Getting after it

The first nearly-full training session for the national team in D.C. was a lively one. Minus Tim Howard (dentist appointment) and Charlie Davies (somewhere over the Atlantic), the rest of the group engaged in an intense and focused 90-minute training that had a great buzz about it. After a 25-minute warmup, they went straight into a possession game of 7 v. 7 plus two. It's fair to say the ball was pinging all over the place, with crisp passing and fine spacing off the ball. Next was 8 v. 8 to big goals, where both teams were able to create good scoring opportunities and finish several off as well. The day ended with a crossing and finishing exercise.



"It was a good day. From start to finish, there was a good mentality, sharpness and competitiveness, said U.S. coach Bob Bradley. We believe that the camps add up and eventually you get to the point where, when you come in, you don't start over; you start from where you left off. More and more, that is the case."

Stay tuned for video of the action ...

Listen to Bob Bradley's quotes