The team started off as 17 individuals who were brave and cocky but on the inside apprehensive and scared. They quickly gelled as a unit and made friends by gaining respect for one other.

The team was a raged crew when we picked them up from the airport.  They did seem impressed with Singapore Airlines.  I heard quite a few comments about the flight attendants and the 80-some video channels. Their introduction to the German culture started with lunch. They had a choice of schnitzel, stuffed papers, and a vegetarian dish. I think they missed hamburgers. They also quickly learned that there are no ice or water fountains over here and drinking was going to be different.

After lunch they went straight to practice. The field is about ten minutes from the hotel. Because this the week when all Frankfurt fields are replanted we played on an artificial surface. It is a type we have never seen before. It is a cross between Field Turf and Astroturf. The little balls are painted green and are on the surface. It is spongy and actually plays pretty well. They went hard for two very hot hours.

They have been impressed with the soccer culture here. Everywhere one can feel the effect of the World Cup and the country's love of the game.

 

Frankie Lopez 

"The atmosphere is great. It's all about soccer. Our hotel is perfect for this. I don't know how much I would like it just as a tourist but as a soccer player this is the best."

 

Day Two - Wednesday, July 12
The second day started with more training. It had rained the night before so it cooled down a little bit. The boys went straight to a very hard training. Coach Roby Stahl put them through a multitude of drills that tested their mental sharpness and skills. Every time they mastered one he added more dimensions. They responded well. They scrimmaged during the last half of practice. The 88’s did really well tying them 2-2 with goals by Fernando Monge (Washington) and Joe Spivak (New Jersey).  Edgar Diaz (California) set up both goals.

The afternoon was spent on a cruise of the River Rhine from Ruedesheim to St. Goarshausen, home of the castle Lorelei. There was a lot of grumbling beforehand about, "a cruise and corny castles," but once the ship set off there were cameras flashing and fingers pointing. I do not think any of them comprehended how old and massive the structures were. They learned a little history about the river and its historic role in German commerce. The trip was appreciated and a great introduction into the German culture.

The marathon continued with an evening scrimmage against the 88’s. The 90’s jet lag and larger bodies caught up with them and they lost 5-1. The game was closer than the score intends, and given the circumstances, it was to be expected. Because of how hard they worked the coaches decided to give the boys the next morning off.

 

We began the day with a tour of Commerce Stadium. Five World Cup games were played there, including Argentina-Holland, England-Paraguay, and the historical France-Brazil showdown.

The Stadium is the third built on this site dating back to 1925. The second version was built for the 1974 World Cup, and the present version was built for the 2006 World Cup. It is one of four stadiums in Europe with a 3,000 ton retractable roof.  The roof folds like a tent into a large box that hangs in the middle of the stadium. It seats 63,000 fans and can also used for concerts, conventions, trade fairs and parties. It has 80 VIP suites and a club section. The boys were most impressed by the dressing room, which had 12 individual hot tubs. The media room and the jail under the stadium were also favorites of the team.

Some of the boys visited the German Soccer Federation in the afternoon where they saw Germany's three World Cup trophies. They were most impressed by the equipment room which held Michael Ballack's shoes. They all noticed he had the names of his children stitched into the leather.

The day ended with a 6:00 p.m. game. The team they played, Eintracht Frankfurt, is the number one team in the 1990 age group for Germany and it showed from the beginning.

 

The Germans quickly scored a beautiful goal off a corner kick that got the boys attention. Our team did manage to answer on a Demand Monge shot coming from a Kevin Bick cross. At halftime the score stood 1-1.  In the second half jet lag and a lag of familiarity caught up with the U.S. side and Frankfurt imposed its will on them. The score ended 4-1, all on good goals. The Super Y-League boys were not without changes but on this day Frankfurt was the better side.

The boys learned how the Germans fight for every ball, play extremely quick soccer and make expert use of their set plays. They also noticed the dedication of players who are on track to play professional soccer and are in effect professional players now. The seriousness of their play was clear.

After the game our team was surprised and flattered by the German youth who were waiting outside to get autographs. It really caught our boys off guard. They then went to a grill party with the Frankfurt boys and had a really nice evening. Tomorrow we will train, visit the Eintracht Frankfurt's Bundesliga team's practice, visit a soccer shop and head to our next city.

Luis Rocha, Defender, 1990 Select Team
Once in New York, I met the rest of my teammates. It was a six hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany. Practice started at 3:00 p.m.  In practice we worked on our technical abilities – possession, grid work, and passing.  We scrimmaged at the end. After practice we headed straight to dinner, after which we had lights out by 11 p.m.

 

The next morning we ate breakfast. Most of the team had cereal and fruit. Then we headed out to the field for 9 a.m. After warming up for a little, we worked more possession drills. The last 40 minutes was a scrimmage with the 88’s. We tied them 2-2.

 

We then took a team tour down the Rhine River. There were many castles and vineyards along the river. The bus took us back for dinner. After dinner we scrimmaged the 88’s again and didn’t fair as well.

 

The next morning we toured the Frankfurt stadium. It was amazing. We saw the VIP suites and the holding cells. We examined the locker rooms used by France and Argentina during the World Cup. We are now preparing for our first game of the trip – Eintracht Frankfurt.