The United States has arrived in New Zealand for their bid at a third-straight World Cup crown and they're already feeling "at home" in Aotearoa.
The American women's football team touched down in Auckland this morning fresh off a 2-0 win over Wales yesterday, leaving the stadium in San Francisco to head directly to the airport for their flight.
Still recovering from the match as well as a 13-hour flight, players didn't stop to speak to media on arrival in Auckland but coach Vlatko Andonovski obliged, saying it was good to be back in New Zealand after getting a taste of what was to come with their friendly fixtures against the Football Ferns earlier this year.
"For us, preparation for the World Cup started a while ago," Andonovski said.
"We were here in January and started our work with the community then."
Coach Vlatko Andonovski said it was good to be back in New Zealand after getting a taste of Kiwi culture earlier this year. (Source: 1News)
The US will be set up in Auckland for the duration of the tournament, training at the Bay City Park grounds in Brown's Bay.
Andonovski said the team were looking forward to getting settled into camp.
"We almost feel like now we're at home again," he said.
"It definitely feels more comfortable... we want to become New Zealand's second favourite team."
The US are chasing history at the tournament, looking to become the first team - male or female - to win three consecutive FIFA World Cups after winning in Canada in 2015 and France four years ago.
It would be their fifth title if they can pull it off, having also won the inaugural event in China in 1991 as well as on home soil in 1999 and would add to the four Olympic gold medals [1996, 2004, 2008 and 2012] they've also won en route to becoming a powerhouse in the women's game.
So how do they go about it? Andonovski summarised it in two words: "play well."
His team's first chance to do that will be next Saturday at Eden Park when they take on Vietnam to open their pool play.
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