CyberRays slowly climbing table, end compressed schedule in N.Y.

Published on July 3, 2003 under Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
San Jose CyberRays News Release


SAN JOSE (July 3, 2003) – The CyberRays' 2-2 tie Wednesday means the team has picked up five points in its last four games after going the previous three without a point. With those points, the team has moved from sixth into a tie for fifth place with the Washington Freedom and only one point out of a playoff berth.

Saturday's 1 p.m. nationally televised game on PAX TV against the New York Power will be the fifth match the CyberRays have played in a 13-day span.

Season series: 0-2-0. All-time series: 6-2-1, (2-1-1 in New York). Top scorers: CyberRays – Pretinha (5g+4a=14pts); New York – Tiffeny Milbrett (4g+5a=13pts).

CyberRays-New York series notes: Until this season the CyberRays had never lost to New York. But the Power has won the first two games of the 2003 series 2-0 and 3-1. ... In the previous game this season in New York, rookie Katie Antongiovanni became the youngest CyberRay goal-scorer at the age of 21 years, 208 days. ... The previous games against New York were the first time the CyberRays had ever played the same team twice in a row. It happened for the second time Wednesday when the CyberRays completed a two-game set against San Diego. ... New York's Tiffeny Milbrett is one of two players to get a hat trick against the CyberRays. Hers came in a 4-3 loss to the CyberRays on June 15 last season. ... New York's head coach is Tom Sermanni, who was a CyberRays assistant last season. Tom's wife Alison was the CyberRays' finance manager. Key matchup: CyberRays forward Katia vs. New York central defender Christie Pearce. The CyberRays' 2002 Offensive Player of the year is off to a very slow start, just one goal in nine games, and needs a break-out game.

Ian Sawyers on playing New York again: ``We've got to play much better. They didn't do anything tactically to beat us (Sunday). We handed them the game.''

Game notes

New York-CyberRays connections: New York midfielder Sheryl Salisbury, who is from New Castle, Australia, and CyberRays defender Dianne Alagich from Adelaide, Australia are teammates on the Australia national team and are expected to represent their country in the World Cup this fall. Both players were coached by New York coach Tom Sermanni when he was national coach in their homeland. ... New York midfielder Shannon Boxx and CyberRays LaKeysia Beene and Kelly Lindsey were all teammates on the 1999 Notre Dame team that finished second in the NCAA tournament.

Sissi picks up the pace: Sissi's goal against San Diego was her second in as many games and brings her season total to three, a WUSA career season high. Sissi scored only one goal each of her first two WUSA seasons. She also hit the crossbar on a free kick in the 36th minute.

Blame it on the bossa nova: Katia's and Sissi's goals against San Diego on Wednesday kept alive the streak of at least one of the CyberRays' Brazilians being involved (scoring or assisting) on every goal of 2003. The last goal scored by the CyberRays without Brazilian input was July 27, 2002, when Lisa Nañez scored the first goal unassisted in a 4-1 victory over New York. That was 23 goals and 19 games ago.

Coming-from-behind: The last time the CyberRays came from behind to win a game was June 15, 2002 in Spartan Stadium when New York scored the first goal of the game but fell 4-3. Since then CyberRays have come from behind twice in games this season but have yet to take a come-from-behind victory. In the first instance, the CyberRays fell behind the Washington Freedom 2-1 on the road June 22 but tied on a Pretinha goal in the 48th minute. Wednesday the CyberRays gave up the game's first goal to San Diego and then pulled ahead 2-1 before a 90th minute goal by Christine Latham gave the Spirit a 2-2 tie.

Looking ahead to the Women's World Cup: As many as 12 players in Saturday's game may play in the World Cup this fall for their respective home countries:

CyberRays (home country) New York Power (home country)

D Dianne Alagich (Australia) F Tiffeny Milbrett (USA)

GK LaKeysia Beene (USA) D Christie Pearce (USA)

D Thori Bryan (USA) M Joanne Peters (Australia)

D Brandi Chastain (USA) M Anita Rapp (Norway)

F Katia (Brazil) M Sheryl Salisbury (Australia)

F/M Pretinha (Brazil)

M Sissi (Brazil)

San Diego tough in Spartan: San Diego has scored late goals twice in games against the CyberRays in Spartan Stadium to tie, the most recent Wednesday's 2-2 game when Christine Latham scored in the 90th minute. But the latest goal ever scored against the CyberRays came in the 93rd minute May 12, 2001 when Sherrill Kester scored for a 1-1 tie. That game was the last previous tie in Spartan Stadium.

Bad double-dips: The CyberRays have played two home-and-home series with the same team this season, the first a consecutive pair of games against New York and the second against San Diego, which was complete Wednesday. The CyberRays are yet to win a game in such a series, going a cumulative 0-3-1. Katia's struggle: Last season she led the WUSA with 15 goals, but this season Katia has only one goal through nine games. She then went nine more before connecting in the 49th minute Wednesday against San Diego.

CyberRays injury update

M Sissi (bruised rib), D Kelly Lindsey (R knee sprain) and F Pretinha (groin strain) are probable, F Katie Barnes (strained hamstring) is questionable.

Quote of the week

``I think overall, based on the mistakes that we made and the chances we didn't capitalize on, we deserve to lose the game. It's foolish for us to keep telling ourselves that we're the better team. We better accept responsibility.''

- Ian Sawyers after loss to New York.

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Women's United Soccer Association Stories from July 3, 2003


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