Charge, Courage Lead Pack

Published on July 8, 2002 under Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) News Release

ATLANTA (Monday, July 8, 2002) - The Philadelphia Charge and Carolina Courage continue to distance themselves from the remaining six WUSA teams as clubs gear up for the playoff stretch run. Philadelphia (9-1-3, 30 pts.) has an eight-game unbeaten streak and Carolina (9-2-3 30 pts.) is 6-1-1 in its last eight matches. With third place Washington nine points back, many WUSA fans must be wondering if these two clubs are within reach of the other six teams.

Despite the loss of Kelly Smith to a season-ending knee injury June 1, Philadelphia continues to dominate opponents. The Charge's eight-game unbeaten streak is the best in the WUSA this season and third best in league history. The Charge's last, and only, loss this season came back on May 19 in San Diego. More importantly, Philadelphia is 2-0 against Carolina in head-to-head meetings this season.

Carolina continues its amazing turnaround, going from last place in 2001 to first place in 2002. Veterans Hege Riise, Danielle Fotopoulos and Kristin Luckenbill are playing some of their best soccer, and newcomers Birgit Prinz, Danielle Slaton and Unni Lehn have brought the team to a new level, especially German national team star Prinz. Carolina is 6-1-1 since Prinz made her debut July 1.

"Philadelphia and Carolina are playing the best soccer right now and don't seem to be letting up", Atlanta Head Coach Tom Stone said. "They are both very organized defensively and have quality finishers on the offensive end."

Carolina will have a third opportunity to defeat Philadelphia when the Courage travels to Villanova Stadium July 20 for a nationally televised match on PAX. However, even if Philadelphia loses that match, the Charge wins the three-game season series due to the prior two victories over the Courage.

With every WUSA team having either seven or eight games remaining, the next two weeks will help clarify which of the four teams will advance to the postseason to play for the right to advance to Founders Cup II in Atlanta on August 24.

A LOOK AT THE WUSA PLAYOFF RACE

Tie-Breaking
1) Head-to-Head Competition
2) Head-to-Head Goal Differential
3) Overall Goal Differential
4) Total Goals
5) Disciplinary Points (5 -each Yellow Card; 10 - each Red Card or Staff Send-off)

POINT STREAK BROKEN BY CAROLINA TEAMMATES: Carolina's Birgit Prinz and Danielle Fotopoulos made history on July 4 when each player extended their regular season scoring streak to eight games. Prinz registered a goal and an assist in the Courage's 2-1 victory over San Jose on Independence Day, while Fotopoulos added an assist. Prinz' goal was her seventh in eight games.

"Birgit gives the team incredible confidence," Carolina Head Coach Marcia McDermott said. "She makes them get excited with a sense of opportunity when she has possession of the ball."

Philadelphia's Kelly Smith also recorded a point in eight consecutive matches, but the English national team standout achieved that feat in the first six regular season games of 2002 and the final two matches of the 2001 season (including the playoffs).

PHILADELPHIA'S PICHON IS UNSTOPPABLE: French national team star Marinette Pichon of the Philadelphia Charge continues to light up opposing WUSA defenses. Pichon scored three goals in the game's final 14 minutes as the Charge defeated the New York Power 3-1 Sunday, July 7 at Villanova Stadium. She registered nine shots on the evening, including five on goal. The WUSA June Player of the Month, Pichon has scored 11 of the last 15 Charge goals. Her four multiple-goal games tie the season record set by New York's Tiffeny Milbrett during the 2001 WUSA season. With eight games remaining, Pichon leads the WUSA with 12 goals, four short of Milbrett's WUSA record of 16 set last year. After scoring one goal in her first five WUSA matches, Pichon has 11 goals in her last seven matches. The fleet-footed Frenchwoman leads the WUSA in total points (25), goals (12) and hat tricks (tied with 1). Known for her creative runs, Pichon also leads the WUSA in offside infractions (25).

FOUNDERS CUP II PUBLIC TICKET SALE KICKS OFF WEDNESDAY: Tickets for Founders Cup II, the WUSA's Championship game, will go on sale to the general public on July 10 at 10:00 am ET. Soccer fans can purchase tickets by calling Ticketmaster outlets at (404) 249-6400 or (800) 326-4000. For group tickets, call (877) SOCCER-1. The WUSA's Championship match will take place on Saturday, August 24 at 4:00 p.m. ET at Herndon Stadium in Atlanta, home of the WUSA's Atlanta Beat.

Individual ticket prices for Founders Cup II are $40, $30 and $15 for Category 1, Category 2 and Category 3 seating, respectively. Following the private sale of tickets to WUSA season ticket holders and other select members of the soccer community, limited seating remains in many categories. Fans are encouraged to act quickly to secure their favorite seats.

HAMM LEADS CONTINGENT OF 18 WUSA PLAYERS CALLED INTO U.S. NATIONAL TEAM CAMP: Washington Freedom forward Mia Hamm is one of 18 WUSA players called into training camp as the U.S. women's national team prepares for its exhibition game against Norway on July 21 at Blaine, Minn. The WUSA contingent will report to camp on July 16. Head Coach April Heinrichs will select 18 players for the match against Norway from her pool of 23 athletes in camp.

Hamm, who underwent knee surgery Feb. 26, hasn't played for the United States since she scored twice in a 4-1 victory over Germany on Sept. 9, 2001. Atlanta's Briana Scurry, the starting goalkeeper for the United States for the 1996 Olympics and the 1999 Women's World Cup championship teams, returns to the national team after a two-year absence. Scurry has not played for the national team for the first time since Aug. 20, 2000. She was Siri Mullinix's backup at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

The complete roster of those invited (teams in parentheses):

Goalkeepers: LaKeysia Beene (San Jose), Briana Scurry (Atlanta), Solo Hope (U. of Washington)
Defenders: Jenny Benson (Philadelphia), Kylie Bivens (Atlanta), Brandi Chastain (San Jose), Joy Fawcett (San Diego), Jena Kluegel (Boston), Cat Reddick (U. of North Carolina), Danielle Slaton (Carolina), Kate Sobrero (Boston)
Midfielders: Lorrie Fair (Philadelphia), Julie Foudy (San Diego), Angela Hucles (Boston), Tiffany Roberts (Carolina), Aly Wagner (Santa Clara U.)
Forwards: Mia Hamm (Washington), Shannon MacMillan (San Diego), Tiffeny Milbrett (New York), Jill Oakes (SA Strikers), Heather O'Reilly (PDA Splash), Cindy Parlow (Atlanta), Abby Wambach (Washington)

Norway, which will play Canada in Toronto on July 17 before taking on the USA in Minnesota, has requested Hege Riise and Unni Lehn of the Carolina Courage, Anita Rapp and Linda Ormen of the New York Power and Boston's Dagny Mellgren for the two matches.

PARLOW TO PARTICPATE IN THIS WEEK'S WUSA.COM CHAT: Atlanta forward Cindy Parlow will be the featured guest on this week's WUSA.com live web chat on Tuesday, July 9. The chat will begin at 8:00 p.m. (ET) and will last approximately 40 minutes. Parlow 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.

RECORD-SETTING AFTERNOON: A goal every 10 minutes. That's what the average of Saturday's record-setting match between the San Diego Spirit and Boston Breakers came out to be. Nine goals were scored in the 5-4 victory for the Spirit, including two by Julie Foudy (who prior to the afternoon had one career goal to her credit). The match nearly broke double-digits in goals scored as both teams struck woodwork in the second half. Six goals were record in the first 45 minutes, setting a new WUSA mark for combined goals in a half.

Of the five highest scoring games in WUSA history, the San Diego Spirit has had a part in three of them:

May 26, 2001 - Carolina Courage 4, San Diego Spirit 3
April 20, 2002 - San Diego Spirit 6, New York Power 1
June 15, 2002 - San Jose CyberRays 4, New York Power 3
July 6, 2002 - San Diego 5, Boston Breakers 4

SAN DIEGO SHINES IN THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT: The San Diego Spirit wishes all of its matches were nationally televised on PAX following Saturday's 5-4 victory over the Boston Breakers. In the record setting match, the Spirit rattled off five goals (three more than the team recorded the entire month of June). In the three nationally televised matches the Spirit has participated in, San Diego has a record of 2-1-0 with a goal-scoring total of 12. San Diego has tallied 63 percent of its total goals scored in 2002 during PAX TV broadcasts. The Spirit has one more game scheduled to air on PAX this season (July 27 at Washington).

WUSA Game Previews (Week Fourteen)

Wednesday, July 10, 2002 - San Diego Spirit (3-7-3, 12 pts.) at Boston Breakers (3-6-5, 14 pts.) - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - No TV (Season Series: San Diego leads 1-0-1) (All-time Series History: San Diego leads 4-0-1)
These two clubs meet again after Saturday's record-breaking match in San Diego. Julie Foudy's penalty kick heroics in the third minute of stoppage time of the second half propelled the Spirit to a roller-coaster 5-4 win over the visiting Breakers. Boston has not lost at home this season (2-0-4), and San Diego has not won on the road in 2002 (0-4-2). San Diego has scored just five goals on the road and allowed 15, but two of those five road goals came in a 2-2 draw against Boston at Nickerson Field on April 27.

Key Players to Watch: Boston's Kristine Lilly (5g, 8a, 18 pts.) had two goals and an assist in the 5-4 loss at San Diego on July 6. The Breaker's Maren Meinert (7g, 8a, 22 pts. - 3rd in the WUSA) and Dagny Mellgren (8g, 2a, 18 pts.) are two of the world's most dangerous forwards, and Norwegian Ragnhild Gulbrandsen provides a spark off the bench. San Diego's Foudy (3g, 3a, 9pts.) had one of her strongest performances of the year on Saturday. How will San Diego goalkeeper Jaime Pagliarulo respond after letting in three goals in the first half Saturday and being replaced for the second 45 minutes by backup Carly Smolak? Pagliarulo is slated to start.

Key Matchup: (San Diego forward Shannon MacMillan versus Boston defender Kate Sobrero) - Although San Diego lit up Boston for five goals, Sobrero and company held "the Mac Attack" in check for 70 minutes before she was replaced. However, MacMillan was returning after missing two games with an injured foot. Sobrero will need help from her Breakers teammates to keep MacMillan off the scoreboard for a second consecutive game.

The "Inside Scoop": After the wild 5-4 loss in San Diego, Boston's defense will need to tighten up in the box. The Breakers gave up a number of solid chances in the box to the Spirit. The question for both teams is which version of each club will show up? Both clubs can attack with the best teams in the WUSA, but there have also been games where each team has struggled to generate any offense. And which version of each team's defense will come to play? San Diego has limited Philadelphia to one goal in two games, but the Spirit has allowed the second highest number of goals in the WUSA. Boston's defense faces similar challenges.

They Said it: "We match up well against Boston and have fared well. We have a chance to gain some ground, if we can get another win in Boston." - San Diego midfielder Julie Foudy.

Referee: Erich Simmons. Assistant Referees: Thomas Supple, Jeffery Cukor. 4th Official: Bahij Salman.

Wednesday, July 10, 2002 - Atlanta Beat (6-6-1, 19 pts.) at San Jose CyberRays (5-5-3, 18 pts.) - 10:00 p.m. (ET) - No TV (Season Series: Atlanta leads 2-0-0) (All-time Series History: Atlanta leads 4-0-1)
San Jose is returning home after a four-game, 15-day road trip. Atlanta is the only WUSA team that San Jose has not defeated in the regular season. The Beat went 2-0-1 against the CyberRays in 2001 and has won both games in 2002. However, San Jose defeated Atlanta at Founders Cup I to take home the inaugural WUSA title. Atlanta defeated San Jose June 22 at Herndon Stadium on first half goals from Charmaine Hooper and Cindy Parlow in a 2-1 victory. Tisha Venturini-Hoch got the only CyberRays goal. Hooper's header in the 89th minute beat the CyberRays on May 18 in Spartan Stadium. The 4-0 loss the CyberRays suffered to Atlanta in the final game of last season ranks as the worst in team history.

Key Players to Watch: Atlanta's Hooper (6g, 1a, 13 pts) will NOT be a key player to watch as she will not make the trip while sitting out due to yellow card accumulation. San Jose's Katia (8g, 1a, 17 pts.) is one of the league's most potent scorers and Sissi (8 assists, 2nd in the WUSA) is the engine behind the CyberRays offense. However, look for the matchup between Atlanta playmaker Homare Sawa (2g, 5a, 9pts.) against San Jose defensive midfielder Carey Dorn to determine the tone of the match. San Jose's Brandi Chastain (3g, 3a, 9 pts.) played forward the last time these two clubs met, but the versatile U.S. national team veteran could play anywhere on the field for the CyberRays ... except goalkeeper. Two of the WUSA best goalkeepers will be in action as San Jose's LaKeysia Beene (current U.S. national team starter) and Briana Scurry (former U.S. national team starter) meet before heading to national team training camp next week.

Key Matchup: (Atlanta forward Cindy Parlow versus San Jose defender Thori Bryan) - With the exception of the players she practices against on a daily basis (the Beat backline), Hooper calls Bryan the toughest defender in the WUSA. Without Hooper in the lineup, Parlow will match up against one of the most athletic defenders in the world. Parlow scored in the last meeting between these two clubs.

The "Inside Scoop": San Jose needs a victory to move into better position for the playoff stretch run, and a win over Atlanta would certainly give Head Coach Ian Sawyers and his squad confidence heading into the final month of the regular season. Despite having the league's sixth ranked offense at 1.46 goals per game, San Jose remains one of the most feared offenses in the WUSA. Atlanta will miss Hooper, as the Canadian star has scored against San Jose in both games this season.

Referee: Misail Tsapos. Assistant Referees: Chris Stickland, Dinesh Singh. 4th Official: Robert Sabella.

Saturday, July 13, 2002 - Atlanta Beat (6-6-1, 19 pts.) at New York Power (2-11-1, 7 pts.) - 4:00 p.m. (ET) - PAX TV (National Broadcast) (Season Series: Atlanta leads 1-0-1) (All-time Series History: Atlanta leads (3-0-2)
In the third and final meeting between these two teams, the Atlanta Beat will travel to Mitchel Athletic Complex to take on the New York Power on Saturday. The Beat leads the season series following 2-0 win in Uniondale on June 9. With 13 points separating these two teams (as of July 8), New York will be looking to even the season series and make up ground in the hunt for the fourth and final playoff spot. New York has lost seven straight matches and will try to snap that streak versus a team the Power has never beaten.

Key Players to Watch: Atlanta's leading scorer Charmaine Hooper (6g, 1a, 13 pts. - 11th among WUSA scoring leaders) returns to the lineup after serving a one-game suspension due to yellow card accumulation. Cindy Parlow (4g, 1a, 9 pts.) will look to continue to contribute to the team's offense. Midfielder Homare Sawa (2g, 5a, 9 pts.) has already surpassed her 2001 totals in both assists and points. Sawa has become an important part to the Atlanta offense having a hand in 41 percent of the team's scoring. Goalkeeper Briana Scurry (6-6-1, 1.46 GAA) leads the league in catch/punches (70) and shutouts (4). New York's Tiffeny Milbrett (8g, 8a, 24 pts. - 2nd among WUSA scoring leaders) has recorded a goal or an assist in five straight matches after registering her eighth assist of the season on Sunday. The Power's leading scorer has taken part in more than 72 percent of the club's total offense. Midfielder Emily Janss (5g, 1a, 11 pts. - 13th among WUSA scoring leaders) is the only other player (besides Milbrett) to record three or more goals this season, despite coming off the bench half of the time.

Key Matchup: (Atlanta defender Sharolta Nonen versus New York forward Tiffeny Milbrett) - Milbrett has recorded a point in five straight matches and will be looking to make it six versus Atlanta. The last time the New York striker was held scoreless was versus the Beat on June 9. Nonen will try shut down Milbrett one more time and keep the New York offense from finding the back of the net.

The "Inside Scoop": New York has dropped seven straight matches and will look to end that skid with a win over the Beat. The Power has never defeated Atlanta in five meetings (3-0-2). As of July 8, New York is 13 points out of the final playoff spot and will attempt to close that gap with a win over the Beat. Atlanta holds a 2-0-0 record at Mitchel Athletic Complex over the Power while outscoring New York 5-0.

Referee: Terry Vaughn. Referee Assistants: John Konstantinidis, Steve Karaduzovic. 4th Official: Christopher Price.

Saturday, July 13, 2002 - Boston Breakers (3-6-5, 14 pts.) at Carolina Courage (9-2-3, 30 pts.) - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - Fox Sports South (Carolina); AT&T 3 (Boston) (Season Series: Series tied 0-0-2) (All-time Series History: Boston leads 2-1-2)
Having tied the previous two meetings, the Carolina Courage hosts the Boston Breakers on Saturday evening. With three points on the line, a Boston victory in crucial as the team fights for the fourth and final playoff spot. Carolina is battling with Philadelphia for the top spot in the WUSA and will be looking to come away from this match with three points. Neither team has had an edge in the season series (0-0-2) with Boston tying Carolina 2-2 on June 8. Two goals by Dagny Mellgren led the Breakers to the draw with the Courage.

Key Players to Watch: Boston's Maren Meinert (7g, 8a, 22 pts. - 3rd among WUSA scoring leaders) has recorded a goal or an assist in three straight matches after recording a goal and an assist in Saturday's match versus San Diego. Midfielder Kristine Lilly (5g, 8a, 18 pts. - tied for 7th among WUSA scoring leaders) has registered three goals and three assists in the last three matches. Meinert and Lilly and tied for second in the WUSA in assists. Forward Dagny Mellgren (8g, 2a, 18 pts. - tied for 7th among WUSA scoring leaders) rounds out the Boston attack with a team high eight goals. Meinert, Mellgren and Lilly (Boston's "Big Three") are responsible for 20 of the team's 24 total goals scored. Carolina's Birgit Prinz (7g, 5a, 19 pts. - 6th among WUSA scoring leaders) has registered a goal or an assist in every WUSA match she has participated in. Forward Danielle Fotopoulos (8g, 5a, 21 pts. - 4th among WUSA scoring leaders) is two points shy of her 2001 total (23 pts.) after notching her fifth assist of the season last Thursday. Both Prinz and Fotopoulos have set the WUSA record for longest point-scoring streak at eight games. Midfielder Hege Riise (5g, 10a, 20 pts. - 5th among WUSA scoring leaders) leads the league in assists.

Key Matchup: (Boston midfielder Kristine Lilly versus Carolina midfielder Hege Riise) - Both Riise and Lilly have been responsible for setting up the bulk of their team's scoring chances. The key to this matchup will be the control of the midfield. Lilly will look to set up both Mellgren and Meinert while contributing to the attack as well. Carolina's key is to get the ball to its dangerous forwards Fotopoulos and Prinz.

The "Inside Scoop": Carolina has won four straight matches, tying the WUSA mark for consecutive victories. The Courage has outscored its opponents 11-4 during the four-game winning streak. Boston has gone 1-1-1 in its last three matches, registering 10 goals. Carolina and Boston are two of the highest scoring teams in the league. Carolina has its only win of the series at Nickerson Field.

They Said it: "Defensively, we need to keep the game compact. Too much time or too much space makes Boston a deadly team." - Carolina Courage Head Coach Marcia McDermott on Boston.

Referee: Todd Perry. Referee Assistants: Daniel Burak, Diane Driggers. 4th Official: Kim Oberle.

Sunday, July 14, 2002 - Philadelphia Charge (9-1-3, 30 pts.) at Washington Freedom (6-5-3, 21 pts.) - 4:00 p.m. (ET) - CSN-DC (Washington); CN8 (Philadelphia) (Season Series: Philadelphia leads 1-0-1) (All-time Series History: Philadelphia leads 3-1-1)
Two of the league's hottest teams square off on Sunday as the Philadelphia Charge travel to our Nation's Capital to face the Washington Freedom. Both teams are currently riding two-game winning-streaks and will look to make it three on Sunday. Having faced each other twice this season, the Charge leads the season series 1-0-1. Washington nearly gave the Charge its second loss of the season on June 8. However, Marinette Pichon scored a goal in the 87th minute to level the game 1-1. Washington will look for its first-ever three-game winning-streak while knocking off the league's top team.

Key Players to Watch: Philadelphia's Pichon (12g, 1a, 25 pts. - 1st among WUSA scoring leaders), this week's WUSA Player of the Week, recorded the league's second hat trick of the season on Sunday in a 3-1 win over New York. Defender Heather Mitts (4a, 4 pts.) has recorded an assist in four straight matches, doubling her 2001 output in assists (2). Midfielder Zhao Lihong (1g, 3a, 5 pts.) has registered an assist in two straight matches. Philadelphia's Melissa Moore (9-1-3, 0.85 GAA) is the only goalkeeper to record a goals against average under 1.00 after notching her ninth win of the season 3-1 on Sunday. Moore leads the league in wins (9), goals against average (0.85) and winning percentage (80.8%). Washington's Abby Wambach (6g, 5a, 17 pts. - tied for 9th among WUSA scoring leaders) notched her fifth assist of the season on Wednesday, July 3 to remain the only rookie to rank in the top 10 in scoring. Forward Mia Hamm (4g, 1a, 9 pts.) has made an immediate impact on the Freedom since her return to the line up. Washington has won four of its last five matches since Hamm returned from her injury. With goalkeeper Siri Mullinix out due to a broken left hand, backup Erin Fahey (1-0-0, 1.29 GAA) will likely make her second straight start. Fahey recorded her first victory of the 2002 season last Wednesday with a 2-1 win over the Atlanta Beat.

Key Matchup: (Philadelphia forward Marinette Pichon versus Washington defender Jennifer Grubb) - Grubb will anchor a defense that will attempt to shut down one of the league's most dangerous strikers. Pichon has scored five of the last six goals for the Charge, including a hat trick versus New York on Sunday.

The "Inside Scoop": Philadelphia is undefeated in eight straight matches and has won four of its last five games to remain in first place in the WUSA. The Charge has outscored its opponents 11-4 in its last five matches. Washington will be looking for its first-ever three game winning-streak. Washington has vaulted into third place in the WUSA standings, winning four of its last five matches.

They Said it: "Washington has had some great results recently. With the addition of Mia to a lineup that already contains Steffi Jones and Abby Wambach, Washington is a very dangerous and balanced opponent. We will have to defend collectively and make the most of our offensive opportunities." - Philadelphia Charge Head Coach Mark Krikorian on Washington. Referee: Misail Tsapos. Referee Assistants: Karalee Sutton, Kenneth Kaplan. 4th Official: John E. Schmitz.

Sunday, July 14, 2002 - San Jose CyberRays (5-5-3, 18 pts.) at San Diego Spirit (3-7-3, 12 pts.) - 8:00 p.m. (ET) - Cox 4 (San Diego); Fox Sports Bay Area (San Jose) (Season Series: San Jose leads 1-0-1) (All-time Series History: San Jose leads 2-1-2)
The battle of California enters its third and final game of the regular season as the San Jose CyberRays travel to Torero Stadium to face the San Diego Spirit on Sunday. San Jose defeated the Spirit in the last meeting (June 9) 3-1 at Spartan Stadium. The CyberRays became the first team in this series to win a match at home. With playoff aspirations on the line, both teams will be looking to earn three points this weekend.

Key Players to Watch: San Jose's Katia (8g, 1a, 17 pts. - tied for 9th among WUSA scoring leaders) leads the CyberRays in scoring and is tied for second in goals scored in the WUSA. Katia is responsible for 42 percent of the team's scoring and has already surpassed her 2001 goal-scoring total (7). Fellow Brazilian Sissi (8a, 8 pts.) is tied for second in assists in the league. As of July 8, she has registered an assist in three straight matches. Sissi is currently tied with Boston's Kristine Lilly and Carolina's Hege Riise for the lead in career assists with 18. San Diego's Julie Foudy (3g, 3a, 9 pts.) increased her career goal output to three with two scores on Saturday, including the game-winning penalty kick in stoppage time. With last Saturday's performance, the Spirit midfielder has exceeded her 2001 point total of seven. Midfielder/forward Shannon MacMillan (3g, 4a, 10 pts. - 15th among WUSA scoring leaders) returned to the Spirit lineup last Saturday to record her fourth assist of the season. Rookie Lori Lindsey (2g, 5a, 9 pts.) continues to shine for the Spirit. The San Diego midfielder recorded her second career goal in last Saturday's 5-4 win over Boston.

Key Matchup: (San Jose defender/forward Brandi Chastain versus San Diego defender Fan Yunjie) - Chastain has been productive for the CyberRays, registering two goals and two assists since June 15. Fan will lead a San Diego defense that will need to shut down the skillful playmaking of Chastain and the Brazilians. The WUSA's seventh ranked defense must clamp down on San Jose's offense in order to earn three points versus the defending WUSA champions.

The "Inside Scoop": The home team has won only once in the previous five meetings between these two teams. San Diego's offense came to life in the beginning of July, scoring five goals in a 5-4 victory over the Breakers on July 6. The Spirit had recorded only two goals in the entire month of June. San Jose has recorded only one victory in six road matches this season.

They Said it: "San Diego will be a difficult test for us. They have had a lot of success in our series so far. The Spirit has proven against Boston last week that they can score." - San Jose CyberRays Head Coach Ian Sawyers. Referee: Ricardo Salazar. Referee Assistants: Steven Davidson, Fabio Tovar. 4th Official: Mark Arblaster.

TEAM INJURY REPORTS AS OF 7/8/02
ATLANTA BEAT: PROBABLE - F Sun Wen (left adductor strain).
BOSTON BREAKERS: PROBABLE - F Ragnhild Gulbrandsen (foot surgery); GK Tracy Ducar (R knee articular cartilage lesion).
CAROLINA COURAGE: OUT -F Kim Yankowski (lower back strain); PROBABLE - D Danielle Slaton (L knee tendonitis).
NEW YORK POWER: None.
PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: OUT - M Kelly Smith (R ACL tear); M Stacey Tullock (Plantar fascitis); PROBABLE - GK Melissa Moore (R knee sprain); M Liu Ailing (L foot contusion); D Heather Mitts (R knee sprain); F Marinette Pichon (R ankle sprain).
SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: QUESTIONABLE - M Jen Mascaro (Inflammation L foot)
SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: QUESTIONABLE - Kim Clark (L ankle sprain); D Danielle Borgman (R knee sprain); PROBABLE - F Maren Hendershot-Brown (Flu); D Kelly Lindsey (R knee surgery).
WASHINGTON FREEDOM: OUT - GK Siri Mullinix (broken L hand); PROBABLE - M Anne Makinen (L ankle sprain).

SEASON ENDING INJURIES: NEW YORK - D Sara Whalen (R knee ACL tear); PHILADELPHIA - F Rakel Karvelsson (R ACL tear); SAN JOSE- F Megan Horvath (L knee meniscus tear); WASHINGTON - D Lindsey Stoecker (L ACL tear).

NATIONAL TEAM DUTY AS OF 7/8/02
ATLANTA BEAT: None.
BOSTON BREAKERS: None.
CAROLINA COURAGE: None.
NEW YORK POWER: None.
PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: None.
SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: None.
SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: None.
WASHINGTON FREEDOM: None.

suspension Summary 7/1/02

Player Team Suspension Reason
Charmaine Hooper Atlanta Beat 7/10 @ San Jose 4 Non-Consecutive cards accumulated

Warning Summary 7/1/02

Player Team Reason
Kate Sobrero Boston Breakers 2 Consecutive Yellow Cards Accumulated (A caution in the next game will result in a 1 game suspension =3 consecutive cards accumulated.)

TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES

ATLANTA BEAT: Atlanta nearly scored twice in the first eight minutes, but the Beat was unable to generate a goal as Tom Stone's squad lost 2-1 at Washington on July 3 ... An own goal by Washington's Steffi Jones provided the only score for Atlanta ... Beat forward and leading scorer Charmaine Hooper received her fourth yellow card of the season in the loss to Washington ... WUSA rules state that a player receiving four yellow cards in nonconsecutive matches is required to sit out one match, so Hooper will miss the Beat's match versus the CyberRays on Wednesday night ... Hooper ranks 11th in WUSA scoring (6g, 1a, 13 pts.) and lead the league with four game-winning goals ... Goalkeeper Briana Scurry continues to lead the WUSA with four shutouts ... Atlanta has challenging road trip this week, traveling to San Jose on Monday afternoon for a Wednesday match and then taking off for New York on Thursday for a Saturday game ... Cindy Parlow remains a target for opposing defenses, as the Beat forward is tied for the WUSA lead in fouls suffered with 39.

BOSTON BREAKERS: Kristine Lilly had two goals and an assist, but the Breakers went down to San Diego 5-4 on July 6 in the highest scoring game in WUSA history ... It was Lilly's first two-goal game of her WUSA career ... She made her presence felt on both the offensive and defensive end of the field ... She now has 18 points (5g, 8a), tied for seventh in the league leaders for points ... In the last three games, Lilly has three goals and four assists ... Maren Meinert had a goal and one assist - moving her to second in the league in scoring with 22 points (7g, 8a) ... Boston is now 1-6-1 on the road and 2-0-4 at home ... The Breakers are third in the league in team offense with a 1.71 goals per game, but they are sixth in the league in team defense with a 1.79 goals against average ... Karina LeBlanc is second in the league in saves with 57 ... Karina LeBlanc and Chrisy McCann remain the only players on the Breakers roster to have played every minute of every game this season ... Norwegian striker Ragnhild Gulbrandsen played in her second game ... She entered the game in the 72nd minute against San Diego ... The Breakers make the first 15 minutes of the match entertaining, as Boston has a league-high seven goals in the first 15-minute timeframe ... However, Boston has allowed five goals in the first 15 minutes this season, second to New York in most goals allowed in the first 15 minutes ... Boston faces San Diego at home on Wednesday and travels to Carolina for a Saturday match.

CAROLINA COURAGE: Midfielder Hege Riise provided the fireworks, scoring a dramatic game winner in the 88th minute to snatch a 2-1 victory from defending WUSA champions San Jose CyberRays on July 4 at SAS Stadium ... Danielle Fotopoulos found Birgit Prinz for the first goal, extending both of their point scoring streaks to a WUSA-record eight consecutive games ... The victory gave Carolina sole possession of first place for the first time in team history ... However, a Philadelphia victory over New York pulled the Charge back into a first-place tie with Carolina on July 7 ... Carolina boasts three of the WUSA's top five scorers as Danielle Fotopoulos (8 g, 5 a, 21 pts), Hege Riise (5 g, 10 a, 20 pts), and Birgit Prinz (7 g, 5 a, 19) rank 3rd, 4th, and 5th respectively in points in the WUSA ... Riise holds both this season's (10) and the WUSA all-time record (18) for assists ... The Norwegian playmaker is tied for the league lead in game-winning assists (3) and second in the WUSA in game-winning goals (3) ... German forward Birgit Prinz has had an immediate impact since her arrival ... She has played in eight games and scored seven goals and five assists ... Prinz is averaging a WUSA-high 2.39 points per game and has registered a goal or an assist in every game she has played ... More importantly, Carolina has gone 6-1-1 since Prinz joined the team ... The Courage, who scored only 28 goals in all of 2001 while conceding 40, has the WUSA most productive offense this season ... Through 14 games, the Courage has scored a WUSA-high 29 goals, while allowing only 18 ... The goal differential last season of -12 has flip-flopped to a +11 ... Carolina is the WUSA's only unbeaten road team, compiling a 5-0-2 record away from SAS Stadium.

NEW YORK POWER: For the first time since the June 15 game against the San Jose CyberRays, the Power held their opponent to no goals in the first half, but New York allowed three late goals and went down 3-1 at Philadelphia July 7 ... Krista Davey had the Power's lone goal ... It was New York's seventh consecutive loss, building on the club's WUSA-record losing streak ... Tiffeny Milbrett continues to ignite the Power offense ... Although she has not scored a goal in the last three games, Milbrett has recorded an assist in the last four games ... Her eight assists are a club record ... She currently ranks second in WUSA scoring (8g, 8a, 24 pts.) ... The Power has allowed eight multi-goal performances this year with Philadelphia's Marinette Pichon being the latest multi-goal scorer when she registered a hat trick against the Power July 7 ... Through 13 games this season, the Power has allowed 41 goals, setting a WUSA record for goals allowed in a season ... Last year, Carolina allowed 40 goals on the season ...The Power allowed only 25 goals all of last season ... The Power had been involved in three of the top five highest scoring games in WUSA history, losing them all.

PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: The Charge extended its unbeaten streak to eight games with a 3-1 win over the New York Power on Sunday ... Marinette Pichon, this week's WUSA Player of the Week, recorded her first career hat trick in the 3-1 victory ... The hat trick was only the second of the season in the WUSA ... With the three goals, Pichon moved into first place among the league's scoring leaders (12g, 1a, 25 pts.) ... The French international leads the league in goals scored (12) and is ranked second in points per game (2.08) ... Pichon ranks third in the WUSA in shots (47) and shots on goal (27), scoring 44 percent of the time she strikes the ball on net ... Pichon also leads the league in offside with 25 ... Defender Heather Mitts has doubled her assist output from last season, recording a helper in four straight matches ... Melissa Moore continues to rank among the league's top 'keepers ... Moore leads the WUSA in wins (9), winning percentage (80.8%) and goals against average (0.85) ... With Sunday's victory the Charge moved to 5-0-2 at home on the season ... The Charge is 6-0-3 in its last nine home matches, dating back to last season ... Philadelphia is ranked second in team offense, scoring 2.00 goals per game ... The Charge's defense tops the WUSA, allowing 0.85 goals per game ... The Charge is the only team to not allow an opponent to score during the first 15 minutes of a match this season ... Philadelphia has scored a league-high eight goals in the last 15 minutes of action ... It can be said that the Charge is a second half team, outscoring its opponents 16-6 during the final 45 minutes.

SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: San Diego snapped a six-game winless-streak with a 5-4 victory over the Boston Breakers on Saturday ... The nine total goals scored set a new WUSA record for combined goals in a match ... Midfielder Julie Foudy registered two goals in the match, including the game-winning penalty kick in stoppage time ... With two goals versus Boston, Foudy has increased her career output in goal scoring to three ... The six combined goals scored in the first half of that match also set a record for most combined goals scored in a half ... Interim Head Coach Kevin Crow earned the first win of his WUSA coaching career ... 12 of the team's 19 goals scored this season have come on national television ... San Diego scored its first 1st-half goal since May 19 on Saturday ... Goalkeeper Carly Smolak made her second appearance of the 2002 season, coming in for Jaime Pagliarulo at halftime, to earn her first career victory ... San Diego has been involved in three of the five highest scoring matches in WUSA history (May 26, 2001 - 4-3 loss to Carolina; April 20, 2002 - 6-1 win over New York; July 6, 2002 - 5-4 win over Boston) ... June was the first winless month for the Spirit in team history, going 0-4-1 in the month ... San Diego has allowed its opponents to score the first goal in seven consecutive games ... Midfielder/forward Shannon MacMillan made her return from a right foot strain to record her fourth assist of the season ... San Diego is ranked sixth in team offense (1.46 goals per game) ... The Spirit's defense is ranked seventh in team defense (2.15 goals per game) ... The Spirit has yet to record a road victory this season (0-4-2), being outscored 15-5 away from Torero Stadium.

SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: San Jose finished a three-game road-trip (0-2-1) with a 2-1 loss to Carolina last Thursday ... Tisha Venturini-Hoch scored the lone goal for the CyberRays in the losing effort ... She registered two goals during the three-game road-trip, both in loses ... The loss to Carolina marked the fifth time this season the CyberRays allowed a goal in the 82nd minute or later, resulting in a loss or a tie ... Thori Bryan extended her minutes-played streak to 3,255 after recording 90 minutes on Thursday ... Bryan has played in 36 consecutive games for the CyberRyas (including the playoffs) ... Katia (8g, 1a, 17 pts.) is the only member of the CyberRays to be listed among the top 10 in scoring ... The Brazilian is second in the league in shots (55) and leads the WUSA in shots on goal (32) ... 25 percent of her shots on frame go into the net ... Katia is tied for second in the WUSA in game-winning goals (3) ... The San Jose striker averages 1.31 points per game ... Sissi recorded her eighth assist of the season on Thursday ... She is tied for second in the WUSA in assists ... Sissi has recorded an assist in three straight matches for the CyberRays ... San Jose is tied for sixth in team offense (1.46 goals per game) ... The CyberRays' defense ranks third, allowing 1.31 goals per game ... The CyberRays are second in the league in shots (182) while allowing a league-low 139 shots.

WASHINGTON FREEDOM: Washington won its second straight match with a 2-1 victory over the Atlanta Beat on Wednesday, July 3 ... Goals by defender Emmy Barr and forward Bai Jie gave the Freedom its fourth win in five games ... Washington has never won three straight matches ... Rookie Abby Wambach (6g, 5a, 17 pts.) recorded her fifth assist of the season last Thursday ... She is the only rookie to rank among the top 10 in scoring ... Mia Hamm has recorded four goals and an assist for nine points since her return on June 12 ... Hamm is currently ranked fourth in the league in points per game (1.80) ... Hamm has also been the most accurate player in the WUSA, scoring four goals on eight total shots (50 percent) on the season ... With four victories in its last five matches, the Freedom has vaulted to the third spot in the WUSA standings ... Goalkeeper Erin Fahey earned her first win of the 2002 season, playing for the injured Siri Mullinix who suffered a broken left hand ... Wambach is ranked fifth in shots on goal (24), scoring on 25 percent of her shot on net ... The Washington forward leads the league in fouls committed (42) and is tied for fifth in fouls suffered (25) ... Washington's offense is tied for fourth (1.57 goals per game) ... The Freedom ranks fourth in team defense, allowing 1.36 goals per game ... Washington is third in the league in total shots (179) ... Defender Jennifer Grubb has played in every minute of every game for the Freedom (3,150).

Women's United Soccer Association Stories from July 8, 2002

• Pichon Earns Player of the Week Honors - Philadelphia Charge
• Charge, Courage Lead Pack - WUSA
• Pichon Named Player of the Week - WUSA
• Founders Cup II Tickets to Go on Sale - WUSA
• Charge Extend Unbeaten String to Eight - Philadelphia Charge

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