U.S. Women’s National Team departs for Olympic training camp in Middlesbrough, England

The U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team will depart for England tomorrow for a pre-Olympic training camp on the grounds of Middlesbrough FC. The team will train in northeast England for six days before traveling north to Glasgow on July 17 to prepare for the opening match of the Olympics on July 25 against France at the famed Hampden Park (5 p.m. local 12 p.m. ET).

The U.S. will begin Group G play two days before the Olympic Opening Ceremonies and then face Colombia at Hampden Park on July 28 (5 p.m. local / 12 p.m. ET). The Americans finish group play against Korea DPR on July 31 (5:15 p.m. local / 12:15 p.m. ET) at the legendary Old Trafford in Manchester, home to Manchester United.

The U.S. team will use the week in Middlesbrough to acclimate to the time change (five hours ahead of ET), doing some sight-seeing and make sure that all systems are go as the team heads into the final preparations for what is surely the marquee opening match of the women’s soccer tournament.

U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage is bringing 22 players to the U.K., the 18-player Olympic Team plus the four players chosen as alternates. In the past, the alternate goalkeeper has traveled with the team, but this will be the first Olympics since 1996 in which the alternate field players will also train with the team as much as possible during the Olympics.