Hello Eagles fans!
Thursday was another long day of travelling for us. We were woken by the alarm at the crack of dawn and by 10am we were already on our flight from Salt Lake City to Philadelphia, which went relatively quickly. From the airport we drove straight to the training ground next to the stadium - home to local club Philadelphia Union - and were immediately put through our paces. The views were incredible in Salt Lake City but the surroundings here aren't bad either! The pitch is right on the banks of the Delaware River, and you can see the stadium and the Commodore Barry Bridge in the background. It's awesome, although we goalkeepers don't have much time to admire the views during training.
Close shave for Moppes
Another unusual thing about the training pitches here in Philadelphia is that there are no safety fences. This nearly resulted in disaster when our goalkeeping coach Moppes Petz fired one of his trademark shots wide of the goal and onto a nearby road. Felix Wiedwald tried to stop it but the ball flew just past the post. A car just happened to be driving past at that very moment! The ball just missed the vehicle, but it was pretty close.
My back has been pinching a bit these last couple of days, but I'm looking forward to the friendly against Philadelphia Union on Saturday. I always enjoy playing in unfamiliar stadiums – it's a great experience. I'm sure it'll be an interesting game. I can't wait!
Yours,
Jan
