The Bluffton women’s soccer team got the opportunity to travel to Columbus to watch the reigning World Cup champions, the United States Women’s National Team, play in an international friendly against Sweden on Nov. 7.
We got to Columbus about an hour early, which gave us time to get food, purchase souvenirs and take in the atmosphere of the stadium. We were able to get near the field during warm-ups. NBC4, a news station, interviewed some of our team right before the national team took the field to warm up.
“They asked us how cool it was to be at the game and what the women team means to us,” Sienna Sullivan, a junior goalkeeper, said.
One highlight of the game came when members of our team were able to scream loud enough at Julie Ertz, a midfielder on the USWNT, for her to hear, and getting her to wave at us.
When the game started, it was about 32 degrees. Several people brought blankets, and we all dressed in layers, so the weather wasn’t too bad.
“The weather for me didn’t really have an impact on the game, mainly because I was still super excited to see them play and learn new things that I could incorporate for myself as a soccer player,” said Shawn Broadhurst, a sophomore forward. “There were some points, like at halftime or when someone was hurt, where I was ready to be out of the cold but other than that it didn’t really bother me.”
Once the game started, it was action-packed right away. Carli Lloyd scored in the sixth minute with a one-touch finish in the middle of the box. Christen Press put the United States up 2-0 in the 28th minute after beating several defenders. Lloyd got her second goal of the game in the 31st minute. Sweden scored two late goals, giving the United States a 3-2 win.
I thought one of the most memorable things about the game was having the opportunity to see the players that I have looked up to growing up, both as athletes and as people, in person. We got to see Press’ 50th goal in international competition in person, which is unique. It was also amazing to see their level of play.
“What impressed me is how calm they are on the ball and the way their first touches always go where they want it to,” Broadhurst said. “Whether that’s to a player’s foot, to their foot or a flick over a player’s head, they can somehow always manage to get the ball there.”
Overall, going to the game also helped bring us closer together as a soccer team.
“I think being able to experience it with the people who I value the most was a huge benefit on top of going to the game,” Broadhurst said. “Being able to watch it as a team and being able to see the enjoyment in everyone’s faces really made it special. Anyone can watch the USWNT on TV, but not many can say they got to watch it live with 24 of their best friends.”
