The USA's picturesque hotel here in Cancun has been the site of several weddings during the team's stay and it seems that defender Ali Krieger and goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris have attended all of them...or at least checked them out. For Krieger, it's more a matter of vocation, as she has aspirations of being a wedding planner after she finishes playing soccer.

There was a minor incident before morning training today. Apparently, the coolers in the back of one of the team mini-vans were improperly stacked, and when the hatch-back was opened by the U.S. goalkeepers, a cooler fell out, spilling ice all over the ground. Being quick-thinking goalkeepers, and handy with their hands, the GKs quickly scooped almost all the ice back into the cooler.

Finally, the full compliment of goalkeepers is in U.S. WNT training camp. When camp started, it was just Jill Loyden getting some personal training from U.S. goalkeeper coach Paul Rogers. She was then joined by Ashlyn Harris, then Alyssa Naeher, and finally veteran Nicole Barnhart arrived yesterday. During today's morning training, Rogers had his 'keepers catching balls with SPARQ weight vests on.

Solid catch from Ashlyn Harris over Alex Morgan as Heather Mitts defends
That's how Pia Sundhage described today's training when she gathered the players together before beginning practice. The U.S. team warmed up with some passing patterns, played a ball possession game, did some crossing and shooting and then played 8 v.

Hello Ashlyn...

With Hope Solo undergoing surgery yesterday, and Alyssa Naeher and Nicole Barnhart still involved in the WPS playoffs, just one goalkeeper had been in camp, that being Jill Loyden of the Chicago Red Stars. Let's just say she was getting A LOT of reps. The U.S.

Every U.S. WNT training is planned to be light, media, hard or very hard. Today was very hard. Or maybe it just seemed that way because there was a training in the morning and some combative stuff during the afternoon training in a hot, humid, sweat-dripping second session that included some one-v-ones as well as some 4 v.

The final four teams standing after WPS ended its regular season were FC Gold Pride in first place, the Boston Breakers in second place, the Philadelphia Independence in third place, and for the second year in a row, the Washington Freedom in fourth place.

In a playoff system that gives home advantage to the top three playoff teams, the Washington Freedom traveled up to Philadelphia to take on the Independence in the First Round.

Despite the bungee cords around their wrists, U.S. goalkeepers Ashlyn Harris and Nicole Barnhart (Jill Loyden had the training off) are not in trouble. Those are just devices used by U.S. goalkeeper coach Paul Rogers to help the GKs move their hands and elbows as a unit. The GKs were soon unshackled and allowed to play untethered in the 7v7 scrimmage.

If you play for the U.S. Women's National Team, and especially if you've played at the youth levels, you have spent many a prom, graduation, holiday, birthday or anniversary on the road. But the players on the U.S. WNT never let that bother them. Exhibit A, the players' dinner attire tonight. There was even some pre-dinner Trick or Treating for Kristine Lilly's two-year-old daughter Sidney, who went door-to-door at the players' hotel rooms (Sidney's mom supplied the candy for her teammates).

Mmmm - buttery leather: FC Dallas Coach Schellas Hyndman talks with Brek Shea before the game at Real Salt Lake last weekend (AP Photo).

*FC Dallas scolded the local media this week for ignoring the team ahead of Sunday's Western Conference Championship game in Carson against the Galaxy (6 p.

Why is there a long-haired dauchson hanging out in the team hotel? We have no idea. And is there such thing as a long-haired dauchson? Apparently so.
We think it belongs to one of the hotel workers, but it seems to have taken a liking to U.S. goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris, who gave him some good pre-practice scratches before the USA boarded the bus to training.

Alex Morgan bears down on Jill Loyden ("bears down"...she goes to Cal, get it?)

Just two more days of training before the USA kicks off against Italy in the most important, and last, game of 2010. Today's practice was the coldest of the week for the U.S. WNT and it actually started sleeting at the end of training.

For women's soccer fans, Saturday's game is kind of a big deal. After winning or being in the finals or semi-finals of every FIFA Women's World Cup, the U.S. national team is fighting to even be in the 2011 line-up. The CONCACAF WWCQ semifinal loss against Mexico showed vulnerability in the USWNT and pushed them to a home-home series with Italy to determine who gets to play in Germany next summer.

The Women's Professional Soccer draft takes place next week, on January 15th in Philadelphia at the NSCAA National Convention.

The folks at WPS have done a great job keeping fans in the loop and as we countdown to the big day, they've polled a number of media experts to rank the top college seniors.

If you want to play women's professional soccer, there is one collegiate programs that seems to do a particularly good job prepping players for the big show. In the recent 2010 Women's Pro Soccer Draft, seven Tar Heels were selected, including four of the first eight picks.

Tobin Heath was drafted first overall by the Atlanta Beat.

The 16th week of WPS kicked off with two mid-week games as the Philadelphia Independence hosted the Chicago Red Stars while the Beat hosted the Washington Freedom. Amy Rodriguez continued to be on fire as she led Philly to a 3-0 win, and the Beat defeated the Freedom 3-2. The weekend action started with the Freedom traveling to Boston as they fell to the Breakers 3-1.

It was a game that, at times, it looked like Philadelphia should have had four or five goals on the board. Instead, it took 120 minutes for the Independence to score the only goal of the match and earn a well-deserved win.

Sometimes, you just got to do it the hard way.

The Philadelphia Independence hosted Washington Freedom on Sunday in the first round of the WPS playoffs and it was a nervous start for both teams.

It was a game that, at times, it looked like Philadelphia should have had four or five goals on the board. Instead, it took 120 minutes for the Independence to score the only goal of the match and earn a well-deserved win.

Sometimes, you just got to do it the hard way.

The Philadelphia Independence hosted Washington Freedom on Sunday in the first round of the WPS playoffs and it was a nervous start for both teams.

After the USA's 2-1 victory over China last night in Kennesaw, Ga., on goals from Megan Rapinoe and Heather O'Reilly, the team will travel this morning to Philadelphia to prepare for the second leg of this tw0-game series taking place on Oct. 6 at PPL Park. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2 at 7 p.

The U.S. WNT got its first look at PPL Park today and what a great soccer venue it is. If you've ever been in some of the small stadiums across Europe, this really has that feel, and that fact that more and more of these stadiums are being built in America is a foundation on which our professional game can certainly continue to grow.

Great (and athletic) block by Heather Mitts of Amy Rodriguez' shot! That's just what defenders do...

It was the coolest day in Cancun so far for the U.S. WNT, which made today's training even more enjoyable. It also featured some 6 v. 6 on big goals, and you know how much the U.

The United States Women's National Team will began their preparation for the Four Nations Tournament in China by inviting 26 players to camp at the Home Depot Center on Jan. 8-13.
Coach Pia Sundhage will then select 23 for the final roster for the tournament that will pit the USWNT against Sweden, Canada, and the hosts, China.