Beat Defense on Record Pace

Published on June 30, 2003 under Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) News Release

ATLANTA (Monday, June 30, 2003) - Allowing a WUSA-low 0.75 goal per game, the Atlanta Beat hopes to make the adage "Defense Wins Championships" come true in 2003. Following the Beat's 1-0 victory over Washington on June 28, Atlanta sits atop the WUSA standings with a 6-2-4 record for 22 points.

Atlanta features the WUSA's top scoring offense at 2.00 goals per game, but it is the Beat's defense that has many experts picking Head Coach Tom Stone's club to win Founders Cup III on August 24 in San Diego. No WUSA team has ever allowed less than 1.00 goal per game for an entire season. Philadelphia led the WUSA with a goals against average of 1.05 in 2002 and Atlanta had a WUSA-best 1.00 goals against average in 2001.

"Our goals against average is a reflection on our overall team defense," Stone said. "Also, you have to have respect for the great attacking players in this league, and our team understands that."

Atlanta's backline is traditionally one of the WUSA's best. Six players see regular action in the Beat's back four, including three-year veterans Kylie Bivens, Nancy Augustyniak, Julie Augustyniak and Sharolta Nonen. In addition, rookies Leslie Gaston (10 starts in 11 games) and Ifeoma Dieke (four starts) have made an impact in their first season. Stone feels Canadian national team standout Nonen may be having her best season.

"Sharolta and (San Diego's) Joy Fawcett are the two best center backs in the WUSA this year," Stone said. "She's really stepped it up and has been tremendous in the back."

Atlanta's defense is anchored by one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of women's soccer, Briana Scurry. In Saturday's win over Washington, Scurry earned her fourth shutout of the season and her WUSA career-best 17th clean sheet. After letting her weight rise following the 1999 Women's World Cup and not competing with the U.S. national team for nearly two years (2001-2002), Scurry's dedicated fitness regimen has her in the best shape of her career. She is a likely starter for the U.S. at this fall's FIFA Women's World Cup.

"Bri is having the best year of her career," Stone said. "Her fitness work the past two years is now colliding with the opportunity to win a WUSA title and another World Cup championship. Bri has responded to the stage she has this year. She seems to thrive in this type of environment."

A key component in the Beat's success is due to the club retaining its core group of players since the league's inception. Atlanta has a WUSA-high 11 players on the club's roster who were members of the Beat's 2001 squad. In addition, newcomers such as Maribel Dominguez (Atlanta's leading scorer), Conny Pohlers, Abby Crumpton, Gaston and Dieke have all seen significant action.

Atlanta's magic number of points to qualify for the WUSA playoffs is 18, but the Beat still has nine games remaining (including six on the road). With only five points separating Atlanta from the sixth place San Jose CyberRays, the Beat knows that every team still has a solid opportunity at making the playoffs.

"This team has no delusions," Stone added. "We know that you can go from first to worst in a span of three weeks, but our players seem to respond when it counts."

NEW YORK'S MILBRETT SNAPS HOME GOAL-SCORING DROUGHT: During Saturday's 3-3 draw against Carolina at Mitchel Athletic Complex, New York Power forward Tiffeny Milbrett became the first player in WUSA history to score 30 career goals. Milbrett's historic goal helped the U.S. national team striker end a home goal-scoring drought of 14 games, dating back to July 26, 2001. New York went 2-11-1 during Milbrett's scoreless stretch at Mitchel Athletic Complex. Milbrett had gone 1393 minutes without a goal at home.

"I am not going to lie and say that it has not been on my mind," Milbrett said after Saturday's game. "It's been ridiculous ... the weight on my shoulders. It's something that as a forward makes you so angry. I've been carrying that around for almost two years. Now it's time to get more. It feels good."

With a goal and an assist against Carolina, Milbrett moved back into the top spot in all-time WUSA scoring (she's tied with Carolina's Danielle Fotopoulos) with 30 goals and 16 assists for 76 points.

ALL-TIME WUSA POINTS LEADERS
PLAYER TEAM GP GOALS ASTS PTS
1. Milbrett, Tiffeny NY 51 30 16 76
Fotopoulos, Danielle CAR 54 27 22 76
2. Meinert, Maren BOS 51 23 28 74
3. Hooper, Charmaine ATL 50 28 12 68
4. Mellgren, Dagny BOS 51 29 8 66
5. Hamm, Mia WAS 40 21 15 57
6. Katia SJC 52 23 10 56
7. MacMillan, Shannon SD 43 18 17 53
8. Pichon, Marinette PHI 29 24 3 51
Prinz, Birgit CAR 27 20 11 51
10.Lilly, Kristine BOS 52 11 28 50

ALL-TIME WUSA GOALS LEADERS
PLAYER TEAM GP GOALS
1. Milbrett, Tiffeny NY 51 30
2. Mellgren, Dagny BOS 51 29
3. Hooper, Charmaine ATL 50 28
4. Fotopoulos, Danielle CAR 54 27
5. Pichon, Marinette PHI 29 24
6. Katia SJC 52 23
Meinert, Maren BOS 51 23
7. Hamm, Mia WAS 40 21
8. Prinz, Birgit CAR 27 20
MacMillan, Shannon SD 43 18

PHILADELPHIA'S PICHON LIGHTING IT UP AGAIN: Following a slow start, French national team standout Marinette Pichon is on pace to eclipse her 2001 WUSA Most Valuable Player scoring numbers after registering her third multiple-goal game of the season on June 28 in a 2-2 draw against Boston. Pichon was held scoreless in her first two games this season, but she has 10 goals and two assists in the ensuing nine matches. With five goals and one assist during the month of June (as the Charge went 2-1-2), Pichon has almost single-handedly kept Philadelphia in the playoff hunt despite a 3-6-3 record. In scoring twice in the month's finale on June 28, she reached the 50-point plateau in just 29 career games, tying New York's Tiffeny Milbrett for the fewest games needed to reach the milestone. Despite only two years of service in the WUSA, Pichon ranks fifth all-time in the WUSA with 24 career goals.

JAPAN AND MEXICO BATTLE FOR FINAL WORLD CUP SPOT JULY 5 AND 12: Atlanta Beat teammates will face each other in a battle for the final berth to the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup when Mexico takes on Japan on July 5 at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City and on July 12 at National Stadium in Tokyo. Maribel Dominguez, who ranks sixth in WUSA scoring with seven goals and four assists for 18 points, left Atlanta on Sunday to join Mexico's national team. Sawa departs Atlanta today to join the Japanese national team in Mexico. Mexico will host Japan on July 5 in Mexico City and Japan will then host Mexico on July 12. The winner of the home-and-home series will determine the 16th and final berth to World Cup USA '03. Both Dominguez and Sawa are expected back for the Beat's July 16 match at Philadelphia.

2003 FIFA Women's World Cup Finalists AFC (2.5): North Korea, South Korea CAF (2): Ghana, Nigeria CONCACAF (2.5): Canada, USA CONMEBOL (2): Argentina, Brazil OFC (1): Australia UEFA (5): France, Germany, Norway, Russia, Sweden Original Host (1): China

Final Playoff Position: Japan (AFC) vs. Mexico (CONCACAF) - July 5 in Mexico; July 12 in Japan

STATS HIGHLIGHT CLEVER PLAY OF BOSTON'S LILLY: Boston midfielder Kristine Lilly, known for her precision style of play, is the WUSA's all-time leader in drawing fouls, and is one of the best at not committing them. Entering Thursday's game against Washington, Lilly has been fouled 35 times and been guilty of only 15 infractions (a 2.33 ratio). Lilly ranks first all-time in the WUSA in drawing 132 fouls, 12 more than Atlanta's Charmaine Hooper.

"She's putting herself in a position where she runs at people and it's difficult to defend," Boston coach Pia Sundhage said about her 31-year-old star. "You don't want to get beaten by an older woman, so you take her out."

This season, Carolina's Brigit Pinz leads the league by drawing 36 fouls and has committed 21 (1.71). Washington's Mia Hamm has the WUSA's best ratio in 2003, being whistled for only 5 while drawing 18 (3.6). Hooper has been involved in the most fouls (26), while committing 33. Here's a look by at the WUSA leaders by ratio of initiating fouls while being called for the fewest (10 foul minimum)

Name Team FS FC Ratio
Mia Hamm WAS 18 5 3.6
Sharolta Nonen ATL 11 4 2.75
Stacey Tullock PHI 13 5 2.6
Kristine Lilly BOS 35 15 2.33
Brigit Pinz CAR 36 21 1.71
Amanda Cromwell SJC 17 9 1.88
Angela Hucles BOS 17 10 1.7
Jaclyn Raveia NY 15 9 1.67
Cindy Parlow ATL 23 14 1.64
Julie Fleeting SD 16 10 1.6

ATLANTA LEADS WUSA WITH 11 ORIGINAL PLAYERS: The Atlanta Beat is the only WUSA team that has more than 10 players remaining from the club's 2001 charter season. Here's a brief look at each WUSA team and the number of players who were on the club's roster in 2001 and on the team's current roster:

Atlanta 11
Boston 9
Carolina 8
New York 6
Philadelphia 6
San Diego 6
San Jose 9
Washington 7

WELSH TO BE ON WUSA.COM CHAT THIS WEEK: New York forward Christie Welsh will be the featured guest on this week's WUSA.com live web chat on Tuesday, July 1. The chat will begin at 4:00 p.m. (ET)/1:00 p.m. (PT) and will last approximately 30 minutes. Welsh will be on hand to answer fan questions. Fans can submit questions before and during the chat. For more information, log on to www.WUSA.com.

WUSA Game Previews (Week Fourteen)

Wednesday, July 2, 2003 - San Diego Spirit at San Jose CyberRays - 10:00 p.m. (ET) - No TV; (Season Series: San Diego leads 2-0-0) (All-time Series History: San Diego leads 3-2-3)

Both teams faced each other on Sunday, June 29, 2003 with San Diego defeating San Jose 2-1 at Torero Stadium. Forward Julie Fleeting and midfielder Aly Wagner each found the back of the net to lead the Spirit to its fifth win of the 2003 season.

Key Players to Watch: San Diego's Fleeting (7g, 2a, 16 pts. - tied for 7th among WUSA scoring leaders) registered the game-winning goal on Sunday, June 29. Fleeting is the all-time scoring leader for the Spirit versus San Jose, averaging a goal per game versus the CyberRays (3 goals in 3 matches). Midfielder Wagner (2g, 3a, 7 pts.) notched the game-tying goal in stoppage time during the first half on June 29. Wagner has recorded a goal and two assists in San Diego's last two matches. Goalkeeper Jenni Branam (1-1-1, 1.33 GAA) earned her first career WUSA victory on June 29. Branam made her home debut at Torero Stadium, registering seven saves in the San Diego victory. San Jose's Sissi (2g, 4a, 8 pts.) recorded her second goal of the 2003 season on June 29. The Brazilian playmaker is the WUSA's all-time leader in game-winning assists (10). Katia (1g, 2a, 4 pts.) has been held scoreless in the CyberRays' last seven games. Katia is the team's all-time points leader versus San Diego, registering three goals and one assist for seven points (seven matches). Goalkeeper LaKeysia Beene (5-6-1, 1.08 GAA) has started in net for the CyberRays in every match all-time versus the Spirit. Beene holds a 2-3-3 record with a 1.25 goals against average all-time versus San Diego.

Key Matchup: (San Diego forward Julie Fleeting versus San Jose defender Thori Bryan) - Fleeting, who has recorded three goals and an assist in San Diego's last two matches, is averaging a goal per game versus San Jose. Bryan anchors one of the league's top defenses, averaging 1.23 goals allowed per game. This will be Fleeting's first trip to Spartan Stadium (all three of her previous matches versus the CyberRays have taken place at Torero Stadium).

The "Inside Scoop": San Diego has clinched the season series with San Jose, following the 2-1 victory on Sunday, June 29 at Torero Stadium. The series is tied 1-1-1 at Spartan Stadium with both clubs registering four goals. San Diego will be without defender Joy Fawcett (red card suspension) and San Jose will be without Pretinha (red card suspension - two yellow cards) for Wednesday's match. This will mark the ninth meeting between San Diego's Julie Foudy and her husband Ian Sawyers (head coach of the San Jose CyberRays).

They Said it: "It is going to be a tough game with the absence of Joy (Fawcett). Our team has some fight in us and I am hoping that team responds the same way on Wednesday as we did on Sunday." - San Diego Spirit Head Coach Omid Namazi on Wednesday match with San Jose.

Referee: Mark Arblaster. Assistant Referees: Sandra Serafini, Said Ravanfar. 4th Official: Romy Kozak.

Thursday, July 3, 2003 - Washington Freedom at Boston Breakers - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - NESN (Boston - tape-delayed at 9:30 pm. ET); (Season Series: Boston leads 1-0-0) (All-time Series History: Boston leads 3-1-3)

Washington extended its winless streak to four games after falling to Atlanta 1-0 on Saturday, June 28 at Herndon Stadium. Boston earned four points last week with a 2-1 victory over New York on Wednesday, June 25 at Mitchel Athletic Complex and a 2-2 tie with Philadelphia on Saturday, June 28 at Villanova Stadium. The last meeting between these two teams resulted in a 3-1 victory for Boston on June 8, 2003 at RFK Stadium. Forward Maren Meinert tallied two goals to lead the Breakers to their first-ever victory at RFK Stadium.

Key Players to Watch: Washington's Mia Hamm (7g, 6a, 20 pts. - tied for 3rd among WUSA scoring leaders) was held scoreless for only the third time during the 2003 season (10 matches played) on June 28. The Freedom forward is averaging 2.00 points per game during the 2003 campaign. Forward Abby Wambach (5g, 3a, 13 pts.) is the Freedom's all-time leading scorer versus the Breakers (2g, 4 pts. - four matches). Wambach is the only Washington player to register more than one goal versus Boston all-time. Goalkeeper Siri Mullinix (5-3-2, 1.30 GAA) has played in every match for the Freedom versus the Breakers in net (seven time - 1-3-3, 1.43 GAA). Mullinix is second all-time in saves (213) in the WUSA. Boston's Dagny Mellgren (7g, 2a, 16 pts. - tied for 7th among WUSA scoring leaders) recorded her seventh goal of the season on June 28. Mellgren has recorded a team-high three goals and three assists for nine points versus Washington all-time (six matches). Midfielder/forward Meinert (8g, 5a, 21 pts. - 2nd among WUSA scoring leaders) recorded her fifth assist of the 2003 season on Wednesday, June 25. Meinert is tied for the team lead (with Mellgren) in goals scored all-time versus Washington (3 goals in six matches). Midfielder Angela Hucles (1g, 4a, 6 pts.) has tallied a goal and three assists in the Breakers' last three matches. Hucles has already equaled her assist total from the 2002 season.

Key Matchup: (Washington defenders Jennifer Grubb and Carrie Moore versus Boston forwards Dagny Mellgren and Maren Meinert) Mellgren and Meinert have been responsible for 60 percent (52 of 86 total goals) of Boston scoring all-time. Versus the Freedom, 60 percent of the team's total goals were scored by the international strikers (6 of 10 goals). Moore, Grubb and the Washington defense have allowed an average of 1.64 goals per game during the 2003 season.

The "Inside Scoop": Washington's only win in this series came on June 12, 2002 (2-1 Freedom win). Boston has never lost to Washington at Nickerson Field (2-0-1) outscoring the Freedom 3-1. Boston will be without defender Monica Gonzalez due to World Cup Qualifying (Mexico). The match Thursday (July 3) will be Boston's fourth game in 12 days. Six of the Freedom's last 10 games will be played on the road. Washington is 3-2-0 on the road this season and 11-11-4 all-time away from RFK.

They Said it: "They're traditionally the team that's played the most attractive soccer, with very dangerous attacking personalities and very mobile midfielders.

Against Boston we have had a tendency to be outplayed but still have managed to get results. They're a scary team for us." - Washington Freedom Head Coach Jim Gabarra on Boston.

Referee: Erich Simmons. Assistant Referees: Claudio Badea, Bahij A Salman. 4th Official: Niko Bratsis.

Friday, July 4, 2003 - Atlanta Beat at Carolina Courage - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - Fox Sports South (Carolina); (Season Series: Carolina leads 1-0-1) (All-time Series History: Carolina leads 5-1-2)

Atlanta extended its unbeaten streak to three games with a 1-0 win over Washington of Saturday, June 28 at Herndon Stadium. Carolina battled New York to a 3-3 draw on Saturday, June 28 at Mitchel Athletic Complex. The last meeting between these two teams resulted in a 0-0 draw on June 14, 2003 at SAS Stadium. Goalkeepers Melanie Wilson (Atlanta) and Kristin Luckenbill (Carolina) prevented either offense from finding the back of the net, recording seven saves and five saves respectively.

Key Players to Watch: Atlanta's Charmaine Hooper (5g, 6a, 16 pts. - tied for 7th among WUSA scoring leaders) scored the Beat's only goal on Saturday, June 28. The game-winning goal was Hooper's league-leading 12th of her career. Forward Cindy Parlow (3g, 3a, 9 pts.) has recorded three goals and an assist in Atlanta's last three matches. Parlow is the only Beat player to record multiple assists versus the Courage all-time (two assists in six matches). Goalkeeper Briana Scurry (6-2-3, 0.82 GAA) registered her fourth shutout of the 2003 season on June 28. Scurry holds the league lead in shutouts with 17 during her career. Carolina's Birgit Prinz (8g, 3a, 19 pts. - 5th among WUSA scoring leaders) scored the game-tying goal with her eighth score on the 2003 season during stoppage time on June 28. With her eighth goal of the 2003 season, Prinz became the ninth player in WUSA history to record 20 or more goals. Midfielder Tiffany Roberts' only career WUSA goal was scored versus Atlanta on May 4, 2002 (one day before her 25th birthday. Three of Roberts' six career points have been scored against the Beat. Goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill (4-3-3, 1.50 GAA) is 3-1-2 in her last three starts, recording a 1.00 goals against average. Luckenbill holds a career best 4-1-2 record with a 0.86 goals against average all-time versus Atlanta (seven matches).

Key Matchup: (Atlanta forward Charmaine Hooper versus Carolina defender Breanna Boyd) Hooper, Atlanta's all-time leading scorer (28g, 12a, 68 pts.) has registered three goals and an assist for seven points versus Atlanta all-time (seven matches). Boyd and the Courage defense have held Hooper to just one assist this season. Hooper and the Beat offense are the top rated offense in the WUSA, averaging 2.00 goals per game. Carolina ranks sixth in team defense allowing 1.77 goals per game. Hooper and Boyd are teammates on the Canadian national team.

The "Inside Scoop": Atlanta is winless against the Courage in North Carolina in five attempts (0-3-2). The Beat holds the league's all-time best road winning percentage (11-8-6, .560) and boasts the WUSA's only undefeated record on the road this season (1-0-3). Despite sitting seventh in the WUSA standings, Carolina is only seven points back of first-place Atlanta. The Beat will be without Homare Sawa (Japan) and Maribel Dominguez (Mexico) due to World Cup Qualifying.

They Said it: "I think it will take another great defensive effort. In the last three regular season games versus Carolina, we have given up only two goals and had two shutouts. If we can continue to play well on defense, it becomes very important to have great mobility on the attack. By getting numbers forward, using all of the space on the big field up there, we'll create quality scoring chances. Hooper and Pohlers are playing very well. We'll look for them to have key roles this weekend." - Atlanta Beat Head Coach Tom Stone on what it will take to defeat the Courage at SAS Stadium.

Referee: Sandra Hunt. Assistant Referees: Bill Dittmar, Daniel A Burak. 4th Official: Abbas Piran.

Saturday, July 5, 2003 - San Jose CyberRays at New York Power - 4:00 p.m. (ET) - PAX TV (National Broadcast); (Season Series: New York leads 2-0-0) (All-time Series History: San Jose leads 5-2-1)

San Jose will be coming off a midweek match with San Diego on Wednesday, July 2 at Spartan Stadium. New York battled Carolina to a 3-3 tie on Saturday, June 28 at Mitchel Athletic Complex. The last meeting between these two teams resulted in a 3-1 victory for the Power on June 14, 2003 at Mitchel Athletic Complex. Forward Christie Welsh scored two goals to give New York its second straight victory over the CyberRays.

Key Players to Watch: San Jose's Pretinha (5g, 4a, 14 pts. - 10th among WUSA scoring leaders) was forced to sit out of the CyberRays' last match (July 2) due to a red card suspension. The Brazilian international has registered two goals and three assists in her last four matches with San Jose. Forward Katia (1g, 1a, 3 pts. - prior to July 2 match versus San Diego) has registered four goals and two assists for 10 points all-time versus the Power (eight matches). Katia is the only WUSA player to record over 100 shots on goal during her career. Goalkeeper LaKeysia Beene (5-6-1, 1.08 GAA - prior to July 2 match versus San Diego) is tied for the all-time WUSA lead in wins (with Atlanta's Briana Scurry with 24). Beene holds a 5-1-1 record with a 0.86 goals against average versus New York all-time (seven matches). On June 28, New York's Tiffeny Milbrett (4g, 5a, 13 pts.) recorded her first goal at Mitchel Athletic Complex since July 26, 2001. Milbrett became the first player in WUSA history to record 30 goals. Midfielder Krista Davey (3g, 2a, 8 pts.) recorded two assists versus Carolina on June 28. Davey has been perfect scoring three goals (two of them game-winners) on three shots during the 2003 season. Midfielder Shannon Boxx (6a, 6 pts.) is tied for the league lead in assists. Heading into the 2003 season, Boxx had recorded seven assists in two seasons.

Key Matchup: (San Jose defender Thori Bryan versus New York forward Tiffeny Milbrett) These two world-class speedsters should see a lot of each other in this match-up. Bryan has been able to keep Milbrett off the score sheet in five of the six matchups. Milbrett was able to explode for three goals on June 15, 2002, recording her second career hat trick.

The "Inside Scoop": Prior to the 2003 season New York had never beaten San Jose. New York has won both meetings this season, outscoring the CyberRays 5-1. San Jose's Katia and Pretinha have accounted for four of the five all-time game-winning goals for San Jose over the Power. Milbrett registered her first goal at home in 14 straight matches (1,393 minutes).

They Said it: "San Jose is a very dangerous team, and we have to play hard for 90 minutes against them. It should be a fun and entertaining match." - New York Power Head Coach Tom Sermanni on San Jose.

Referee: Sarah Kraus. Assistant Referees: Adam Smeltz, Edward Marco. 4th Official: Mark Gorak.

Saturday, July 5, 2003 - San Diego Spirit at Philadelphia Charge - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - No TV; (Season Series: Philadelphia leads 2-0-0) (All-time Series History: Philadelphia leads 5-1-2)

The Spirit will be coming off a midweek match with San Jose on Wednesday, July 2 at Spartan Stadium. Philadelphia battled to a 2-2 tie with the Boston Breakers on Saturday, June 28 at Villanova Stadium. The last meeting between these two teams resulted in a 2-0 victory for the Charge on June 14, 2003 at Villanova Stadium. Marinette Pichon netted her seventh goal of the season to lead Philadelphia to its third win of the season.

Key Players to Watch: San Diego's Julie Fleeting (7g, 2a, 16 pts. - prior to July 2 match versus San Jose) will be looking for her first career goal versus the Charge. Fleeting leads the WUSA in shots on goal with 28. Midfielder Julie Foudy (3g, 2a, 8 pts.- prior to July 2 match versus San Jose) is the Spirit's all-time scoring leader versus Philadelphia (2g, 1a, 5 pts. - seven matches). All three of Foudy's goals this season have been scored on penalty kicks. Goalkeeper Jaime Pagliarulo (4-2-3, 1.22 GAA - prior to July 2 match versus San Jose) is second in the WUSA in winning percentage (.611). Pagliarulo recorded San Diego's only shutout of the Charge on May 19, 2002. Philadelphia Marinette Pichon (10g, 2a, 22 pts. - 1st among WUSA scoring leaders) became the 11th player in WUSA history to record 50 points during her career. Pichon is tied (with New York's Tiffeny Milbrett) for the all-time lead in multiple-goal games with seven. Forward/midfielder Melanie Hoffmann (3g, 5a, 11 pts.) leads the Charge in assists this season. The German international has scored two goals and three assists for seven points in her last five matches with the Charge. Goalkeeper Melissa Moore (2-5-3, 2.20 GAA) has played in net for Philadelphia in all eight meetings. Moore holds a 5-1-2 record with a 0.63 goals against average all-time versus the Spirit.

Key Matchup: (San Diego defender Joy Fawcett versus Philadelphia forward Marinette Pichon) The league's leading scorer, Pichon has recorded 11 points (5g, 1a) in her last five matches with the Charge. Pichon's three goals versus the Spirit leads all active Philadelphia players. Fawcett will return to San Diego's backline, after serving a red card suspension on Wednesday, July 2. The Spirit defense ranks third in the WUSA, allowing 1.25 goals per game. Pichon averages 2.00 points per game and 0.91 goals per game during the 2003 season. The French international has been able to find the back of the net in each of the previous two meetings this season.

The "Inside Scoop": Philadelphia has already clinched the season series versus San Diego (2-0-0). The Charge has never lost to San Diego at Villanova Stadium (3-0-1), outscoring the Spirit 9-2. San Diego has taken the second most shots in the WUSA (164) while Philadelphia has allowed the second fewest (125) during the 2003 campaign. San Diego Spirit Head Coach Omid Namazi will return to Philadelphia where he was a player-coach with the Philadelphia KiXX of the MISL.

Referee: Misail Tsapos. Assistant Referees: Melanie Johnson, Stanford Nagle III. 4th Official: Martha Sinclair.

TEAM INJURY REPORTS AS OF 06/30/03
ATLANTA BEAT: None.
BOSTON BREAKERS: OUT -GK Tracy Ducar (tendinitis in both knees); QUESTIONABLE - D Heather Aldama (back bruise); PROBABLE - M Devvyn Hawkins (L foot stress fracture); F Ragnhild Gulbrandsen (L foot).
CAROLINA COURAGE: OUT - M Hege Riise (R ACL tear); F Danielle Fotopoulos (Probable R ACL tear); PROBABLE -D Carla Overbeck (R calf strain); D Danielle Borgman (Shin Splints).
NEW YORK POWER: OUT - D Sara Whalen (R ACL tear); D Kristy Whelchel (R ACL tear); QUESTIONABLE - F Christie Welsh (L calf strain).
PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: OUT - F Kelly Smith (R meniscus tear); F Deliah Arrington (R ACL tear); D Heather Mitts (broken R tibia); M Pavlina Scasna (L foot tendonitis); DOUBTFUL - D Alexa Borisjuk (hamstring strain); QUESTIONABLE - M Erin Misaki (R groin strain).
SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: OUT - F Shannon MacMillan (R ACL tear); PROBABLE -D Kim Pickup (groin strain); GK Jaime Pagliarulo (Foot strain); F Kerry Connors (Achilles strain); M/F - Allie Sullivan (knee strain).
SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: QUESTIONABLE - F Katie Barnes (R hamstring pull); PROBABLE - F Pretinha (groin strain); M Sissi (bruised and separated ribs); D Kelly Lindsey (R knee sprain).
WASHINGTON FREEDOM: PROBABLE- F Mia Hamm (R knee strain); F Jennifer Meier (R ankle sprain).

NATIONAL TEAM DUTY AS OF 06/30/03
ATLANTA BEAT: Homare Sawa (Japan); Maribel Dominguez (Mexico)
BOSTON BREAKERS: Monica Gonzalez (Mexico).
CAROLINA COURAGE: None.
NEW YORK POWER: None.
PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: None.
SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: None.
SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: None.
WASHINGTON FREEDOM: None.

suspension Summary 06/30/03

Player Team Suspension Reason

Joy Fawcett San Diego Spirit 7/2 at San Jose Red Card (6/29 vs. San Jose)

Pretinha San Jose CyberRays 7/2 vs. San Diego Two yellow cards (6/29 at San Diego)

Warning Summary 06/30/03

Player Team Reason

Christie Welsh New York Power 3 Non - Consecutive Yellow Cards Accumulated: A caution in the next game will result in a 1 game suspension =4 non- consecutive cards accumulated.

Melanie Hoffmann Philadelphia Charge 3 Non - Consecutive Yellow Cards Accumulated: A caution in the next game will result in a 1 game suspension =4 non- consecutive cards accumulated.

TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES

atlanta beat: Atlanta defeated the Washington Freedom 1-0 on Saturday, June 28 at Herndon Stadium to hold onto first place in the WUSA standings for the second week in a row...Forward Charmaine Hooper scored the only goal of the game in the second minute of play, bringing her to third in the WUSA for career goals (28)...Hooper is also second in the league for assists per game (0.5)...Goalkeeper Briana Scurry continues to produce strong performances for the Beat, recording her sixth win and fourth shutout of the 2003 season, making her the league leader in both categories...Scurry also has the lowest goals against average in the league (0.82)... Atlanta will be without the services of midfielder Homare Sawa (Japan) and forward Maribel Dominguez (Mexico) due to World Cup Qualifying... Atlanta ranks first in offense (2.0 goals per game) and defense (0.75 goals per game).

boston breakers: The Boston Breakers moved into second place in the WUSA, making two comebacks in one week... The Breakers won 2-1 over New York on Wednesday, June 25 at Nickerson Field and tied Philadelphia 2-2 at Villanova Stadium on Saturday, June 28...Midfielder Angela Hucles scored the game-winning goal against New York and setup both goals scored against Philadelphia on Saturday, recording two assists...Forward Ragnhild Gulbrandsen scored the first goal of her WUSA career, hitting a ball under the crossbar in the 88th minute against Philadelphia, to tie the game 2-2...Goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc remains an excellent asset to the Breakers defense, recording nine saves in two games, putting her first in the WUSA for saves (54) and wins (6)...Boston is ranks fifth in both team offense (1.62 goals per game) and defense (1.77 goals per game).

carolina courage: Carolina's five-game unbeaten streak was snapped last Wednesday with a 2-0 loss to San Jose at Spartan Stadium...Saturday, June 28 the Courage battled New York to a 3-3 at Mitchel Field...Goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill's streak of scoreless minutes was snapped on Wednesday with a goal by Keri Sanchez of San Jose in the ninth minute of play...Luckenbill holds the league's longest shutout streak this season, with 344 scoreless minutes and has the fourth best goal against average (1.50 goals per game) in the league...Forward Birgit Prinz scored the game-tying goal against the Power on Saturday, increasing her tally this season to eight goals and making her the second highest goal scorer in the league this season... Carolina ranks sixth in both team offense (1.62 goals per game) and team defense (1.77 goals per game).

new york power: New York fell 2-1 to the Breakers on Wednesday, June 25 at Nickerson Field and battled the Courage to a 3-3 tie at Mitchel Athletic Complex on Saturday, June 28...Forward Tiffeny Milbrett found the back of the net on Saturday, breaking a personal streak of 14 without a goal at home and becoming the first WUSA player to reach 30 career goals...Midfielder Krista Davey scored one goal and notched two assists on Saturday...Davey has recorded a goal for each of her last three shots on goal and she holds the WUSA league lead for points per 90 minutes (2.75) and goals per 90 minutes (1.03) in 2003...Ranked second in the league for game-winning goals, Davey has scored the deciding goal for a Power victory twice this season (against Philadelphia on May 3 and against Boston on May 10) ...New York ranks third in team offense (1.71 goals per game) and eighth in team defense (2.36 goals per game).

philadelphia charge: Philadelphia earned a point with a 2-2 tie against then first-place Boston on Saturday, June 28 at Villanova Stadium... Marinette Pichon scored both goals and surpassed the 50-point plateau...The reigning MVP accomplished the feat in just 29 games, tying New York's Tiffeny Milbrett for the quickest to reach 50...Pichon has scored nine points (four goals, one assist) in her last three games... The French international standout leads the league with 22 points (10 goals, two assists)...It was the Charge's first game without Heather Mitts, who is expected to miss four-to-six weeks with a fractured right tibia...Defender Jenny Benson served her one-game red card suspension...Rachel Kruze, starting for Benson, kept Boston standout Maren Meinert off the scoreboard... The Charge couldn't maintain a lead for the fourth time this season, losing two and drawing two ties...Three of those leads have been lost in the final 10 minutes, including Saturday when Boston salvaged the tie in the 88th minute... Philadelphia ranks seventh in team offense (1.50 goals per game) and seventh in team defense (2.08 goals per game).

san diego spirit: San Diego moved to two games over .500 for the second time in team history with a 2-1 win over San Jose Sunday, June 29 at Torero Stadium...Joy Fawcett received her first red card in her "life" in the fifth minute...Fawcett has never been sent off in 213 national team matches since 1987 and has only drawn two yellow cards in that span...San Jose's Pretinha was also ejected, marking only the second time in Spirit history that two players were ejected from the same game... Aly Wagner scored on a free kick as a result of the San Jose red card... San Diego opponents are 6-for-6 on penalty kicks... Goalkeeper Jenni Branam (1-1-1) earned her first career win ...San Diego came back to win for the second time this season, both taking place against San Jose... San Diego ranks fourth in team offense (1.64 goals per game) and third in team defense (1.25 goals per game).

san jose cyberrays: San Jose finished the week 1-1-0, losing 2-1 to San Diego on Sunday, June 29 at Torero Stadium. The CyberRays defeated visiting Carolina 2-0 on Wednesday, June 25... Pretinha became the first player in San Jose history to be ejected, drawing two yellow cards... The CyberRays have played twice in a row against the same team only one previous time in their history, and that was earlier this season when they played the New York Power on June 8 and 14... Wednesday's game originally was scheduled for July 13, but it was rescheduled when the USA-Brazil Women's World Cup tuneup game was announced for the same date in New Orleans... Sissi scored her seventh goal of the season on a free kick after a San Diego red card to give San Jose a 1-0 lead...It was the second time this season the CyberRays could not hold a lead against their California rival... San Jose ranks eighth in team offense (1.08 goals per game) and second in team defense (1.23 goals per game).

washington freedom: Washington lost to Atlanta by one goal for the fourth consecutive time, falling 1-0 Saturday, June 28 at Herndon Stadium... Lightning halted the match for 36 minutes in the first half... The Freedom managed only one shot in the first half... Washington countered in the second half, outshooting the Beat 7-2, including two key scoring chances (63rd minute - Sandra Minnert hits the post; 78th minute - a low cross by Hamm is just out of reach for Emmy Barr)...Washington fell into a fourth-place tie with New York... Mia Hamm leads the league in assists (6), corner kicks (43) and game-winning goals (3)... Siri Mullinix leads the league with 50 catches/punches... Washington will play seven matches in July, including five in 14-day stretch... The Freedom ranks second in team offense (1.91 goals per game) and fourth in team defense (1.64 goals per game).

Women's United Soccer Association Stories from June 30, 2003

• Large Crowds Should Continue to Flock to Torero Stadium - San Diego Spirit
• Beat Prepares for Independence Day Showdown Versus Carolina - Atlanta Beat
• Beat Defense on Record Pace - WUSA
• Hucles Named Player of the Week - WUSA

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