her story, this is a special moment. She has captained our team for many years and is a true leader and example for every player on the field. She is amongst the best representors for our country, a true ambassador (and I am talking of the likes of Andrea Neil, Silvana Burtini, Tracy David to name a few) and tomorrow I am blessed that I will get to share this day with her as we face Holland.

Holland at the moment is at the top of our group with their win over Russia 2-1 and we are tied with New Zealand because of our tie with them 1-1 yesterday. I will write up more on that game another time but it was a good beginning for us as a team as we are all enthusiastic about what we will be able to accomplish in the years to come. It is a different Canadian squad for many reasons but the type of soccer we play would be the obvious change that you all will see and we know we will have success as everyone here is on board with Carolina and staff.

I look forward to updating you guys on another victorious day for many reasons after our game tomorrow.

PS. Just to do the most fitting thing for Amy, I decided to pic a picture that makes me laugh…One of her best traits…she lightens up a room with her humor so I thought why not with this picture which I am sure she will kill me over…

We’ve arrived in Cyprus and had one session yesterday. It rained for its usual short time in the morning but the rest of the day turned out to be beautiful. We trained mid afternoon and then a couple of us went downstairs to get a little workout in. Following that lovely workout was Mario doing a step-up workout with Carolina, Andie, Betty and Les….it was quite a site.

We are up again for the same schedule and another wonderful day before our first game against New Zealand tomorrow morning. I cannot wait…

Till then

Photos from Italy are now up!

View photos here!