LITTLE ROCK – Freshly touched-down in a new country and stuck inside a guarded hotel complex surrounded by large cement walls, Hali Long needed to run.
Long asked for permission and got it. She found a large grassy area inside the facility and sprinted for 15 minutes. It was 10 p.m. She had too much energy to sleep.
Such is the excitement of advancing to the biggest soccer stage of her career.
In the dark of night in the Southeast Asian country of Myanmar, the reality finally dawned on her. Long and teammates needed a release from all the tension, and running made the most sense.