UH soccer star Kai to play in Brazil

By Leila Wai
Advertiser Staff Writer

University of Hawai'i soccer player Natasha Kai will celebrate her 21st birthday Saturday by going to a bird park and visiting a dam.

KAI

Kai, the two-time Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year, is leaving for Brazil today with the U.S. Under-21 National Team as part of an international tour. It is the second time in three months Kai has traveled internationally with the team.

"It's great, I'm going to a bird park," Kai said of her birthday plans. "Yeah, it's going to be fun, but I'm there for business, so I can't really do anything."

The U-21 National team will play four games in 12 days — against a team called Paulistana on May 23, the All-Stars on May 26, the Chinese U-21 National Team on May 28 and the Brazilian National Team on May 29.

The trip is extending a process in which Kai started out basically with a videotape audition for U-21 coach Chris Petrucelli to playing against the U.S. Women's National Team last month in Carson, Calif.

"It was fun, I didn't play good ... but I got to play with them, so that was cool," said the sophomore forward, who led the nation in scoring last year with 29 goals. "I was so nervous though."

She played against soccer stars such as Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly and Julie Foudy, who were training for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in August.

"The first two games I did all right," Kai said.

The U-21 team lost the first game, 3-1, and tied the second, 1-1. Then some of the National Team members stayed in Carson to play in two of the U-21 team's intrasquad scrimmages. Kai started three of the four games.

Before the training camp last month Kai said Petrucelli told her she had a chance to make the Olympic roster with a good showing.

"I don't think I'm going to play for them this year," she said. "I talked to (U.S. National Coach April Heinrichs) once, and she said she's keeping an eye on me and just to keep doing good.

"It felt good; she's watching me so that's the first step."

Kai hopes to further her chances of making the U.S. National Team on the trip to Brazil. She flies to Houston today, where she will meet up with the rest of her U-21 team members, before they go to Brazil.

She said she is hoping to "be better at everything, just play to my ability," on the trip.

Saturday, she is hoping to enjoy her birthday. On the itinerary is breakfast, training, lunch, press review, the bird park, dinner, and a visit to Itaipœ Dam — the largest hydroelectric power plant in the world.

"Kind of like China, but it's in Brazil," said Kai. "People kept telling me China was going to be a culture shock. When I went to China it was different, but we were still there to play soccer.

"We're there to play, but when we have the spare time, I'm going to tour around."

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2457.