Mellgren's late goal beats CyberRays in Boston
May 31, 2003 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
San Jose CyberRays News Release
BOSTON (May 31, 2003) â The CyberRays' three-game road trip ended today with a 1-0 loss to the Boston Breakers, a game that slipped away four minutes from time.
Boston's Dagny Mellgren, who has scored many such goals for the Norway national team, took a long ball just outside the penalty box, eluded CyberRays goalkeeper LaKeysia Beene and scored in the 86th minute. The loss dropped the CyberRays back to 4-4 with 12 standings points, good enough for fifth place in the WUSA.
Mellgren poked the ball inside as Beene, all the way out of the 18-yard box, went outside, which allowed Mellgren to get past and take the shot.
``It was a great through-ball from Maren (Meinert),'' Mellgren said. ``I saw (Beene) was going to come out, but it was weird because the ball got through her.''
Brandi Chastain whanged a direct free kick off the crossbar in the 89th minute that would have tied the game.
Mellgren's goal came against the run of play in the second half, which completely favored the CyberRays. But despite a half-dozen shots on goal, the CyberRays couldn't finish.
A half-volley from the left by Pretinha was saved in the 22nd minute by Boston keeper Karina LeBlanc, and later in the same minute Pretinha headed a Michelle French corner kick that Boston forward Stephanie Mugneret-Beghe blocked on the goal line. Just before the half, a Katia header inside the 6-yard box was saved, and Katia's second shot on goal â a 25-yarder â was stopped on a fingertip grab by LeBlanc.
``I felt we had the game,'' Chastain said. ``When you play, that well you have to score to win games. We can defend and possess the ball, but we need to focus on scoring.''
``We didn't put our chances away,'' coach Ian Sawyers said. ``It's the same old story. We played possession well. Our passing in final third wasn't good. We kept Kristine Lilly quiet, and we kept their two strikers quiet until the final gift. But there are no moral victories in professional sport.''
The CyberRays finished the road trip 1-2, losing 1-0 at Atlanta and defeating Philadelphia 2-0 last weekend.
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