The U.S. arrived yesterday in Portugal after the conclusion of a 17-day training camp at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California
      "You can't beat the competition at the Algarve," said U.S. Captain Christie Rampone. "Especially because it's early in the year, you really get a good read where the team is and what we need to work on going forward. It's really one of the few times we have the chance to see Germany so hopefully we can play them this year. It really is the only tournament that sort of replicates the Olympics."
      U.S. Soccer has announced the schedule, kickoff times and venues for the U.S. Team. The two-time defending Algarve Cup champions begin their title defense against Denmark on Wednesday, March 4, at Municipal Stadium in Lagos, at noon.
      The United States, which has been placed in Group B, will next meet Iceland on March 6, in Ferreiras, at 3 p.m, and conclude first round play on March 9, against Norway, in Albufeira, also at 3 p.m.
      All of the first round matches will be played in small stadiums spread throughout Algarve - Portugal's most popular tourist area. But both the championship game and the third-place match will also be played at the Estadio Algarve in Faro, a 30,000-seat venue built for the 2004 European Championships that were held in Portugal.
      This tournament, lagging in prestige only to the World Cup, European Cup and Olympics, includes 12 teams. The top eight are split into two groups, A and B, with the winners advancing to the title game. Group C has the lower ranked teams, including host Portugal.
      Group A consists of Germany, Sweden, China and Finland, while Group C includes Poland, Wales and Austria in addition to Portugal.
      The tournament figures to be even more intense this year because the top teams will use these games to prepare for the 2009 UEFA Women's Championships, which will be played this summer, in Finland. All six European teams in Groups A and B will be in Finland.
      "The Algarve Cup is always an important tournament and is especially good for the U.S. as we get to play the top European countries," said Sundhage. "We will not play as many matches this year as we did in 2008, so these games are important to keep the team evolving, in defending but especially in the attack. These games will test our ability to play our style while developing a rhythm that helps make our attack unpredictable and involves a lot of different players and positions. Of course, we are bringing some young players to the tournament this year and it will be great to get them some experience in these kinds of games."
      The United States has been in Algarve 13 times, winning six times, including the last two tournaments, both times with victories over Denmark. In 2007, Kristine Lilly and Carli Lloyd had the goals in the 2-0 win and last year Natasha Kai and Abby Wambach scored as the U.S. squeezed out a 2-1 victory.
      Although Sundhage usually uses this tournament to take a good look at new players, she does take it very seriously and plays to win. As a result, her roster includes 13 players from the team that won the gold medal at the 2008 Olympics. Included on the list are Shannon Boxx, a two-time Algarve Cup MVP, captain Christie Rampone and defenders Heather Mitts and Lori Chalupny.
The list of less experienced players includes midfielders Angie Woznuk (6 caps, 1 goal), Tina DiMartino (1/0) and Kacey White (15/0).
      Because the next FIFA Women's World Cup is still about two and half years away, there is no sense of urgency for the United States in this tournament, but the players are still looking forward to the competition.
After the conclusion of the tournament, many of the players will be coming to the United States to play in the inaugural season of the Women's Professional Soccer, which will have its kickoff on March 29 when the Los Angeles Sol host the Washington Freedom.

Training camp starts Monday
Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) debuts March 29

      The Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), a new pro league for women in the United States, will have seven teams that begin training camp on Monday, en route to opening day, March 29, with the debut match pitting host Los Angeles Sol against the Washington Freedom.
      The local franchise will be the Boston Breakers. The other teams include Chicago Red Stars, St. Louis Athletica, Sky Blue FC of New Jersey and FC Gold Pride from Santa Clara, California.
      Women's pro soccer in the United States ended in 2003, when the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) folded.
      This time around, WPS commissioner Tonya Antonucci believes that the league will be much better prepared to survive, despite the current financial woes across the country.
      "Our spending has been within our plan, where we anticipated," Antonucci says. "We stayed on budget for the closing of our 2008 books. We're projecting to be within budget for 2009.
      "A big part of our focus is to be disciplined, to manage every line item closely to ensure sustainability. We don't want to overspend."
      Player salaries will average around $32,000 and contracts will last seven-months in order to provide players with the opportunity to seek other venues to generate income, including camps, coaching jobs and national team play.
      By keeping the salaries low, the WPS will also be able to offer very modest season ticket plans, ranging from $99 to $160 for the 10-game packages. Premium seating will vary between $250 and $650, although teams will have the ability to charge higher fees other seats, including on-field packages. Tickets prices for the Breakers will be $13, $18 and $25, depending on the section.

©O Jornal 2009