As a soccer player, the goal isn't to be very bulky. It is more important to even your body out. Make sure your body is well rounded. You can't really focus on one area. Everything has to be balanced.

Your core is so important. Get your endurance up. Running and long-distance. Swimming is good as well. Important to have a good core, utilize the proper exercises to strengthen it. It goes out to the rest of your body and makes sure your body is right.

Sometimes something as simple as going for a 20-minute jog on any given day is important. Keeps your body moving and legs from getting stiffened up from doing high-intensity workouts during the week.

As a soccer player, the goal isn't to be very bulky. It is more important to even your body out. Make sure your body is well rounded. You can't really focus on one area. Everything has to be balanced.

In all honesty, as you grow older, you understand how important it is to give everything in every workout, training session and match. When you're younger, you think game and practice are different. The sooner you understand they aren't, the better.

The World Cup only comes around once every four years and is the absolute pinnacle of our sport. It is something we dream about as players. It is a reason why many of us started playing this game. I know myself, my teammates will be focused on what's ahead and what's at stake.

The best athletes in any sport take stretching very seriously before and after matches. Stretching is instrumental in any athlete's physical success.