"It's a pretty nice lifestyle," says Gayle after she, Filigno and the rest of the Canadian squad held a two-hour practice session Tuesday afternoon in preparation for Thursday night's "friendly" against Brazil at BMO Field in Toronto.
"Soccer is my whole life right now, but it's a very nice life," continued Gayle, a two-year member of the National team who is hoping to make the final roster for the Olympic Games that begin next month in Beijing.
"Beyond the regular stresses of long travel days, this is what I've always dreamed of."
The 17-year-old Filigno, in her first year with the National squad, feels the same way about the travel but wouldn't trade in her life right now for anything else in the world.
"Travel can be bad some times," said Filigno, who played with the Dixie Under-17 team last year. "I had one flight from Korea to Mexico and it was 32 hours. But it's cool to be here.
"I miss some of my friends some times, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," continued Filigno, who rooms with Gayle on the road.
Filigno, like Gayle, still isn't certain about whether she will be in Beijing for the Games since the final National roster hasn't been announced. But with 18 players and four alternates needed to fill out the squad, the likelihood is they'll be making the trip. Nevertheless, Filigno, a midfielder is also realistic.
"I don't have anything to lose, really," she said. "I'm still young and I know I have a lot to prove. There will be more Olympics and World Cups down the road."
Filigno, who will begin classes at Rutgers in January, has two goals in her brief international career. She scored once for Team Canada at the Cypress Cup in March and added another goal in an Olympic qualifying match in April in Juarez, Mexico.
Gayle, who has one semester in psychology remaining at the University of North Carolina, began playing with the Canadian U-19 squad in 2001.
onlinenews@mississauga.net
