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Atlanta makes 7th-minute goal hold up against CyberRays

May 17, 2003 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
San Jose CyberRays News Release


ATLANTA, Ga. (May 17, 2003) – It was the second time in three weeks that the CyberRays had faced the Atlanta Beat, and for the second time only a single goal was scored. But tonight it was Atlanta that put the ball in the net to get a 1-0 victory.

``It was really an off-night for us,'' CyberRays coach Ian Sawyers said. ``Usually our back four has been solid, but tonight they did not play well. In all areas of field we didn't perform.''

The loss evened the CyberRays record at 3-3 and came on the first game of a three-game road trip that will take the team to play the Philadelphia Charge on Saturday and the Boston Breakers on May 31.

Atlanta forward Conny Pohlers, making her first WUSA start, got her first professional goal in the seventh minute at the end of a play initiated by a 50-yard Brianna Scurry goal kick. Charmaine Hooper flicked the ball on with her head to Pohlers, who one-touched the ball from just outside the penalty box over CyberRays goalkeeper LaKeysia Beene.

``The goal is something that we have seen against Atlanta before and again we got caught on it,'' Beene said, referring to a similar goal Atlanta scored in the 2001 Founders Cup game.

Beene and defender Brandi Chastain each played the first half of the United States' 6-0 victory over England earlier Saturday in Birmingham, Ala., then were driven to Atlanta for the WUSA match with the Beat's Cindy Parlow. Chastain and Beene each played the full 90 minutes for the CyberRays; Parlow entered the match in the 58th minute.

Atlanta played the last 54 minutes of the match with only 10 players after Kylie Bivens was ejected for drawing a pair of yellow cards in a 10-minute span. At that point, Atlanta bunkered down with just one forward to protect its lead.

``We wanted to keep going forward, but we also couldn't leave San Jose exposed,'' Atlanta coach Tom Stone said.

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