BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

You didn't think we forgot about you, did you? Like the players in this first camp of the U-23 National Team under Peter Nowak, we're all getting adjusted to each other and the environment, so we figured we'd ease into it. We'll get you quickly caught up to speed:

• The roster has been reduced to 20 players, with Nate Sturgis (calf) and Adam Cristman (hamstring) not fit enough to make the trip to China. The travel roster follows:

GOALKEEPERS (2): Zac MacMath (St. Petersburg, Fla.), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake)

DEFENDERS (6): Hunter Freeman (New York Red Bulls), Patrick Ianni (Houston Dynamo), Jon Leathers (Furman University), Mike Randolph (Los Angeles Galaxy), Tim Ward (Columbus Crew), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Arturo Alvarez (FC Dallas), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Michael Harrington (Kansas City Wizards), Aaron Hohlbein (Kansas City Wizards), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Sacha Kljestan (CD Chivas USA), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas)

FORWARDS (5): Josmer Altidore (New York Red Bulls), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), Sal Zizzo (Hannover 96)

• The team is currently at the airport waiting for the 12:40 a.m. departure to Beijing. Surprisingly, the terminal is buzzing with activity as travelers wait for overnight flights to places as disparate as Auckland and San Salvador.
• Current weather conditions in Changsha are rainy with a temperature of 46 degrees. Looks like it's averaging low 60's during the day and high 40's at night
• Check out this excellent interview with Peter Nowak and Alan Abrahamson from nbcolympics.com. We'll have our own sit-down with Peter from China.
• Only one person in the traveling contingent has ever been to China (No, this is not a trivia question). Team coordinator Alfonso Cerda served on the team that ran the Friends and Family Program for the Women's National Team during the 2007 World Cup.

OK, folks. Sounds like they are calling our flight. Check back in Sunday morning - on U.S. time, that is - for Sacha Kljestan's travel blog. In the mean time, if there's something you want to know, don't be afraid to ask.