Monday 15th July

A day that will go down in history. In one of two ways, either we remember today wishing we had done more and walked away with a silver medal. Or we will forever remember the day we dominates a world tournament and finish as number one. It all lied in our hands.

We face a Mexican team with senior international players, an eye for goal and a well drilled style of play. We knew it would be a tough challenge and literally every player had to be on their game, but above all else this was a chance to make history. No GB women's team has ever won gold at football in the university games, we could be the first.

As always we wanted preparation to be down to a tee and as routined as possible. The only part of the morning different to usual was that in our pre game meeting we decided to make a pledge. They were individual and had to be what you would give to the team in the game today, it showed us much we all wanted it and it was also proof that no-one was going to sit back and leave anything behind. If we lost, then fair play because we gave it our all. And if we won we would know we fought for it hard and no-one could beat our team spirit.

No-one anticipated just how big this game was and at the beginning of the trip none of us had the expectation of making the final, so to be in this position was unreal and we was going to enjoy it. Mexico with their goal threat scored first early on with a flood of players running forward. Then we had a corner, Michelle put it onto Kerys' head and it bounced on the 6yard box. What came over me then was pure instinct, swivel and hit the ball low. God knows where it would end up but today was the lucky day, bottom corner. I had scored in a final or a major competition. Priceless. Now to ensure we won and it didn't mean anything come the end of the game.

Mexico didn't give up they kept coming at us and again they worked a ball into the box and some quick feet opened up the goal, 2-1. Surely not! We had to win! Late into the half we began to play our game and pin point their key players, eliminate them from the game and attack in numbers. It showed, a big switch of the ball by Michelle found Izzy unmarked who drilled the ball towards goal which was deflected into the roof of the net. 2-2, get in.

Second half, we always come out flying after halftime and improve significantly. It must have been a feature of our tournament because today again it was the same. However no breakthrough, just more possession, more chances and starting to turn the screw. We felt more settled and we tightened up at the back alot. It wasn't until very late on in the game that we got the significant 3rd goal. A quick 3 pass switch from right to left found Fran Kirby who as always is finding the net and didn't let us down. 3-2 with 10minutes left.

Mexico pushed numbers forward and in doing so left space at the back, we capitalised on this with a 3v1 situation. Fran crossed from the left, it bypassed Dan Carter but Aileen casually sidefooted it into the net. 4-2... That was the moment I began to realise that I was within touching distance of a gold. We was so nearly there, 5minutes to hold on. But instead of holding on we kept going, Kasia looped a ball into Fran Kirbys path and easily our goal of the tournament, she half volleyed a left footed shot that found the inside of the net. I don't think any keeper would have saved it, was pure tekkers! 5-2, now we could admit we had won gold, the celebrations were madness and I was caught up with emotion that I couldn't stop smiling. Even as the game carried on I was still smiling knowing we had done the job.

One last goal was in us though, against all the odds in what was infact a very close game we completed the scoring with Fran on a hat trick having her shot saved by the keeper only for it to fall to Dan Carter to place the ball into an empty net. 6-2, wow, for any final that is a shockingly high scoring game and believe me it was never a 6-2 game. Mexico were a great side but in those last 10minutes everything went right, it showed how much quality we had going forward and how no-one could stop us at putting the ball in the net.

As the final whistle blew all I remember is squatting to the floor, arms aloft and bursting into tears. Tears of joy and relief. At the fact that a childhood dream had just been fulfilled, I had won a major tournament for my country and I couldn't have done it with a better bunch of players. All 19 of my team mates and the 7 staff members on this trip have been perfectly linked in making our team work, everything about the atmosphere, the closeness of the group, the balance of training was met to absolute perfection and that made us thrive when it come to games. We have done it, world champions at the university games, how many people can say that? And trust me it'll be many years before I stop mentioning it at every given opportunity.

I'm so proud of what we've achieved and anyone who knows me will say how passionate I am about winning and succeeding. That's probably why I burst into tears when we won instead of being filled with happiness, it was the kid inside me coming out and the thought of putting a gold medal on was overwhelming in that moment.

Today Monday the 15th of July will forever be remembered as the day I scored in a final and won a gold medal playing the sport I love. What more could you ask for? It's a dream I've had since I was so young so forgive me if you ever feel in milking this occasion but things like this don't happen regularly so I am going to enjoy my success and my teams success for many years to come.

Naomi Cole, Team GBR #3... GOLD MEDAL WINNER!!

Sunday 14th July

Its been so pleasing to post virtually every start to a daily blog with us feeling happy, its much better than waking up and regretting stuff. Fortunately everything so far we've taken control of and made it work in our favour ending in winning results... Just one more game to go and we must keep this mentality going if we want to walk away with a gold around our necks.

The recovery days have been as important as match days and all the staff have been so crucial in ensuring we do what works for us. Whether it be booking a pool session, to getting a leg massage or foam rolling sessions. All of it is catered for and it had enabled us to be as ontop of our game as possible come game day, so today was one of those rest days. Altogether since or camp, we have played 8 games in the space of 3weeks, that is alot of football so it's been a tough ask to get through all those games 100% fit. But all the girls have dug their heels in and got on with it, come game day everyone has a new freshness about them.

To complete our rest day we went to watch the men's GB football team, they faced hosts Russia infront of a sellout crowd of 10,000 fans. The odds were stacked against them, with their opponents valuing around the 12 million euro mark, whereas our men must be valued at no more than 50k. Within that pricey team was Russian youth internationals and champions league players. But us being Britain we love being an underdog, and thrive on the occasion just like the lads did last night. Unfortunately going down to 10men in the first half they held out for 0-0 at halftime. Second half, went 1-0 down, then the tide turned. 1-1 with 10minutes left. There was 50 GB fans at the game (ourselves included) and the noise we managed to generate was unreal. The Russians couldn't believe they had to try and out sing us! But try as they might our chanting was more inspiring than theirs. Russia then had a player sent off aswell, 10v10. Fulltime. Straight to penalties... GB win 5-3 on penalties, elation! Another GB football team into the final.

The spirit and determination of the boys last night was unbelievable, everything was against them but their togetherness and desire to get something pulled them through. We can take so much inspiration from watching that yesterday, and if times get tough v Mexico in the final we know how to grind through it.

So the time has come, one more sleep and we will staring our final in the face. What more motivation do you need than it being a chance to claim the number one spot at a major tournament. We all won't let up now and its going to take a massive amount of workrate and desire to win but we have it in us. Let's be ready for this and do all we can to win!

Naomi Cole, Team GBR #3.

Saturday 13th July

We are now into the business end of our tournament and infact our journey. We have only a matter of days left here and now is the time to ensure we can come home with amazing memories we can keep forever. We knew we faced a resilient Brazil side who were sure to put up a fight... If we'd have known how literal that was to be we wouldn't have been so shocked by the game yesterday.

Stepping off the coach in high spirits, our music playing and just trying to relax before our real focus kicked in, it was hard to ignore what a big game this was with alot of cameras and film crews following our every move from the moment we got to the ground. We didnt want to let anybody down, we didn't want to let eachother down, this HAD to be our night and ensuring we go home with a medal.

Brazil turned up in typical 'Samba' style, drums, tambourines, dancing, they wanted to be louder than us. Which to be fair they were loud and had more support there last night, was that going to make a difference to us? Of course not. We were there to do the job and make sure we were on the better half of the outcome. Simple, no noise or interfering they did was going to stop us.

I remember standing in the line up before the game, it was overwhelming to see everyone there and in a strange way this vibe and pride was bursting from us. I think collectively we've grown as a squad, as in our togetherness has become a massive part of us being a team and in that moment I felt that when I looked towards the bench and saw my team. It was a proud moment and I know everyone will think the same thing.

I'm going to keep the game analysis short (hopefully) but for the first 30minutes we were finding our feet in the game, the ball kept coming back into our half and we wasn't getting much restbite. Although Brazil had more of the ball they didn't threaten, we held firm and eventually settled in and put our stamp on the match. It was clear that the officials weren't going to help us tonight, many fouls went unnoticed and the Brazilians at every opportunity would be hollering in the referees ear to card someone. If thats how they felt they would win this game then that's poor, we wanted to win by playing football, not by relying on decisions or turning the game into a wrestling match.

Second half we tweaked a couple of things, I got moved off the GK from corners as I was being victimised for nothing and if I'd have looked at the goalkeeper the ref would have probably given a foul and a free-kick and a card? That's how literal she meant "anything else 3 and you'll get a card"... Anyway, we seemed to keep the ball more in their half and as always the belief started growing, half chances here and there but nothing clear cut. It only takes one to score though and in the 67th minute Izzy won a header off a Brazilian goal kick, it fell in the path of Courtney who pivoted and rolled the ball in the direction of Dan Carter beyond the backline. We was in!... With just the keeper to beat she dummied and got around her, only one outcome here with an open goal. Yep, 1-0 GB. Elation, everyone celebrated that goal like we had won the tournament, thats how much it meant to us to get that first goal. We ended up in a mass huddle by the bench screaming and cheering, we knew we was almost there.

Despite there being so much time left there was a sense of solidity in the team, it would take one hell of a comeback for us to give up our lead. Brazil threw more players forward and more elbows and late tackles. It was getting frustrating for them but we remained calm and let them work themselves into a defeat.

The final whistle couldn't have come with a better feeling. We had done it, through to the final. I remember just running towards my defensive partner Jem and jumping on her, knowing we'd worked so hard and could pour out or delight. Everyone was on the pitch giving out high fives and hugs, it was the best feeling of the trip so far. We was going to lap it up and enjoy the moment, with a medal now guaranteed we would be coming home with something to show for our work.

The work from everyone in our team (staff included) has been phenomenal. To get players fit from injury, to analysing games, to recovering right. All of it comes together and it gets results on the pitch, everyone plays their part in our team and its amazing to be experiencing the same emotions with this group. It's been awesome so far, and we don't want it to be cut short now. We have a FINAL to look forward to, we play Mexico on Monday and wow what an occasion to enjoy and fight for a gold medal. What a way that would be to complete our trip! Everyone knows it's one step away now and we can achieve that, one last collective push will get us over the line and finishing this tournament as number 1.

Naomi Cole, Team GBR #3.

Friday 12th July

Cloud nine wasn't high enough to describe how buzzed we felt after yesterday's game. Who'd have expected us to win 8-0 v Ireland, it's madness. However we need to bring ourselves back down to earth as its such a quick turnaround before the next game.

Playing against a team you've beaten once already can be dangerous, you can become complacent and they will want to prove a point. At this stage of a competition everyone has done well to get deserves to be here, it's important to remember that and not take anyone lightly.

As is normally the case between games we have quite alot of downtime and a chance to relax our legs to allow us to be fresh for a game within 48hours of the last one. Morning foam rolling and stretching was met with pleasure despite the fact we had to wear skins all day in 30 degree heat. Massive error!! Not a good look either.

Later in the day a few of us took the afternoon to cheer on GB who were playing in the mixed doubles v a Slovakian pairing. An intense first set was won after an hour and the second set finished in the same fashion after a lengthy tiebreaker. But congrats to GB who progress to the quarter finals!

An important team meeting took place tonight, not going to spill the beans but it was crucial we did it. Everyone is on the same wavelength which is key for these last two games ahead of us now. A late kick off tomorrow means plenty of time to prepare in the day, how we spend that time is important so we're ready for the game but not overly stressed about it coz our minds been on the focus all day so burnt out when it matters. Its little things like that and our meeting which will put us in the best place for tomorrow. Can't wait to wake up tomorrow and have a semi final on the horizon, bring it on Brazil!!!

Naomi Cole, Team GBR #3.

Thursday 11th July

Getting into our one day on one day off routine today was our day ON. It was gameday, and what a big one at that. A chance to book our place in the semi finals of a major tournament. Standing in our way was Ireland, our apartment neighbours who will no doubt wanna put one over on us.

Today we played at a different stadium to usual but fortunately it is our training venue so we already have had a feel of the pitch. It's smaller than the previous one but nicer 4g surface, so catch 22 really... Before the game people have their own routines don't they? Well it seemed ours today we all kind of bonded together and has a collective buzz going round. Maybe because we had plenty of time before kick off I don't know but whatever we did it clearly worked and I hope we emulate that in the next game please because it was ledge!

To the game, in the last 2 games the first 2minutes has been significant so today we wanted to be on the better end of a quick start. And boy did we do that! Courtney beating the offside trap and lobbing over the keeper. 1-0. Great start. Ireland were clearly hurt by this and began to create, they hit the bar and got through a couple of times. Warning signs that they weren't going to sit down and get beat, we had to up our game again and press on for a 2nd. This came by virtue of a penalty, link up play between Courtney and Aileen down the right in which a cross was handled in the box. Michelle stepped up to cooly convert, 2-0. A foothold was now in the game to us, starting our flowing football and waves of attacks at the Irish goal. Another consultant goalscorer was to pop up with the next goal, Fran Kirby as always cutting in from the left and curling a shot into the far corner. 3-0 at halftime.

Do we settle for 3-0 and sit back second half or do we continue to press for goals? Ireland had nothing to lose now so the next goal would be crucial. About 5minutes into the second half Dan Carter, desperate to open her WUGS account finally did. Drilling a shot home under the keeper, her celebration showed her relief at scoring! Literally 2minutes later it was to become 5-0. Diagonal ball specialist Jemma Rose (pinging'ell today girl!) drove a ball from the halfway line into the box for Courtney to notch her second and our 5th with a accurately placed header over the keeper... The goals were beginning to flow now and Courtney wrapped up her hat trick after good pressing high up the pitch to stun the Irish players. 6-0! They didn't know what had hit them. With still over 30minutes to go aswell.

Were we finished, were we heck! On the hour mark Fran doubled her tally with again another low shot into the goal. 7-0.... We continued to enjoy long spells of possession of the ball and introduced 4 subs into the game. Ireland had a 5minute spell where they desperately wanted a goal but a super stop from Ash Baker ensured it wasn't to be for them. With not long left we won a free-kick by the right touchline in line with the box. A cleverly routined short free-kick from Michelle to Courtney who then picked out Dan with a low pass to volley home and make it 8-0. Unbelievable stuff. Full-time and we booked our place in the semi final.

Potentially we could have got more but to have scored that many is such a positive thing for us. Now we need to not get ahead of ourselves and think we're on cloud nine. It's one game, and one game closer to the final. We meet our first game opponents Brazil in the semi which believe me will not be an easy task. They are on a high after finishing the group strongly and beating Chinese Taipei today who topped their group. But positives is we know we can beat them if we turn up and I believe we have it in us to not let this chance slip.

With Japan being knocked out of the competition tonight v South Africa it has blown the tournament wide open. It's now between us, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa to be crowned champions. Semi finals is next up and we cannot wait to play it, it's been such an incredible journey so far and we dont want to let it up at the next hurdle. It's ours for the taking and after today we can be so positive looking forward.

Naomi Cole, Team GBR #3.

Wednesday 10th July

It may seem odd but today we gladly accepted having a day of doing nothing for 5hours. Some people chose to sleep, others to watch a film or go for a slow walk. It all depends on how you recover best and that's so important for this last week. We have now made the knockout part of the tournament and with a game every other day we need to conserve energy as much as possible.

In a way aswell it was nice to switch off from football and enjoy our experience of being here and also gave us a chance to catch up with family at home properly. With only a week left until we go home and it's been almost a month away its been a test for us dealing with that aswell as the football.

A new series of games was introduced today, Ash Baker teaching us Monopoly Deal (a card version of Monopoly). Also Billie Murphy and myself created corridor cricket, much to my disappointment I'm shocking at it and definitely let her down when it came down to doubles play. Sorry Chuck!! To round off the evening we had a Team GB squad picture with all the sports here which accumulated to around 200 of us in a mass photo. I will try and get a copy of this if the flash was good enough to capture anything in the dark. Random idea to do it at 9 at night? Maybe it will be rescheduled.

Besides from that we haven't had much on and a pretty low key day comes to a close, tomorrow we go back to game mode and Ireland in the quarter finals. It makes me so excited to think that winning that will mean a semi final! I love tournament football and now seeing athletes walking around in their medals, wow do we want some of that! They're HUGE and to say you're number 1 is never a bad thing.

Naomi Cole, Team GBR #3.

Monday 8th July

Think we swapped around days today, we was treated to a chilled out Sunday but on a Monday. No training was scheduled so we had the option to relax in the apartment or go and watch another sport. As expected we chose to go out and see something new. Half the group decided to go to artistic gymnastics, the other went to football (just for a change).

We had time to clear our minds about the game yesterday and to be honest we can be quite happy with spells in the game and it's crucial we are positive going into the game tomorrow v Estonia. With all of us in the group playing at 8pm tomorrow we won't know the final standings in the group until after fulltime, so a win is all we can aim for to give us a chance.

I didn't go to gymnastics as I wanted to go watch GB compete which they weren't in gymnastics so that's why I chose football. But from the looks of the pictures and general feelings of people who went it was a spectacle of skill and pure strength. As for the football, the GB men's side played Malaysia, GB won 2-0 with their opponenets finishing the game with 10 men. Looking comfortable throughout and dominating play a win wasn't in doubt. Which now makes it 6points out of 6 for the men. Congrats!

Evening entertainment again had to be created by the group so Cranium came out the box but the best game by a mile was Heads Up. It's an app on the phone which is similar to charades but more quickfire and records the person acting for you. It's honestly so funny and we would recommend it to people if they were ever bored.

Everyone's beginning to turn in for the night, having an evening game tomorrow will be a change for us and maybe frustrate us having to wait so long to play. But be sure that were not going to take Estonia lightly, they're not gonna want to get beat 3 games running so will put up a fight. All we need to do is focus and ensure we put plenty of goals past them and come away from the game with 3 points. Simple plan of action.

Naomi Cole, Team GBR #3.

Sunday 7th July

The whole village mood was very subdued this morning, everyone probably still in bed after late night celebrations at the opening ceremony. Having missed it we were fresh and up, buzzing for the game ahead of us v Japan. A win would virtually qualify us for the knockouts, a draw or a loss would make it go to the last game to determine where we finish.

All the preparation and routine was similar to when we played Brazil, everyone was chilling in their own little zones getting up for the game... It had come to that point again, it was game time and now was when we had to step up and prove that we will be a force in this tournament and beat the best teams in the competition.

A delayed start to the game due to Demi having to near enough yank her nose piercing out as the officials wouldn't allow taping we were underway... 2minutes gone, first chance on goals, BAM! Japan 1 up. Some quick play to shift the ball across the box and a tidy finish from a tight angle. Now we were facing an uphill battle. We didn't need any more spurring on for an equaliser than the fact we knew we had to win. Around 10minutes later Michelle floated a corner in and competing for the ball was a group of players from both teams, not sure who but somebody managed to bundle it into the net. All for it to be disallowed for an unknown reason. From that moment we began to settle into the game knowing we would get chances to score but unfortunately again our first half wasn't up to standard and was sloppy.

Second half we had to come out flying, we had nothing to lose. We was already losing and we needed a way back into the game, we created a number of set plays all game and looked threatening everytime the ball went into the box. It was surely only a matter of time before one went in. Michelle played a corner in, it was cleared but only to Kasia who sidefoot volleyed the ball onto the bar and over the line. Or was it? We was all adamant, and the referee was too, goal given. GB back on level terms, this was a turning point. Passes started to flow, more chances coming then completely out of the blue a cross come shot was drilled into the box, bouncing on the 6yard line (no man's land) which is tough to deal with and fortunately on this occasion for them it was enough to cause confusion and the ball finished up in the net. Japan were back infront 2-1.

From then on we didn't give up and again created affective set plays which troubled them but we just couldn't connect properly on the final ball. It's gutting because we know we could have got something from this game and Japan are beatable. We just need to stay positive and focus on what we done well rather than the little mistakes that can easily be erased. It's massive we go again tomorrow with a positive mindset to ensure we finish off the group stage with a win putting ourselves in a position to qualify in the best possible way.

Saturday 6th July

Doesn't waking up the day after a game feel so much better than when you've lost? I remember countless Monday mornings feeling so miserable because of a poor result. Winning makes life so much sweeter, today we had that winning feeling. Long may it continue!

Early morning training session booked in so we could recover and refresh across the day, it was only when we got on the coach to leave that we realised how busy Kazan suddenly got. It was hard to work out why, but then it became clear. The 6th of July is a significant day in these university games.

We got outside security and we could see we're people lining the streets, carrying flags and waving at our bus. It was the final leg of the torch relay and unfortunately we missed it, but to see all those smiling faces along the streets and to turn up just for this occasion was humbling. They didn't have to stand there for hours waiting, they don't know us but still they felt a part of it by acknowledging us and coming out to see us. That we are grateful for and again shows what a big occasion we're actually a part of.

Training would have been pretty uneventful if it wasn't for a tropical thunderstorm interrupting halfway through, soaking us and causing us to take cover inside. In a way the rain was a present from the football gods for winning yesterday, it gave us a break from this heat so thanks for that up there!

The athletes village has neared full capacity now with so many nations being represented here. Tonight is the night to celebrate this and officially open the games, the Opening Ceremony in Rubins stadium is tonight. However due to our game being tomorrow and the potential lateness we could be home by we won't be attending. It's a shame as it would be an unforgettable experience but our focus is 3 points tomorrow v Japan. Good decision? We think so.

So having not gone to the opening ceremony we have had to find other ways to watch it or stay occupied all night so we don't dwell on the fact were not there. We spent a bit of time earlier heading to the Badminton centre to see a bit of the action. GB had already played but we were treated to potentially a few of the best nations at the sport who showed how quick paced Badminton really is. Also later in the evening we had more time to entertain ourselves... Enter Giant Jenga (or Jenna for Courtney). We was going to play Pictionary too but thought we'd save that for another night incase we needed a plan b.

Winding down now after today it's clear we all need to rest up and be ready for tomorrow, Japan will no doubt be a good side and the stakes in this game are high. But beyond all that we have a squad who when it matters all want the best and our togetherness is beginning to show. We know we're good enough to win so need to keep that belief going. We want to wake up tomorrow and be firing on all cylinders to get them 3 points and place ourselves in a cracking position come the last group game.

Naomi Cole, Team GBR #3.

Friday 5th July

Friday has arrived, only one thing was on my mind waking up this morning. Game day v Brazil. Finally, we can get our tournament underway and put down our marker in the women's football tournament.

It felt like time stood still all morning, we had so much to pack in but it seemed weirdly spread out. I think everyone just wanted 5pm to come but took longer than anticipated. Unit meetings done, set plays done, pre match eaten... It was time to get on the bus to the Raketa stadium and play Brazil.

Stepping off the bus nerves began to set in, going through my jobs and how I wanted to make sure I didn't let anybody down. The changing room laid out with all our kit, that by the way never fails to get me pumped for a game seeing your shirt hung up on a peg. It was time to get in the zone and be ready when that whistle blew.

Warming up was a taste of what to expect for the next 90minutes of football, boy it was hot. Rumoured to be around 35 degrees this was going to have an affect, not massively, but it was important we helped ourselves as much as possible to save our energy and stay hydrated.

5pm was fast approaching, teams were in the tunnel, it's time to perform. Lining up on the pitch while the Univeristy anthem played (I think it was that) I began to get teary, it suddenly hit me what a fantastic occasion this was and wow I was actually playing v Brazil!!... As always the game is a bit of a blur but let me try and summarise it for you.

First half we started off well, created openings but didn't quite nail the final ball. Brazil showed their flair and skill in their midfield and attacking ranks. I think we got a bit too respectful of Brazil, purely for their name, and they began to grow into the game. Not really creating much but making us play sloppy passes and panic.

Halftime was good rest bite for us, it gave us time to analyse them and we said we could afford to press higher up the pitch, we felt they were poor playing out the back so we could utilise this to create more chances... Within 2minutes of the 2nd half we had our first clear cut opportunity (I'll spare Aileen the embarrassment of explaining what happened). But we felt ontop and kept going forward, and before you knew it we was 1-0 up. Dan Carter cleverly turned their centre half, skipped round the keeper which then she was fouled. No penalty, the ball rolled towards Fran Kirby who cheekily curled and chipped it towards the empty net. A despairing Brazilian tried in vein to clear it but it was already over the line and she just looped it further into the goal.

Buzzing, we had scored, it's taken a few games to get off the mark but wow was it worth the wait. We felt sky high and from then on we still continued to press and create more openings, a second goal was inevitable. Low and behold, we had a 5v2 situation, Fran again involved but this time picking out Aileen Whelan with her cross who sweetly volleyed a left foot shot into the roof of the net. 2-0, almost job done.

The game was sealed after again continued pressing and workrate ensuring they wasn't going to score and we preserved our clean sheet, final whistle. GBR 2 BRAZIL 0. Great result and the second half performance we can be proud of.

Expectation is high of ourselves now to continue this standard and we need to make sure we recover properly for our next game v Japan on Sunday. We all know we're capable of doing well in this tournament, today showed that, and you've gotta beat the best to be the best. Starting with this win is definitely a step in the right direction for our goal of being Champions.

Naomi Cole, Team GBR #3.

Thursday 4th July

Last training day and now it is the last day before we wake up and it be game day. The mood is more focused and mellowed now the atmosphere has settled in. Without being officially welcomed with our flag ceremony everything was falling into place and people knew that Team GBR were here and ready to go.

Speaking of the flag ceremony we missed that today due to training, which was gutting because obviously being patriotic we love a good national anthem and have our flag flying high. But training was more important and nailing down key aspects of our gameplan for tomorrow.

We have a volunteer (there is thousands of them) but our one who is the main man in terms of getting us on the right bus, translations etc is Gilbert from Zambia. You've got to give it to all the volunteers who do this, they do it out of the sheer goodness in their heart and to be a part of these games. It's inspiring.

Final preparations we have a team meeting in the evening about Brazil and how we are going to beat them and what to expect. It's always nice to go into games with a positive mind set and worry about all the things we're going to do rather than focus on counteracting them.

Early night for us then, heads down, feet up, time to relax and be fully ready to kick off our tournament on a high. It may seem strange having our game the day before the opening ceremony but we've waited so long for this match that were eager to go now. Let's hope tomorrow is a day of good news and we have those 3 points on the board for team GBR.

Naomi Cole, Team GBR #3.

Wednesday 3rd July

Waking up to a ripple of applause and various music was a very different wake up to what we've had previously. We were now part of the build up to the big opening of this tournament, we are welcomed into the village.

All of the surroundings is exactly how you vision it would be in an Olympic like village, flag poles, water fountains, big apartment blocks, it had it all. Grasping all this is alot to take in but it's an experience none of us will forget, we've only been here one day so far but you begin to feel the part of a big family who are here together for the same reason. Regardless of sport, country, gender everyone is happy to socialize with one another which is what makes it so easy to appreciate the brilliance of being in this kind of a competition.

Just visualise this for a second, endless supplies of drink and food, what would it look like? Well this is how it looks in our canteen area. It hold 4,000 people at a time and it stacked with various foods from around the globe. It is unreal! Something so simple as that had our jaws drop to the floor the minute we stepped into the canteen.

As you can tell we are pretty buzzed about this whole venue and everything in it. But back to the reason why we're here and now we have just 2 days to prepare for our first game v Brazil. Seeing one of the venues and training there was brilliant, were playing all our games on 4g pitches and have kick off times in the Evening. Which to be honest in this weather will be a God send, as long as we are fully prepared and on it by Friday I have faith all these little parts of living in this village with spur us on to winning games and getting out of our group.

Naomi Cole, Team GBR #3.

Tuesday 2nd July

Waking up and packing up reality was setting that we was moving out and moving on to the village in Kazan. Firstly we were treated to a day out in Moscow, checking out the sights and being a proper tourist. Little did we know that our Team Manager, Alex, had set up a coach tour with a Russian resident. Good move, he was enthusiastic and taught us everything we needed to know... Follow the flag!

Driving past shopping centres was devastating for us but instead we got to go to a lookout point over Moscow and wow it was a view. Another place we can all tick off the list. None of us knew what the Kremlin (don't ask) was, and to be honest we still don't. But in our eyes it was basically a big wall with loads of temples and official buildings around it with security everywhere. It looked important and it got us all out for a day so it was a good place to visit even if we didn't learn as much as we should.

Evening approached and it come to our attention that our flight was delayed by 5hours, meaning we would be stuck in the airport for 7 hours collectively!! This was gonna be a long night but also a chance to relax and get focused on being in the village very soon.

Once our flight finally took off it ended up landing in Kazan around 3am! What a long day and all we wanted to do was sleep, but by this time the sun was already rising for the next day. But another delay to our beauty sleep (and much needed for some of us) was security checks. To us at the time it seemed frustrating but thinking back it shows how secure were gonna be in our new home.

Rest is much required so we absorb the atmosphere and sights of the village tomorrow but already there's a vibe brewing and a sort of reality buzz that were part of a massive event.

Naomi Cole, Team GBR #3.

Monday 1st July

First game day is upon us, our opposition is the Russia university games side so should be an insight into what we're to expect in the next coming weeks. Morning prep underway the coaches set us on a task, creating TEAM GBR. Basically we had to find items/create items of each letter, take a picture of it so it will create a 7 picture montage of TEAM GBR. However these had to be in red, white and blue of colour... This was our time to get creative, keeping it clean was a task mind! But congrats to the eventual winners of Kerys, Beth, Demi, Dan G and Trev who stole the show.

Our first game is now here, everyone is buzzing and keen to get out there and play. Playing a team you know nothing about can be a challenge but this version of a game of football was unreal. No joke, everyone will be referring to this game in years to come... We played football, they played Judo/Boxing/Kick Boxing. Simple as. And the officials, well they were on another planet and were keen on smiling away at everyone thinking everything was perfect. The one stand our incident was Jemma getting pure punched in the stomach, I've never seen anyting like it in my life!! This was beyond a jjoke and we were more worried about coming off the pitch with two full working legs. Poor Dan Carter must have been fouled over a dozen times but got 2 free-kicks. Madness.

Anyway to the result, we played good football.and everyone got minutes under their belt which is crucial. We look more of an attacking threat and are tightening up at the back too. We drew 0-0, so it went to penalties (to settle the score), we didn't miss and won 4-2.

Winners. That's all we cared about, getting one over on them after they wanted to play sly tactics to even get half a chance of winning. Simple. We can hold our heads high knowing how psychologically testing that was but persevering and remaining calm to get a result.

Proud of today and tomorrow we get a deserved day off yo recover, watch the boys GBR side and go sightseeing in Moscow. Happy days! Oh and did I mention we will be residents of the athletes village tomorrow night! It's all becoming real and ever so closer to our tournament matches.

Naomi Cole, Team GBR #3.

Sunday 30th June

Getting into the swing if things now, training begins and we get to grips with this unorthodox weather. One minute were slapping on suncream and iced sweatbands, next we model our sexy GBR caps/snapbacks. Then later it switches to raincoats and layers.

A change from 35 degree sunshine to continuous thunderstorms have hindered our outdoor activites today but we soldier on and train through the rain. After all we are British and frankly were used to a random shower while it's meant to be summer! Maybe this will pose as an advantage should it continue to rain on game days.

Speaking of which we have a friendly arranged tomorrow evening, again unknown opposition. This will pose as a good Test for our squad with less than a week to go until we kick off our quest for gold.

Naomi Cole, Team GBR #3.

Saturday 29th June

No one likes getting up at 5am but for us this was a struggle. The only motivation was the fact that finally we start our journey to Russia where we're representing team GBR for women's football in the world university games.

All kitted out now, looking worse for wear, we fly and land in Moscow, as part of our pre tournament preparation. With it being almost 4pm it was pushing on rush hour, now you'd think somewhere the size of Russia that the roads wouldn't be too busy. Very wrong. For a supposed hour journey it took us 3 hours to get to our home for the next few days - CSKA'S training ground.

Can't complain about the facilities, roof over our head, edible food but very limited WiFi, which as you can imagine is a killer. Probably alien to us who will have to find other games/ideas to keep ourselves occupied rather than snapping selfies to our loved ones at home.

Oh, a special mention must go out to Fran Kirby, the birthday girltoday. She's already lost a wheel on her suitcase, chin up! And the poor girl was petrified of the flight so I'm sure she will welcome a good nights sleep after what felt like a week long birthday!

As of tomorrow we kick off our full schedule, training will begin and we test ourselves in this heat and humidity. We like a challenge though so I'm sure all the hours spent sweating out on the pitch will present us with results where it matters.


Naomi Cole, Team GBR #3.