Tianjin, China – American Cat Whitehill spotted her English friend Rachel Unitt in the hotel lobby and jumped off the sofa to give her a bear hug.
“I just sent you a text,” Whitehill said. “I’ve just been talking about you. … Are you going to practice? So let’s hang out later. What room are you in?”
Whitehill is a key defender for the United States, which faces England on Saturday in a Women’s World Cup quarterfinal in this industrial city of 10 million overshadowed by neighboring Beijing.
Unitt and England forward Rachel Yankey played briefly a few summers ago with Whitehill on the New Jersey Wildcats in the W-League – the top U.S. league – and they will be out to eliminate the top-ranked United States and end its 50-game unbeaten streak.
“I’ve still got (today) to really get mad at them,” Whitehill said.
The United States wobbled briefly in group matches against No. 5 North Korea, No. 3 Sweden and five-time African champion Nigeria, but managed to win the tournament’s toughest group.
The Americans are chasing their third World Cup title, and England might look like a slightly easier test. North Korea faces defending champion Germany in Saturday’s other quarterfinal. On the other side of the bracket Sunday, Norway plays China and Brazil faces Australia.
If the United States wins, it gets Brazil or Australia in the semifinals with the Sept. 30 final in sight.
But beware of looking too far ahead.
England is home to the modern game, and lately the English women have been emulating their men. England drew with defending champion Germany 0-0 in group play. In a tournament eight months ago in southern China, the English tied the Americans 1-1.
