Early arrival The U.S. World Cup team should arrive into Lyons nearly three hours earlier than expected despite the recent Air France strike that went into effect June 1. The American delegation is scheduled to depart New York’s JFK Airport at 6:30 p.m. ET via American Airlines flight # 44 and will arrive into Orly Airport at 8:25 a.m. (France time) tomorrow morning. Due to cancellations caused by the strike, the U.S. team will then depart Orly at 9:30 a.m. on a chartered flight, Air France #7402, which will arrive into Lyons at approximately 10:45 a.m. According to the French Organizing Committee (CFO), Air France pilots have agreed to lift the strike in order to fly the World Cup teams into their respective base cities. The U.S. delegation was originally scheduled for a four-hour layover in Paris before departing for Lyons, but ironically the strike expedited the USA’s arrival. The U.S. team will be based outside Lyons, at the Chateau de Pizay, where it will prepare for its opening match June 15 vs. Germany in Paris. Close quarters Thirteen members of the U.S. delegation were among a group of 17 people trapped in an elevator for 45 minutes last night at the conclusion of the Official All-Star Cafe’s sendoff party for the U.S. team in New York City. Despite being uncomfortably warm, the 17 people, including General Manager Tom King, Head Coach Steve Sampson, Brian McBride, Eddie Pope, Jeff Agoos, Brian Maisonneuve, Claudio Reyna and Mike Burns left the elevator in good spirits. The Official All-Star Cafe hosted the U.S. team last night from 8-10 p.m. Hockey great Wayne Gretzky was one of several celebrities on hand to wish the team well in France. “It didn’t seem like we had that many people in the elevator but when it stopped and we finally counted, it was obvious that we had a few too many,” said Agoos. “But now that Eric [Wynalda] is a partner, we can sue him.” U.S. forward Eric Wynalda is a regional partner with the All-Star Cafe. At the Barbazon Earlier today, the team underwent a light workout in the Equinox Fitness Center adjacent to the Barbazon Hotel in New York City. All 22 players rode stationary bikes, ran on the tread mill and stretched. World Cup birthdays The following members of the U.S. World Cup team will celebrate birthdays during the tournament: Eric Wynalda (29 June 9), Cobi Jones (28 June 16), Brian McBride(26 June 19), Preki Radosavljevic (35 June 24), Brian Maisonneuve (25 June 28).