All-Star Game to be World Cup Preview

Published on May 12, 2003 under Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) News Release


CARY, NC (Monday, May 12, 2003) – The world's best female soccer players will descend upon the Triangle area for the ultimate showcase of soccer when the 2003 Hyundai WUSA All-Star Game is held at SAS Stadium in Cary, NC on Thursday, June 19 at 7:30 pm ET. WUSA President/CEO Lynn Morgan joined Tiffany Roberts and Birgit Prinz of the Carolina Courage and Atlanta Beat standout Cindy Parlow at today's news conference in Cary to discuss details surrounding the Hyundai WUSA All-Star Game.

Featuring an American Stars vs. World Stars format, the Hyundai WUSA All-Star Game is expected to be a World Cup preview, as all of the top players who are expected to compete in the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup will be in Cary for the three-day event. Game tickets go on sale today – May 12 -- at 1:00 p.m. ET. Soccer fans can purchase tickets at all Triangle area Kroger and Hecht's stores or by calling the Courage ticket office at (919) 573-7626. Tickets are also available by calling Ticketmaster at (919) 834-4000 or by going online at www.ticketmaster.com. Individual ticket prices range from $15 - $35, while group tickets can be purchased for as low as $13.

A WUSA charter sponsor, Hyundai will serve as the title sponsor of the All-Star Game. The match will officially be known as the 2003 Hyundai WUSA All-Star Game. Hyundai supports soccer through key partnerships with the WUSA, FIFA and the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO). WUSA All-Stars will arrive June 17 and are scheduled to participate in many soccer-themed events and festivities, providing soccer fans access to all of the players. Soccer Week kicks off with the All-Star Youth Clinic on Tuesday, June 17 at 3:30 p.m. ET at SAS Stadium. More than 200 local-area youth soccer players will participate in the hour-long clinic. After many of the All-Stars test their golfing talents at the SAS-WUSA All-Star Golf Tournament at Prestonwood Country Club the morning of Wednesday, June 18, the Time-Warner Cable WUSA All-Star Skills Competition will take place that evening at 7:30 p.m. ET, as WUSA standouts will dazzle fans with their skills in a three-event competition. An autograph session will follow the Time-Warner Cable WUSA All-Star Skills Competition.

On June 19, WUSA general managers will conduct league meetings during the morning and the Hyundai WUSA All-Star Luncheon will take place at 12 noon ET. The highlight of Soccer Week will be the Hyundai WUSA All-Star Game on Wednesday evening. Once again, all of the All-Star players will be signing autographs in the Maytag Autograph Alley following the All-Star Game.

Soccer fans have the opportunity to vote for their favorite WUSA players who will compete in the Hyundai WUSA All-Star Game by going online at www.WUSA.com. Fans will make up one block of voting to select the 11 starters for the WUSA American Stars and the WUSA World Stars squads. The other two blocks that vote on the starting lineups are coaches/GMs and members of the media. Each voting block consists of 33.3 percent of the vote. The starting lineups for the both teams will be announced on Tuesday, June 3. Five additional reserve players will be announced on June 9. The reserve players will be selected by the two All-Star head coaches in conjunction with WUSA Commissioner Tony DiCicco.

Head coaches for each team will be decided based on regular season performance and will be determined by June 1.

The inaugural WUSA All-Star Game was held in Portland, Oregon on September 21, 2002 as the South All-Stars defeated the North All-Stars 6-1 at PGE Park. Washington Freedom forward and 2002 WUSA Rookie of the Year Abby Wambach was named the Hyundai Most Valuable Player of the match for her two goals and one assist. The WUSA did not have an All-Star Game during the league's inaugural season in 2001.

Featuring the best women's soccer players in the world, WUSA athletes include Mia Hamm, Cindy Parlow, Tiffeny Milbrett, Tiffany Roberts, Kristine Lilly, Julie Foudy and dozens of international stars. Approximately 50 WUSA players will compete in the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup later this year. The eight WUSA teams are the Atlanta Beat, Boston Breakers, Carolina Courage, New York Power, Philadelphia Charge, San Diego Spirit, San Jose CyberRays and the Washington Freedom.

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Women's United Soccer Association Stories from May 12, 2003


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