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Atlanta Beat Weekly

April 22, 2002 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
Atlanta Beat News Release


Recap of Week 2
Atlanta Beat (0-2-0, 0 pts) vs. Boston Breakers (1-1-0, 3 pts)
Saturday, April 20, 2002
Nickerson Field at Boston University

The Beat fell to 0-2-0, dropping its second straight and second game of the season Saturday night to the Boston Breakers. Dagny Mellgren, Angela Hucles and Kristine Lilly notched goals for the Breakers in the 3-1 win. The Beat's off season acquisition, Liping Wang, scored Atlanta's first and only goal of the season. The goal was also the first of Liping Wang's WUSA career.

Going into Saturday night's match, the Beat and Breakers series was tied 1-1-1. The Beat recorded its first win in club history over the Breakers on May 5, 2001, in the Breakers home opener. The teams tied their second meeting and then Boston defeated the Beat in the last meeting of the 2001 season, 1-0 in Atlanta. In 2001 Maren Meinert scored the Breakers' only two goals versus Atlanta.

With the win on Saturday, the Breakers stretched its winning streak versus Atlanta to two games, becoming only the second team to defeat the Beat twice in club history. The Carolina Courage claimed two victories over the Beat in 2001.

In 2001 the Beat dropped its second game in its 17th contest of the season. The Beat's defense, best in the WUSA in 2001, has given up five goals in two games. The Beat had not given up five goals in 2001 until the 9th game of last season.

Tom Stone Quotes on Match versus the Breakers: "We're seeing a team that for the first time since it's been playing is having its character tested. If we had played last week like we did this week, we probably would have come away with a point."

"It was your typical Beat versus Breakers game. Both teams created a lot of chances and they did a great job of putting those chances in the goal and we didn't."

"Liping is a tough little player and was one of our best players on the field tonight."

UPCOMING MATCH
Atlanta Beat (0-2-0, 0 pts) vs. Freedom (1-1-0, 3 pts)
Saturday, April 27, 4:00 p.m.
National Broadcast: PAX-TV
All-time Series record (Atlanta Beat 3-0-0)
Top scorers: ATL - Liping Wang (1G, 0A, 2 pts)
Key Players Out: Kylie Bivens (U.S. National Team duty)

The Freedom is coming off of a 2-1 come from behind victory over the defending WUSA champion San Jose CyberRays. The Beat defeated the Freedom all three times the teams faced off in 2001. Goals in the first two games came from unlikely heroes. In the first meeting on June 9, the Beat got goals from Emily Burt and Kylie Bivens to prevail 2-1. In the second meeting on July 7, the Beat's goals came from defender Lisa Krzykowski, midfielder Homare Sawa, and the game winner from Kelly Cagle in a 3-2 victory. In the final meeting of 2001 the Beat won 2-1 with two second half goals by Charmaine Hooper proving to be the difference. The win clinched a playoff spot for the Beat and ended a three game losing skid. The Beat was headed for a fourth loss in a row until the rain came and Charmaine Hooper poured in two goals in the final 10 minutes of the second half, to give the Beat a victory. Hooper stated after the game, "My mom always said rain was a blessing. When it started today, I knew something good about to happen." Something good did happen for the Beat that day and hopefully the success of that final game in 2001 will carry over today. Sun Wen notched both assists in the match.

Key matchup: Charmaine Hooper versus Jen Grubb: Charmaine notched two goals and an assist versus the Freedom in 2001. Although she has not scored in 2002, Hooper is still one of the most physical and dangerous players in the league. Jen Grubb, who has valuable U.S. National Team experience will be counted upon, by the Freedom, to neutralize Hooper.

Quote from Tom on Match versus the Washington Freedom:

"After giving up three goals versus Boston, we will need to address our team defense and will work on that leading up to next Saturday's game."

"Washington is a well balanced team and can handle the physical nature that we play with. They have a couple of big targets up front that we'll have to contend with. They also have a well organized defense and good goalkeeping."

Injury update:
Nancy Augustyniak - questionable (right knee patellar tendonitis)
Sun Wen - questionable (left adductor strain)
Cindy Parlow - questionable (right ankle contusion)
Liping Wang - questionable (left knee contusion)

BEAT NOTES:

Bivens to Play with National Team on Saturday in San Jose

Beat defender Kylie Bivens will be in San Jose throughout the week training with the U.S. Women's National Team for its game versus Finland on April 27. Bivens has become a regular on the U.S. Women's National Team, last competing with them at the Algarve Cup in Portugal in March. Bivens scored her first career national team point in the tournament, assisting on a Shannon MacMillan goal. This will be the first ever WUSA match Bivens has missed due to a national team call up.

Because of a lingering right angle injury, U.S. Women's National Team Head Coach April Heinrichs decided not to bring Beat forward Cindy Parlow into the national team camp this week. Replacing Parlow is Washington Freedom forward Abby Wambach, who recorded assists on both Freedom goals in their 2-1 win versus San Jose this past Sunday.

Charmaine Hooper to Chat on WUSA.com Tuesday, April 23 at 8 p.m. EST

Beat forward Charmaine Hooper will be participating in the live chat on the official web site of the Women's United Soccer Associtaion (WUSA) from 8:00-8:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday, April 23. To find out how to join the chat click on the link below. <>

Sun Wen On the Sideline for Game Versus Boston Although not in uniform or even in Boston for last Saturday's match versus the Breakers, Sun Wen was called upon to help the Beat in a predicament. Liping Wang was injured late in the first half going into a hard tackle with Breakers' midfielder Kristine Lilly. Liping injured her knee in the play and was carried off the field by the team's trainer and assistant coach. Head coach Tom Stone asked Liping if she felt good enough to play, but because she still does not understand the English language very well, Sun Wen was called on her cell phone and was used as a translator to deliver the message to the team's trainer and coach, that Liping Wang felt good enough to go back in. When asked what the situation with Liping Wang was, Tom Stone said, "It's hard to tell because we can't talk to her. We had Sun Wen on the cell phone and she told our trainer that Liping thought she could go back in. Then I told Sun Wen to tell Liping that she does not have to go back in, because in our country if you're hurt you come out."

Liping Wang did reenter the game and scored the Beat's only goal of the game and first of the season.

Beat and Freedom Twins to Face Off

This Saturday's match will mark the first meeting of two of the four sets of twins in the WUSA against each other in competition. The Beat's Nancy and Julie Augustyniak were the only set of twins to play on the same team in 2001. The Freedom's Jacqui and Skylar Little became teammates during the off season after a trade sent Jacqui to Washington from San Jose. Through two games Nancy Augustyniak has yet to see the field, as she recovers from patellar tendonitis in her right knee. Julie Augustyniak has played in both of the Beat's matches, starting the opening game of the season.

The other twins in the WUSA are Ronnie Fair (New York Power) and Lorrie Fair (Philadelphia Charge) and Jennifer Tietjen (Philadelphia Charge) and Margaret Tietjen (San Diego Spirit).

Atlanta Beat Training Schedule for April 23-26
Tuesday, April 23 - 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., Rose Bowl Field
Wednesday, April 24 - 10:30 - 12 p.m., Herndon Stadium
Thursday, April 25 - 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., Rose Bowl Field
Friday, April 26 - 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., Herndon Stadium

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Women's United Soccer Association Stories from April 22, 2002


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