The U.S. WNT has begun camp in Princeton, N.J. in preparation for its May 27 match against China at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage has called in 28 players, but will choose 18 to suit up against the Chinese, a team the USA met in its last trip to PPL in October of 2010 when the long-time rivals drew 1-1 as Alex Morgan scored her first career WNT goal.

Over the Easter weekend, U.S. WNT players Lori Lindsey and Becky Sauerbrunn were guests of the White House, participating in the 134thAnnual Easter Egg Role on the South Lawn. This year's theme was "Let's Go, Let's Play, Let's Move" which would seem to be right up the alley for a WNT player.

Latiff (yellowed jersey) started this AFC matchAhmad Latiff Khamarudin made his much awaited start of the season on local soil for Tampines Rovers that caught many by surprise in their AFC Cup fixture against Song Lam Nghe An (SLNA) of Vietnam.
Still yet to clear the mandatory beep test which the ace midfielder failed earlier of the day for the eighth time, the decision left many puzzled over the decision by Stags' coach Steven Tan.

Players don't love it. Coaches need it. And the facial expressions are always entertaining after everyone hear's the words 'beep test'.
A common method of evaluating a player's fitness base, the beep test itself isn't that complicated. While there are different forms, generally speaking there are two lines spaced approximately 20 meters apart, and players have to reach each line before the beep.

Following Kris Boyd's official introduction, the Portland Timbers held a closed practice beneath cloudy skies at Jeld-Wen Field. Boyd joined the team for his first practice as a Timber and seemed to fit in right away during the team's warm-up sessions. From the moment the team was on the pitch Boyd looked at ease and spent time chatting with Eric Brunner as the team did their early running.

The beginning of a U.S. WNT camp inevitably features the Beep Test, the USA's endurance/fitness test that involves running back and forth between cones -- and beeps -- with the time between beeps getting shorter as the players advance through the test. Suffice it to say, it hurts, but the U.

The beep test is a progression of short runs where the testee is to pace themselves to turn on the beep, not faster, not slower. It tests not speed, but endurance and today a few players showed quite well. Andy Rose and David Estrada each won their heats, while Mike Seamon and Cordell Cato came in second in their rounds.

It's going to be a busy week for KC in the last week of the offseason. There's plenty of information that looks like it will be coming out this week. Let's take a look real quick chronologically.
Tomorrow, as I posted earlier today is the Supplemental Draft. KC will possibly add 5 more players that would be coming into preseason this year.

(This entry is formulated with the transcript obtained from S.League title sponsor, H-TWO-O, via the Football Association of Singapore)
Isa and H-TWO-O - a perfect combinationBoasting a score of 13.3 in the pre-season beep test, Home United and Singapore national team midfielder Isa Halim is one of the best in the business.

Kelley O'Hara seems to levitate above the jump pad. She's magical.
As the U.S. team often does at the beginning of training camps, there was a battery of fitness tests on the second day of the Arizona camp and while the players, most coming off a six-week break, are not at optimal fitness, they aren't supposed to be.

Who wouldn't want to see Singapore football prosper unless he/she doesn't give a damn.
Whilst we are experiencing that bit of little "renaissance" taking place since 28th July, let just not get too carry away and it's time to get real.
I am kind of agree with what former Straits Times' Sports Editor Godfrey Robert said in his column in his recent column published in The New Paper.

Talking with Singapore international midfielder Mustafic Fahruddin he confirmed he would be returning to the SLeague at the end of the Indonesia Super League season. He currently plays for Persela.
Should he pass the beep test, where professional footballers are expected to imitate RoadRunner, he hops to make his first appearance for the Stags against SAFFC.

I must admit that sometimes some of my entries, comments may not be "music" to everyone's ears, but I believe these are my mere expression of opinions and thoughts.
Which is why as a thumb of rule, I always remind myself not to go overboard with the usage of words and phrase that might be uncomfortable to the others.

Today's training was a light one. The squad did the beep test on a turf field and then walked down a hill to the grass field for a warm-up and some 9 v 9 from end-line to half field. Lots of nice goals, but a few particularly spicy ones from Lindsay Tarpley. You know the players below, but since not much went on today in the Algarve, we thought we'd give them their close-ups.

Sporting KC made some mroe roster moves today, as they officially waived two more players from last year's team, and let go of two of the team's six draft picks this year. Officially gone now are Sunil Chhetri and Nikos Kounenakis. Both weren't expected to be back and rumors had been floating around for a while.

Beeeeeeeeeep!

A day of fitness testing is in the books for the U.S. WNT and the rest of the camp will be focused on, as Pia Sundhage said in the first team meeting, "play, play, play." But after a morning of VO2 Mac testing on the treadmill, the U.S. team hit the field in the afternoon for its usual quartet of timed 20 and 40-yard dash, agility test, jump test and Beep Test.

U.S. fitness coach Dawn Scott guides Jordan Angeli thorugh the VO2 Max

Today is a day of physical testing for the U.S. WNT. In the morning it was the VO2 max, which saw every player in camp take their turn on the treadmill in the team hotel. Most players expressed a bit of awkwardness at wearing the mask necessary for the test, but despite the fact that it looks a bit funny, the information garnered is extremely valuable to the U.

I talked to three of Sporting Kansas City's draft picks after practice.JT Murray - 2nd round draft pickKonrad Warzycha - 3rd round draft pickSam Scales - 1st round draft pick of the supplemental draftScales running the beep test, he won his group.

Talked with Adda Djeziri after practice. Seems he knows the White Puma pretty well and is staying with him while he is in Kansas City.Adda Djeziri running the beep test. Prior to losing his lunch (breakfast)...