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Biggest Week in Team History

August 5, 2003 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
San Diego Spirit News Release


Everything the Spirit franchise could ever ask for is here. An important week that features the team playing for a playoff spot, a better than .500 record, perhaps playing before the largest crowd in team history, Mia Hamm and the Washington Freedom as an opponent on national TV, a tremendous promotional giveaway item and the scoreboard watching associated with a playoff drive. The organization will be waiting for the results of both Carolina's and San Jose's matches on Wednesday to see if they can qualify for the postseason during the mid-week. If both teams either tie or lose, the Spirit gain entrance into the WUSA's promise land. A buzz surrounds the team heading into the final week of the season for several reasons. Hamm, the league's #1 draw is coming back to Torero Stadium. Tickets for the game are selling at a quick pace. The team is giving away to the first 4,000 fans a free 16-month 2004 team action photo calendar. San Diego is only two wins away from playing at home for the Founders Cup championship. What more could the Spirit organization ask for to wrap you their third WUSA regular season campaign?

NEXT ON THE SLATE: Saturday, August 9, vs. Washington, Torero Stadium, 1 p.m. PT

The Spirit and Freedom tangle in the season finale for both teams on Saturday before what may be the largest crowd in team history. The complete playoff scenario will not be know until late Wednesday when both Carolina and San Jose play. The outcome of those two matches will determine what the Spirit will need to do on Saturday. However, one thing is certain, a Spirit win and they advance to the postseason party for the first time ever.

MEDIA BALLOTS FOR GOAL OF THE YEAR - Media ballots for the San Diego Spirit Goal of the Year will be e-mailed on Wednesday. Three goals are up for the award and a complete description of each goal will be available on the ballot. We appreciate your support and coverage during the season and we would like you to be a part of our postseason awards. BALLOTS ARE DUE ON MONDAY, 12 p.m.

FREE 16-MONTH 2004 SPIRIT CALENDAR GIVEAWAY ON SATURDAY - The first 4,000 fans will receive a FREE 16-month 2003-04 team calendar courtesy of the Spirit. This full-color calendar, valued at $15, is a perfect addition to any Spirit fan's collection. Action photos, quotes, stats, history and player birthdays are included in this great calendar.

"AIR SCOTLAND" FINDS THE BACK OF THE NET AGAIN - Julie Fleeting leads the team in scoring with 10 goals and four assists, and is sixth in the WUSA in scoring. "Air Scotland" tallied her seventh header goal of the season in last Sunday's important 1-0 win over Carolina. Her 24 points is the second most ever scored by a Spirit player in a season. She is only the second San Diego player to record 10 or more goals during her career (Shannon MacMillan is the other). She is on pace to surpass Shannon MacMillan's record of 12 goals in a single season. The team record for points in a season is 30. Fleeting has already surpassed the team's record for most game-winning goals in a season with four, previously held by Julie Foudy (3).

SEASON SERIES STANDINGS - With the playoffs approaching and the first tiebreaker being season head-to-head competition, it is important for teams to win the season series against their opponents. The Spirit has won the season series against Carolina 2-1-0, San Jose, 2-0-1, and New York, 2-0-1; while losing to Atlanta, 0-1-2, Boston, 0-1-2, and Philadelphia, 0-2-1. San Diego is tied with Washington 1-1-0 with the season series to be determined on Saturday.

DAYLIGHT WINNING TIME - San Diego is 6-1-1 in games played before 6 p.m. in 2003 and 1-5-6 in games starting after 6 p.m. The Spirit's final game is a daylight game, taking place at 1 p.m. If San Diego qualifies for the playoffs, two of the WUSA's three postseason matches begin prior to 6 p.m. local time, while the third kicks off at 6 p.m. on August 17.

RECORDS ARE FALLING - The Spirit set the team record for most home wins in a season with five on Sunday. In addition to setting the home wins record, the club tied the total wins (7), and total points (28) records with the win. San Diego is four goals shy of tying the club record for goals in a season with 29. The Spirit will set a record for fewest goals allowed in a season if Washington does not score three goals on Saturday; currently the team has allowed 25 goals. It has already surpassed records of most shots (277), offside for (80) and against (60), corner kicks (90) and cautionary cards (24).

INDIVIDUAL RECORDS WITHIN REACH - Julie Fleeting could possibly tie or surpass Shannon MacMillan's 30-point and 12-goal season records if she has a big game against Washington. Aly Wagner has taken a beating in the midfield and she might become the Spirit's most fouled player ever, if Wagner gets fouled eight times on Saturday she will have suffered 43 fouls this season. Kerry Connors and Kim Pickup can tie Shannon Boxx's single-season record of most games started (21) by starting in Saturday's match. Lisa Krzykowski can also tie the previously mentioned Boxx, Connors and Pickup by playing in 21 games in a season if she makes it onto Torero Stadium turf. Kim Pickup has established a new single-season record by a defender with six shots-on-goal. Julie Foudy broke her own record for most penalty kicks attempted and scored in a season with three. A new record that should not be coveted goes to Daniela with the most cautionary cards in a single-season, with four.

SPIRIT SNAPSHOTS - San Diego defense ranks second in the WUSA (1.25 goals allowed per game) while the team's offense ranks seventh (1.25 goals per game)... San Diego leads the WUSA in total shots (277, 13.85 per game) and shots against 260, 13.00 per game)... San Diego is 15-1-7 all-time when scoring the first goal... San Diego is 11-0-4 when leading at the half and 15-0-0 when leading at the 75th minute mark all-time...San Diego ended a three-game winless streak and has a five-game home-unbeaten streak.

QUOTES

San Diego Head Coach Omid Namazi on playing Washington: "We've beaten them here before and we match up well against Washington. But in order to play well and have a chance of winning we will have to do better on our finishing. We have another game to win and our fate is on our own hands."

PLAYOFF UPDATE

San Diego is now in the driver's seat of the playoff race by virtue of their 1-0 win over Carolina on Sunday. San Diego can make the playoffs by several ways; win on Saturday against Washington or have both San Jose and Carolina either tie or lose any of their two remaining matches, beginning on Wednesday. San Jose hosts Atlanta, while Carolina travels to Boston. Both Atlanta and Boston have clinched playoff berths, but are battling for home-field advantage. San Diego holds the tiebreakers over both Carolina and San Jose. San Diego could moved into third place if Washington loses on Wednesday and to San Diego on Saturday.

SPIRIT NUMEROLOGY

1 - Spirit players to have scored a goal in the WUSA playoffs, Jen Nielsen with New York in 2001.

11- Number of stadiums that the Spirit have played a regular season WUSA match in.

6,264 - Attendance needed to break the Spirit's all-time season total attendance record (62,850 in 2001).



Women's United Soccer Association Stories from August 5, 2003


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