LE HAVRE, France _ "Dare to Shine," the perky, patronizing and officially trademarked slogan of this Women's World Cup, is splashed on everything from posters and directional signage to the big blue buses the teams are using to get around the country.
Apparently Mother Nature didn't get the memo, though, because the skies rarely have dared to shine since the U.S. team got to France two weeks ago. In the four days the Americans have been on the Normandy coast, there has been rain, hail, thunder, lightning and heavy leaden clouds.
Very little shine.
Scattered rain is again in the forecast for Thursday, although it is expected to stop a couple of hours before the U.S. takes the field to face Sweden in the final group-play match of the tournament. And while that could leave the pitch wet and slick, U.S. coach Jill Ellis said Wednesday that would be a good thing.
"We always water the pitch," she said. "It actually helps when you want to play fast if there's a little rain. (But) it doesn't matter, rain or shine. The conditions, they are what they are.
"We're used to playing on fast surfaces. So I think it's good."
