The opening matches of the Canada/Australia and US/Norway two-game series were covered in a bit of gloom as a number of players struggled in their own ways to come to terms with the loss of their fellow competitor and a role model for many in the game. All four teams wore "CP" armbands and Sam Mewis wore 22 instead of 3 to honor the void that was left in the National Team program by Christie's passing. A 40th-minute goal by Julie Ertz from an Abby Dahlkemper corner kick, combined with a stoppage-time tally from Sam Mewis, gave the US a 2-0 victory over their Scandinavian rivals. In Vancouver, goals from Sam Kerr and Jessie Fleming cancelled one another out and the Aussies and Canadians played to a 1-1 draw.
***
Steph Labbe, Shelina, Kailen, and Sam Kerr were met at O'Hare by Joy Fawcett, who took them to the US team hotel to check-in and have dinner with the Americans and their partners. Following dinner, the players broke into smaller groups, with Steph and Shelina catching up with Christen and Alyssa and Kailen and Sam spending time with Sam and Abby. The night was kept relatively short as everyone would be flying to Newark together tomorrow morning for what promised to be a long day and night.
***
On the flight from Chicago to Newark, Shelina and Julie spent some time talking about their teams and the current status of their personal lives.
Shelina: I know we're supposed to have this huge rivalry between our teams, but I don't feel that kind of animosity toward you. Maybe it's because we've seen the problems that transpired in the past when it was Sinc and Tanc vs. Abby and Carli and then Herdman vs. Ellis on top of it.
Julie: Could also be that I play with Didi in Philly.
Shelina: True. She say anything recently about the two of us?
Julie: Not really. Things at the club are a little tense with us not having picked up any points since before the LAST international break and the throttlings we took from Boston and LA didn't help Erin's mindset that they might want to look elsewhere for a keeper for next year.
Shelina: That's a bummer. She hasn't brought up anything of the sort to me. Of course, we haven't talked since she was in LA with the Charge two weeks ago. Any clarity for you coming?
Julie: I'm guessing Christen and you talk since you're both dealing with a bit of the long-distance thing, so she's probably mentioned that I am beginning to look at options for next season and one would be coming to LA to play with her again.
Shelina: Not to mention be together again, at least in-season.
Julie: See, that's the tricky part. She's been avoiding me most of camp, with our only time together being on Thursday morning after the announcement of Christie's death. I know she loves me and she still wants me, but I don't understand why she seems to be pulling away.
Shelina: I probably shouldn't butt in, but she told me after your game against us that she feels like she's being played by you, that you have no real intention to leave Zach and that you also don't think she would end it with you if push came to shove.
Julie: I get her point. I HAVE been dragging this thing out longer than I should, but I don't want to make the leap while we're in-season. If she needs to know, or wants to know, I am just riding out the last handful of weeks with him, then little-by-little will store things of mine so that if the trade to LA happens, I can just pick up and go, no knock-down drag-out with him.
Shelina: So the possible trade, I'm guessing that I'd be going in return.
Julie: I haven't talked to Erica on my end about it yet. Was planning to do that during the week after our next game, but it would make for an easy deal to be done. You'd get to come back east and I'd get to be with Christen for good.
Shelina: And coming back east might mean getting another chance with Didi or having the opportunity to find someone else that I can settle down with.
***
The long procession from Newark to New Brunswick began upon departing from the airport. Upon arrival in town, Steph Labbe and Sam Kerr called their significant others to find out where to meet them once they were settled. Yael said that she, Heather, and Nikki would come to the hotel to pick them and Shelina up, then the six of them could go over to Carli and Jill's to rest and get changed while spending some peaceful time together before the visitation started at 4.
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