Nick Burton/USSF
Megan Rapinoe stepped up to the microphones to speak to reporters on Wednesday in Auckland, New Zealand, to a familiar backdrop. A pristine training pitch glowed a vibrant green behind her. Over her left shoulder was a building structure emblazoned in U.S. Soccer branding.
Rapinoe, her United States 22 teammates, and a staff of more than double that, are half a world away from home, but had they arrived blindfolded, they could have mistaken their training grounds for any U.S. city — maybe even Rapinoe’s home in Seattle, as she joked how familiar she is with the rain and wind that defines what is currently New Zealand’s winter season.
“It’s great,” Rapinoe said of the facilities. “Obviously, beautiful pitch. We have the whole setup and a really nice gym, hotel’s bomb that we are staying at. We’re spoiled here. We feel good and comfortable so excited to get this thing going.”
The U.S. will spend nearly a month in Auckland for the group stage of the 2023 World Cup, save for a two-day trip to…
