USWNT prepares for Olympic send-off match

The U.S. women’s national team held a public practice at Rio Tinto Stadium on Friday in advance of Saturday’s Olympic send-off match against Canada.

Fans lined up outside the stadium before the doors opened at 11 am, despite the hot weather, hoping to get a glimpse of their favorite players.

Although the team’s practice was fairly short, those in attendance were able to see the likes of Hope Solo, Abby Wambach, and Alex Morgan participate in some specialized drills and some short-sided games.

While the Friday event was largely geared toward the fans, the team itself is taking the Canada game quite seriously.

Megan Rapinoe spoke to Prost Amerika earlier this year about facing Canadian teams, remarking:

“Oh yeah, always keep an eye on those neighbors to the north. We play each other so often I feel like every time we turn around we’re playing Canada so it’s always a good rivalry.”

The USWNT practiced in Utah on Wednesday and Thursday as well, acclimating to the altitude as well as the heat, as the team prepares for the London Games.

Saturday’s match will kick off at 12 pm MT and can be seen live on NBC.