Tripleheader of Soccer Action at The Home Depot Center on Sunday
Published on June 22, 2004 under Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) News Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - (Tuesday, June 22, 2004) - Stars from the entertainment industry join the world's best female soccer players on Sunday, June 27 for a tripleheader of soccer action at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA as the WUSA resumes play with the league's second soccer festival. Soccer fans can enjoy the WUSA games live at The Home Depot Center or from their own living room, as the league announced today that Fox Sports World, "America's Soccer Channel," will televise the two WUSA matches live.
The first WUSA match will feature Julie Foudy, Joy Fawcett, Shannon MacMillan and the rest of the San Diego Spirit against fellow U.S. national team veterans Danielle Slaton, Tiffany Roberts and the Carolina Courage. Also, Scottish star Julie Fleeting, who scored all three goals as Arsenal defeated Charlton 3-0 in England's FA Cup on May 3, returns to play for San Diego for the first time since the Spirit's exit in the WUSA Playoff Semifinals in August 2003.
Thori Bryan, LaKeysia Beene and the rest of the San Jose CyberRays defense will try and contain the likes of French national team standout Marinette Pichon, English star Kelly Smith and the Philadelphia Charge offense in game two. The CyberRays offense is led by crafty Brazilian midfielder Sissi and San Diego native Mandy Clemens at forward. Former University of North Carolina star and current U.S. national team defender Cat Reddick is scheduled to play in just her second WUSA game, joining Heather Mitts, Jennifer Tietjen-Prozzo and the rest of the Charge defense in trying to contain San Jose's potent attack. Due to a leg injury, San Jose defender Brandi Chastain will not compete in the WUSA Soccer Festival. However, the U.S. national team veteran will be at The Home Depot Center as a sideline reporter for Fox Sports World's coverage of the WUSA.
Sunday's WUSA Soccer Festival will feature some notable U.S. national team stars competing as guest players. The two players who tied for the WUSA scoring lead in 2003, Washington's Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach, will join the San Diego Spirit as guest players in game one. Carolina counters with Mexican national team standout Maribel Dominguez of the Atlanta Beat as a guest player. And watch out for San Jose's number five in game two, as FIFA World All-Star Shannon Boxx, who usually plays for New York, joins the CyberRays as a guest player against Philadelphia.
WUSA Soccer Festival - The Home Depot Center - Carson, California
Date Time (PT) Opponents
TV
Sunday, June 27 11:00 am Charity Celebrity Soccer Game
None
12:00 pm San Diego Spirit vs.
Carolina Courage Fox Sports World
2:30 pm Philadelphia Charge vs. San Jose
CyberRays Fox Sports World
FOX SPORTS WORLD TO TELEVISE SUNDAY'S WUSA SOCCER FESTIVAL LIVE AT 12 NOON PT: Soccer fans will be able to view Sunday's WUSA Soccer Festival on television, as Fox Sports World will carry both matches live beginning at 12 noon PT. Beth Mowins will handle play-by-play duties and Anson Dorrance will serve as the color analyst. San Jose CyberRays and U.S. national team star Brandi Chastain will serve as the sideline reporter for the broadcast. Chastain is currently sidelined with a leg injury. Check local cable listings for Fox Sports World in your area.
CELEBRITIES TO SHOWCASE THEIR SOCCER SKILLS FOR CHARITY: Sunday's soccer action will kick off with a Charity Celebrity Soccer Game, as Hollywood United and friends take the field at The Home Depot Center at 10:45 am PT. Featuring film, television and musicians from the entertainment world, the Charity Celebrity Soccer Game will benefit GrassRoots Soccer, an AIDS awareness charity founded by Survivor star Ethan Zohn. The match also will benefit The Home Depot Center Foundation, a charity dedicated to giving disadvantaged youth the chance to enjoy the nation's top sports facility, and the National Organization of AIDS Awareness. Soccer team Hollywood United plays in the Olympic Soccer League in Santa Monica, CA, and helped create The Home Depot Center's first-ever charity celebrity soccer match. Celebrities scheduled to appear in Sunday's game: (more celebrity participants to be confirmed)
Music Team
Ian Astbury, The Doors of the 21st Century, The Cult
Viv Campbell, Def Leppard
Phil Collen , Def Leppard
Chris Shiflett, Foo Fighters
Billy Duffy, The Cult
Alexi Lalas, former MLS/Italian League/U.S. national team player
Steve Jones, Sex Pistols
Eric Wynalda, Former MLS/German Bundesliga/U.S. national team player
Ethan Zohn, Survivor winner (reality TV Show)
Balthazar Getty, actor/musician
Chris Sullivan, Former MLS/ Hungarian 1st division/ U.S. national team
player
Jerry Cantrel, Alice in Chains
Ian Feuer, English Premier League Player, Former MLS Player
Movie/TV Team
Vinnie Jones, "Snatch," "Gone in 60 Seconds," "Road Trip," former English
Premier League Player
Jason Statham, "The Transporter", "Snatch," "The Italian Job"
Anthony Lapaglia, "Without a Trace" (CBS, TV Show)
Owen Wilson, "Starsky & Hutch," "Around the World in 80 Days," "Behind Enemy
Lines"
John Harkes, former MLS/English Premier League/U.S. national team player
Louis Mandylor, "The Game of Their Lives," "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"
Costas Mandylor, "The Game of Their Lives"
Zak Ty Bryan, "Home Improvement" (TV Show), "Game of Their Lives"
Simon Rex, "Jack & Jill" (TV Show), "Scary Movie 3"
Jimmy-Jean Louis, "The Game of Their Lives," "Tears of the Sun"
Danny Cannon, Producer "CSI," "CSI Miami"
Bokeem Woodbine, "The Rock," "3000 Miles to Graceland"
Michael K. Williams, "The Wire" (TV Show)
Ian McKee, "The Bachelorette" (reality TV Show)
MORE THAN JUST SOCCER GAMES: The WUSA Soccer Festival Weekends will feature
a series of soccer-themed events during the weekend. Each weekend is
scheduled to feature soccer clinics, player appearances and autograph
signing sessions and many other festivities. Most WUSA players arrive in
Southern California on Friday, June 25; however, a select group will be in
early for WUSA Soccer Camps -
Friday, June 25 (times PT)
9 am - 4pm WUSA SOCCER CAMP, The Home Depot Center
Saturday, June 26
10:30 - 11: 30 am TRAINING FOR ALL FOUR TEAMS, The Home Depot Center
12 noon - 1:30 pm SOCCER CLINICS (youth, adult, coaches) WITH WUSA
PLAYERS, The Home Depot Center
Sunday, June 27
10:45 am CHARITY CELEBRITY SOCCER GAME, The Home Depot Center
12:00 pm SAN DIEGO SPIRIT VS. CAROLINA COURAGE, The Home
Depot Center
2:30 pm PHILADELPHIA CHARGE VS. SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS, The Home
Depot Center
WUSA.COM TO PROVIDE LIVE AUDIOCAST OF SUNDAY'S GAMES: Unable to attend the WUSA Soccer Festival in person or watch the matches on Fox Sports World? Soccer fans can also listen to the games live at WUSA.com. Brought to you by NY Power Radio and Internet-radio broadcaster Dave Bunzel, both games will be available to WUSA fans at WUSA.com. Supporters may also be surprised at who will handle the role of the color analyst on the WUSA.com broadcasts. During the first WUSA Soccer Festival in Minnesota last weekend, Carolina Courage and U.S. national team defender Danielle Slaton and Washington Freedom midfielder Sarah Kate Noftsinger handled the color role. Noftsinger called the Atlanta vs. New York match, while Slaton analyzed the Washington vs. Boston game.
WUSA SOCCER FESTIVAL REWIND: The first WUSA Soccer Festival, held June 18-19 at the National Sports center in Blaine, MN, featured plenty of end-to-end action as Atlanta and New York played to a 2-2 draw on June 18 and Boston came back to tie Washington 3-3 on June 19. New York's Shannon Boxx led the way for the Power on June 18 with two goals, while Washington's Mia Hamm paced the Freedom attack on June 19 with two tallies. Many experts wondered how the teams would fare after not playing together since last summer. Here's what Atlanta Head Coach Tom Stone had to say about the caliber of play:
"It was shockingly outstanding," Stone said after the match Friday evening. "We really didn't know going in what to expect since there it had been awhile since this group last played. There was an energy and chemistry with these two teams that you just can't coach. The level of execution was first class. In fact, it was actually some of the most entertaining soccer I've seen in the WUSA. As the game went on, the level of play got better and better and you could tell the players continued to get excited about the level."
DOUBLE TIME FOR PICHON AND SMITH: Philadelphia Charge regulars Marinette Pichon and Kelly Smith were excited to compete in Minnesota as guest players for the Boston Breakers June 19. But with New York Power and U.S. national team veteran Tiffeny Milbrett unable to play due a knee injury, Power manager Ian Sawyers called on French star Pichon and English standout Smith to also play for New York against Atlanta on June 18. Both players started the two matches and saw significant action, coming out in the latter stages of the second half of each game. Although the two international stars did not score Friday, each player scored a goal for Boston in the 3-3 draw against Washington on Saturday. Pichon and Smith will make it three games when they compete for the Charge on June 27 at The Home Depot Center.
TICKET INFORMATION FOR THE WUSA SOCCER FESTIVAL: Tickets are available by visiting The Home Depot Center Box office, by calling Ticketmaster at (213) 480-3232 or via the Internet at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets are priced from $15-$30. Groups of 15 or more receive a $5 discount on tickets. For group tickets, call (877) 3-GALAXY or (866) LA-GROUP.
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT!: Soccer fans around the globe have the opportunity to
make a difference, as the WUSA's "Keep the WUSA Dream Alive" ticket
initiative allows individuals, clubs and organizations to help the league
return to full operations in 2005. WUSA supporters can log onto
www.wusa.com
Women's United Soccer Association Stories from June 22, 2004
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
