Submitted by Jessica Estrada on August 12, 2011 - 12:00am
USA USA USA !
How long is a 15 hour flight?
Four movies, three stretching sessions, two meals, and a looooong deep mouth-opened sleep. This was not just ANY flight but my first time traveling to Australia, playing an Australian sport, in the first ever Women's International Cup. What an opportunity! Feelings of excitement, anxiety, and I-want-to-kick-butt-NOW ran through my body throughout the flight. As a new player, and new to Freedom, I wasn't sure where I stood, how much paying time I would even get, and just how this whole crazy footy scene would be like. I've played various sports all my life -- football, basketball, ultimate, and ran track -- but never at this level. At the moment I stepped off that plane, I was now representing my country.
Lindsey Kastanek kicked the first goal and the Freedom never looked back in their impressive International Cup debut victory over the Australian Indigenous Multicultural team. Playing in rainy conditions the US women played an agressive style and displayed great teamwork to run out winners by the score of 10.12 (72) to 0.0 (0).
USAFL umpire Jon Mills is currently in Australia at the International Cup where he has had the opportunity to umpire players from around the world. Teams that he has umpired so far include, Canada and Ireland on the women's side, Great Britain, Timor Leste and Ireland on the men's side. 
The Revolution have gotten their 2011 International Cup campaign off to a fantasitc start. After going 2-0 in pool play the Americans have secured the number 5 seed in Division 1. Their first game was against familiar foe Canada Northwind and was one of the mostly highly anticipated matchups of the opening round. The game did not disappoint and was described by the announcer as, "A slog with neither team willing to concede a goal."
By: Denis Ryan
By: Denis Ryan
After six months of travelling the world and spreading the word about footy and the upcoming International Cup as the AFL's International Ambassador, Brett Kirk has returned home to Sydney. As part of his journey he visited several USAFL clubs and conducted various coaching, umpiring and training sessions including New York, Boston, Denver, Arizona and Los Angeles. He is now taking time to share his experiences as he continues to promote the International Cup. In an interview with the AFL when asked where, of the places he spent time, he thought Australian Football had real potential, Kirk made the following comments.
