Party

Yesterday I enjoyed my quarterfinal match between Germany and Norway and really had a great time with my crew during the game. Today we've already had a training session and soon we will have debriefing in order to review all four of the quarterfinal matches. At the end of the meeting, we will find out which referees have been appointed to remain at the tournament for the final two rounds of play. Since there are not as many games in these two rounds, many of the referees will be released and will be returning home tomorrow. While we do not yet know who will be released, we do know that tonight we will have a referee dinner and party. We are all looking forward to having an enjoyable evening together sharing our experiences from our last three weeks in Japan.



Several referees at the Tokyo National Stadium between quarterfinal matches

Quarterfinal

I am honored to have been assigned as the referee for the quarterfinal game between Germany and Norway, which will be played on Friday at 4:00PM in Saitama. My assistant referees for this match will be Kimberly Moreira from Costa Rica, and Emperatriz Ayala from El Salvador. Dianne Ferreira-James from Guyana will be the fourth official. We are all looking forward to working together and we are excited to be able to participate in this next phase of the tournament.

3rd Round of Games

The game between Japan and Switzerland resulted in a 4:0 win for Japan. I enjoyed working with my CONCACAF crew. We were all happy to have to the chance to referee in the Tokyo National Stadium, and we appreciated the enthusiasm of the Japanese fans throughout the game. Yesterday all of the referees that were not working matches went to watch two more matches in Saitama. It was a relaxed afternoon at the stadium and it is always nice to be able to cheer on our colleagues. This morning we had our usual fitness training, which will be followed by an afternoon debriefing session for the third round of games. And later this evening we will attend a dinner hosted by Japan Football Association. I'm looking forward to a great dinner -- Japan has does an excellent job of making this a memorable event, and I'm sure tonight will be no different.

Marisol Salazar, Lucila Venegas, Margaret Domka, and Kimberly Moreira before the Switzerland vs. Japan match

City Visit

Yesterday all of the referees were together in Tokyo again after everyone had completed their travels from the second round of games. Therefore, after our typical training and debriefing sessions, we had the opportunity to visit the city for a couple hours in the afternoon. We visited the Asakusa Temple and the Japan Football Museum. The Asakusa Temple was a very popular destination for Japanese and foreign tourists alike. There were endless shops leading up to the temple, and the entire area was teeming with people.

Pernilla Larsson from Sweden, Dianne Ferreira-James from Guyana, and I in front of the Asakusa Temple

The Japan Football Museum was very interesting to visit. There was a lot of memorabilia from the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan. I also enjoyed seeing the pictures and equipment from referees in past FIFA World Cup tournaments.

3rd Assignment

I am very pleased that tomorrow I will be working my 3rd game of the tournament. I will be the referee for the match between Japan and Switzerland being played at 7:20PM at the Tokyo National Stadium. The assistant referees for this match are Kimberly Moreira from Costa Rica and Marisol Salazar from Guatemala. The fourth official is Lucila Venegas from Mexico.

More Pictures

Here are a few more pictures...


Teodora Albon (Romania) and I preparing for our return trip to Tokyo from Miyagi

City view from my hotel room

All of the referees that worked in Migayi on August 22

 

Pictures

I've arrived back in Tokyo and have had a chance to upload some of my pictures from the last 2 days. Enjoy!



Mariana de Almeida (Argentina) and I on the train on our way to Miyagi

Miyagi Stadium



Mexico vs. Switzerland referee crew


 

Back to Tokyo

This morning I will return to the referee headquarters in Tokyo. I will join the other referees I'm traveling with for breakfast, and then we will immediately head to the train station. Our visit to Miyagi was very nice. We stayed in a hotel at the top of the tallest building in Tokyo where we've had a great view of the city. Last night after our match we had some time to quickly walk along a shopping center, which was only a few blocks from our hotel. Although the shops were closed, the area was alive with people. It was fun to see all of the different clothing styles and to be among the energetic atmosphere.

It's time to go -- I have a train to catch! 

2nd Assignment

Today I will be working my second game of the tournament. I will be the fourth official for the 4:20PM game between Mexico and Switzerland in Miyagi. I will be joining referee Ana Marques from Brazil, and assistant referees Mariana De Almeida from Argentina and Luzmila Gonzalez from Colombia. Yesterday was a busy day here. The morning started with a field training session. When we returned we ate lunch, had a debriefing session from the first round of games, and immediately departed for the train station. We were on the train for about two hours before arriving in Miyagi. The trip was quite comfortable, but when we arrived we were all ready to eat dinner and get some sleep. Now it is game day, and soon I'll be meeting with my crew to begin our preparations.

Relaxed Day

Last night's game between Brazil and Italy was demanding for the entire referee crew, but we enjoyed working through all of the challenges we were presented with. Today I have a relaxed day in order to re-energize both physically and mentally. I will have a light training session in the hotel gym this afternoon and afterward will watch the day's matches. None of today's matches are close enough for the non-working referees to attend, so we will watch them on television in our hotel. This morning I took advantage of my free time by joining some other referees for a walk around the area. We were a small group because most of the referees were not at the hotel. Referees that did not have matches yesterday or today had a field training session this morning, while the referees that had to travel by train for yesterday's matches have not yet returned. They should be back by mid-day today, and I'm looking forward to hearing about their games and travel experiences.

Elizabeth Cuff, Fadouma Dia, Margaret Domka, and Emperatriz Ayala

Game Assignment

I am very pleased and honored to have received a game assignment for the first day of games at the U20 Women's World Cup. I will be the referee on Sunday for the match in Saitama between Brazil and Italy. The other members of my crew are Emperatriz Ayala from El Salvador, Elizabeth Cuff from Cuba, and Fadouma Dia from Senegal. I am sure we will make a great crew. Tomorrow will be a day of preparation for the game, and I know we will all be anxiously awaiting our chance to be on the field for this this fun and exciting match.

Referee's Dinner

The Tokyo Tower was right across the street from The Place of Tokyo, the location of the Referee's Dinner

Last night all of the referees were invited to a Referee's Dinner hosted by FIFA at The Place of Tokyo. We ate traditional Japanese food and everything was DELICIOUS! Spending some relaxed time enjoying the company of our friends added to the experience. It is truely amazing to be a part of such an international group. We learned last night that the 60 people that make up our group (referees, instructors, mentors) represent 44 different countries. It is really incredible to share our cultures with one another and to be able to connect with people from all over the world. And even though we all have different backgrounds and experiences, when we step on the field we're able to work together as one team.


Emi Chiba and I in our new FIFA suits for the Referee's Dinner

Field Training

On Wednesday we had our first training session on the field. This is always one of my favorite parts of a tournament because the referees have the opportunity to train together as a team.  Many of us aren't able to train in groups at home, so having coaches and being surrounded by the positive attitudes of our peers makes the training very rewarding. The sessions combine both fitness with technical training that will help us prepare for our matches. Our coaches guide us through many activities and give us pointers on how to be at our best during the games.

Yesterday we had fitness evaluations on the field. There is always some added pressure with evaluations, but again, the attitude of the group was very positive. We are all aiming for the same goal of having strong referee performances during the games. Therefore, each member of the group supported each other to keep pushing through the session even when we were fatigued. At the end of the day, the group was able to walk away from the field knowing we've all put in a lot of work before arriving and we're physically prepared for the matches.

All smiles from Petruta Iugulescu and I on our way to the fitness evaulations.

Welcome

I've gotten a good night of sleep and am ready to start my day in Tokyo, where I am 14 hours ahead of Central Time. Reflecting on last night, I have to say I appreciated the steps the Japanese hosts have taken to make us feel very welcome. I was greeted both at the airport and the hotel immediately upon arrival. I also had a couple small gifts waiting for me in my room -- a cloth banner and a decorative fan with the tournament logo. What a nice touch!

I also received the Adidas gear that I'll be needing throughout the tournament. Just like the players, the referees are a team. We will all dress the same for all of the tournament functions, both on and off the field.

Hello Japan!

I've arrived in Japan after an uneventful trip. Well, almost uneventful... It would have been uneventful if it hadn't been for that darn blueberry tea that I spilled all over myself as soon as I arrived at the Milwaukee airport yesterday. Did you know blueberry tea stains blue? Good thing I was wearing a navy blue suit! The moment it happened I had to laugh -- I just had to start a long day of travel off with some comic relief!



An interesting building we passed on the way to the hotel

The great thing about the first day of any tournament is seeing old friends again and meeting some new ones. There were many hugs to go around among the referees as we were all very happy to see each other. And some of the ladies even realized it was my birthday -- so I was surprised with a couple rounds of "Happy Birthday" songs during dinner, and a special slice of cake. What a great way to start off the tournament!

Celebrating mybirthday with some of the other referees :)

Ready for Take-Off

My bags are packed and I'm ready to begin my journey. I've spent my last couple days at home watching the remainder of the Olympic tournament and preparing myself mentally for the U20 Women's World Cup. Tomorrow will be a long day on planes, trains, and automobiles, but the experience I am about to embark on will be well-worth the travel. I've also had the opportunity to put more time in on the field this week refereeing, which has me feeling ready for some intense, fast, and exciting matches. Thanks to all of you that have been sending well-wishes my way. I can't wait to share this experience with you!

Preparations

Margaret Domka, Marlene Duffy, Kari Seitz, and Veronica Perez after completing the pre-tournament FIFA Fitness Test.

The preparations for the U20 Women's World Cup began the moment I received the invitation and have continued throughout the past few months. In June I took pre-tournament fitness test with Kari Seitz, Marlene Duffy, and Veronica Perez -- the USA referees preparing for the Olympics. Of course, the fitness preparations have continued since that test as the goal is to be in peak form upon arriving in Japan in the middle of August. Throughout the summer I've also had many opportunities to referee, self-analyze my games, and receive feedback from mentors. I'm grateful for the constant support I've received from around the country in helping me with the many aspects of preparation. It has been very exciting, and great mental preparation, to have the opportunity to watch the soccer matches at the London Olympics before departing for the U20 WWC. Every game I've watched has made me more anxious for my upcoming tournament and more focused on my goals of representing the USA well.