International Activities

Lots of Villarreal news on the international front. First, if you want to watch the Villarreal players star in the Olympic matches live - for example, if you are in the States, willing to wake up at 5am, and realize that while you will be able to watch Altidore play for the US, you know there is no chance you will be able to get anything other than highlights of Rossi and Italy, since the matches are simultaneous - watch it here. Both matches start at 5am eastern time (good luck, California!).

Also, a number of Villarreal players have been called up to join their national squads in friendlies later this month. Which is of course a great thing for those players, but risky for the club. Eguren and Godín will be playing with Uruguay - IN JAPAN. Talk about jet lag. Hopefully the week afterwards prior to the opening match will give them enough time to recover. Gonzalo and Argentina take on all-powerful Belarusian Hlebs in Minsk, and Mati will join up with his Chilean squad to take on the Nihat-less Turkey in Kokaeli, which are both much more reasonable match locales than Japan.

Speaking of about Turkish international Nihat, (See? It fits!), Nihat is progressing well, and has still been training separate from the club. Also in injury news, Cani also practiced separately yesterday, with continuing trouble in his right knee. (admittedly, the part about Cani does not fit with the international flair of this post) ;)