Latham's Two Goals Lead Spirit to 2-2 Tie With San Jose

July 3, 2003 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
San Diego Spirit News Release


SAN JOSE - The San Diego Spirit lost a golden chance to move into a tie for first place, but still took a valuable point on the road, tying the San Jose CyberRays, 2-2, at Spartan Stadium. Sissi scored on a world-class shot from distance in the 78th minute that was seemingly the winning score, but Latham dramatically tied the game in 90th minute with her second goal of the game. The Spirit had taken a 1-0 lead into halftime on a Latham header, but Katia tied it just three minutes into the second half. The Spirit moved to 5-3-5 (20 points) on the season while the CyberRays moved to 5-7-2 (17 points). The CyberRays had the better rhythm for most of the game, stringing together long series' of passes and forcing the Spirit to chase while creating danger inside the Spirit penalty area. Sissi shot powerfully over top from distance in 24th minute and Katia had a thundering solo run down right flank before shooting high a few minutes later.

The Spirit finally got a hold of some rhythm of their own in the latter part of the first half, picked up the defensive intensity and we able to create a few chances. The Spirit scored just two minutes from halftime when Julie Fleeting ran down a long ball on the right flank and worked her way free deep in the corner to send a world class cross to the far post, where Latham rose high and headed the ball down. It bounced in front of the goal and up into the roof of the net for her second goal of the season. It was her first goal since the first game of the season.

Aside from the Spirit goal, the best chance of the first half came in the 36th minute when Sissi spun a masterful free kick off the bottom of the crossbar at the left corner. The shot beat the diving Jenni Branam, clipped the bottom of the bar, and seemed to hit the Spirit goalkeeper as she lay on the ground before she pounced on it.

Brandi Chastain suffered a minor hip injury early in the match when she went down with no contact on the left wing and was forced to leave the match in 20th minute, replaced by Mandy Clemens.

The Spirit did not start the second half well. Just 35 seconds after the break Kerri Sanchez powered a shot past Branam, but the flag was up for offside. The CyberRays then tied it up three minutes later as Katia latched onto a free ball in the right side of the penalty area and stroked a perfect shot past Branam into the left corner.

Both teams had chances in the second half, but the CyberRays had more, and they took the lead in 78th minute on a spectacular goal from Sissi. After Branam had punched well to clear a cross, Sissi settled the ball about 40 yards from the goal on the left side. Branam was caught a bit out of goal and the Brazilian launched a towering shot that flew over the Spirit goalkeeper and into the right side netting.

Fleeting had a great chance to tie the game in the 88th minute when she beat Kelly Lindsey in the right side of the penalty area, but CyberRays goalkeeper LaKeysia Beene did well to push the shot around the left post.

The Spirit got the equalizer one minute later as second half substitute Allie Sullivan toasted her defender on the right wing and bent a perfect ball behind the defense on the ground that the sliding Latham, working hard to get in front of her defender, hit first time past Beene into the left corner from eight yards out on the bang-bang play.

The C-Rays came right back and Clemens pulled a spectacular save from Branam as the Spirit goalkeeper got a hand on the ball to push it wide right. Fleeting then had a chance to win the game for the Spirit in the 92nd minute after Latham stole a ball and played her through, but she shot wide right under pressure from a CyberRay defender.

With the narrow field, the Spirit relied on a steady diet of booming punts from Branam, but struggled to create rhythm. Still the defense played well without Joy Fawcett, who sat out the game on suspension after getting a red card last Sunday against the CyberRays, and Kim Pickup did well in the middle in her stead.



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


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