The Turkish Museum of Archeology was our first stop this morning. Once again, Kyle had to work so it was just Jeanine, Maya, and my sister Alissa who made the visit. We could have stayed for much longer but had to make our way to Riva where all preliminary games are being played. We hop the metro and take it to the other side of the Bosphorus (usually about 15 minutes depending on the snafu of the day) where we pick up a taxi van to complete the 45 minute remainder of the journey.

The game was a nail-biter. Haiti scored first with a lovely flick on goal. The US responded when Nico buried a penalty kick near the end of the first half. Haiti opened the second half with another fine goal. Once again, the US battled back and found a way to put the ball in the net to equalize with only seconds left in the match sending it into overtime. Overtime consists of two ten minute halves which is a lot after a full match. Haiti scored first putting pressure on the US to find another goal. We pushed our team forward to press the attack but left ourselves exposed to the quick counter attacks Haiti is known for. Once they had a two goal lead in the overtime period the game was out of reach and for every attempt we made at scoring, Haiti countered with another goal of their own. Although we tied in regulation time, Haiti scored 4 unanswered goals in the overtime period and thus eliminated any chance the US had for a place in the top eight standings. Although the team left the pitch feeling dejected, they played a hell of a match, left everything they had on the field, and showed a ton of grit down to the final seconds. Haiti was the stronger team today and deserved the win. The US played with great composure and intensity and can be very proud of their effort.