Welcome home!

A whole committee of welcoming parents and friends met us at Landvetter airport, happy to have us back again. And we were happy to see them, of course, and glad to show them the trophy.

The girls each got Azalea coloured roses. All coaches and chaperons was presented with other nice prizes by the parents. Anders got the most over all prize of first bringing the idea of going to USA CUP up two years ago.

Saying hello to the families also means saying goodbye to the team. Our trip is over but not our adventure. In August trainings start again and then the series begin again and there are matches and...

Thank you!

Photo: Bibbi Forsman and Ulf Svensson
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Last day in Chicago, bags stuffed with the shopping we did now and then over the last days. And the cooler comes to Sweden, maybe it will replace the "fikabord" at games?

But much more important than stuff we bring; we are filled with lovely memories, e-mail addresses to new friends, knowledge of another country, the sense of new flavours. And a trophy, joy and passion for the game of soccer!

To all families, guest players and new friends we met: Thank you for making this trip unforgettable! Thank you for giving of your time and sharing your homes! We are overwhelmed and will keep you dear in our hearts.

Hope we all meet again!

Arrival at Northwestern campus, Minneapolis

Breakfast at dawn and a schoolbus ride to Union Station, Chicago


This photo: Herik Benjegård





Departure 7.00 AM, a coach ride almost eight hours long. We traveled from the state of Illinois, through Wisconsin to Minnesota.





Anders and Henrik used the time for tactics.



We stay in dorms at Northwestern University campus. It is all so nicely and well organized.



Julianna, the first of our American guest players, came with us on the bus from Chicago. Welcome to our team!



Dinner at the campus cafeteria: food is great! And well needed, we didn't really get enough to eat today. After dinner there was time for a short training, a dip in the pool and checking in the other teams staying here.


Photo: Bibbi Forsman

Irma is not feeling well, had to see the doctor for her throat problem. These pills will certainly make her well soon!

Follow the yellow tshirt!

Packed and prepared for a tourist day in Chicago: swimsuit and the hotel's address card just in case...Most of us were awake long before breakfast opened at six o'clock, still having Swedish time in our systems.



Vanessa and her colleagues took us to the train station in Lombard, a 45 minute ride from Chicago city center.



Swedish fish sweets?











First sight of the day: Sears Tower, third tallest building in the world, 110 storeys high. The elevator ride was great fun and the view amazing this clear and sunny day.



Picknick lunch before the bus ride to Oak Beach, for a swim and some rest.













Four persons we gave our CD today:
- The Chicago lady who entered the local CTA bus we were traveling. She was dressed in a t-shirt just like ours! And didn't really see us first, until we cheered her and gave her a big applause. Then she looked up and was she surprised!
- The nice lady who showed us the much quicker underground express bus back to the train station after our swim at Oak Beach.
- The train conductor who found a lost mobile phone of ours on the train and returned it at the Lombard platform when returning to Chicago.
- A photographer at our dinner restaurant who took a group photo and said he would put the picture in the paper (?).

Being a group of 30 people dressed in yellow SWEDEN t-shirts, we did attract some attention on our sight seeing. So many friendly questions, comments and well wishes from all kinds of people, it was an awesome day!

All the missing bags are all back, all parents can relax.

We are here now!

To all mums and dads at home and to all those who expect us here: we arrived safely, all is well! It's been a long day, look here:



10:00: checked in at Landvetter, Göteborg



12:20: Takeoff for Schiphol, Amsterdam





13:20: After snacks Harald introduced taxfree sale of our CD to our fellow passengers. Thank you for your support!



14:30: Ladies bathroom line after landing in Amsterdam.


this photo: Cornelia F

15:30: Transatlantic flight bound for O'Hare airport Chicago. Eight and a half hours in the air.



00:30 Swedish time, 17.30 PM local time: Arrival. It's HOT!



01:00 Swedish time, 18:00 AM local time: Picked up by our hotel transport, a real American schoolbus!





Photo: Bibbi Forsman

03.30 Swedish time, 8.30 AM local time: Pizza dinner at the hotel for totally exhausted but happy Azalea BK F93 team.

What a day. All went smoothly except for the four bags that went missing. Hopefully they will arrive next evening. Until then, nobody will miss anything.

For tomorrow we plan a trip to the city of Chicago, to Sears Tower and to swim in the lake.

Nu packar vi för USA

Foto: Bibbi F

Nu är det bara en dag kvar innan vi åker till USA! På tisdag kväll kommer vi fram till Chicago. Vi ska stanna där en dag och se oss omkring innan vi tar bussen till Minneapolis.

Från i fredags (4:e juli, Amerikas nationaldag) och under helgen har vi tränat och spelat ett par träningsmatcher mot Åsa IFs Gothia Cup-lag. Nu är det mycket som ska tänkas på och hinnas med och packas ner. Nya matchställ och overaller, till exempel, snygga!