Philly Wins 3-1 Over San Diego

Published on August 3, 2002 under Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
Philadelphia Charge News Release


PHILADELPHIA (Saturday, Aug. 3, 2002) – The San Diego Spirit fell victim to three goals off corner kicks and lost to the league-leading Philadelphia Charge, 3-1, in a match delayed about 45 minutes due to rain and lightning.

The Spirit fell to 4-11-4 (16 points) while the Charge, who had already qualified for the playoffs earlier in the day when the Carolina Courage defeated the San Jose CyberRays, moved to 11-3-5 (38 points) and closer to clinching a home playoff game.

The Spirit actually had the better chances in the first half on a rain-slicked artificial surface as forward Julie Fleeting got behind the defense in the right side of the penalty area twice in a two-minute span 20 minutes into the game, but put her first effort over the bar and Charge goalkeeper Melissa Moore saved her drive one minute later.

"I think in the first half they got caught flat in the back a few times," said Spirit interim head coach Kevin Crow. "We had several breakaways and we did not finish. Those always come back to bite you in the end."

Those shots by Fleeting were the first of the game for the Spirit as the Charge buzzed around the Spirit's defensive third for the first 20 minutes, but didn't produce too much danger, putting only one shot on goal in the first half. Midfielder Zhao Lihong and Marinette Pichon both had dangerous runs before the break, and were denied with quality tackles by Fan Yunjie, but both would figure in the Charges goals.

The Spirit had a good chance in the 27th minute as Shannon MacMillan skipped in long free kick that Moore bobbled, but then grabbed as Joy Fawcett closed. In the 41st minute, Fleeting got behind the Charge defense again and headed a bouncing ball at the top of the penalty area that Moore snared, only to have her own defender Jen Tietjen knock the ball out the goalkeeper's hands before it was cleared out of danger.

The Charge opened the scoring in the 56th minute as Zhao bent a corner kick into the middle. Stacey Tullock was left alone and Carly Smolak could not reach her or the ball before she flicked a header under the charging goalkeeper and into the net from four yards out.

The Spirit equalized a minute later as Fan Yunjie played Amy Sauer on the left flank. Sauer dribbled past Lorrie Fair and bent a cross into the middle where the cutting Mascaro hit a left-footed volley into the right corner for her first goal of the year. It was Sauer's first point as a professional player. Fan, who played her first match after missing four consecutive games, picked up her first assist of the season on the goal-scoring play.

The Charge took the lead in the 65th minute as they took a short corner kick from right side. Jenny Benson floated a cross into the middle and once again Smolak was a half step late coming to the ball as Erica Iverson punched a header just inside the left post.

The teams traded long range blasts, the Spirit's by Shannon Boxx that went just wide right and the Charge's by Zhao that was pushed wide left by Smolak, before the Charge scored again on what might be the league's goal of the year.

It came off another corner kick from the left side and Smolak got two fists on the ball, but the punch was a poor one and it fell to Pichon, who was standing at the six-yard line. The French international whipped off a flying scissors kick and powered the ball into the roof of the Spirit net to make it 3-1. Zhao picked up the assist on the play, her third of the game.

"The game opened up on both ends in the second half as both teams were a little undisciplined," added Crow. "Unfortunately we were on the wrong end of that lack of discipline as they got three goals basically off of crosses. That third goal was a wonderful finish from a world-class player."

The Spirit pushed for one more goal and in the 82nd minute MacMillan lifted a cross to Julie Foudy for wide-open header, but she knocked the shot right at Moore. Five minutes from time, Moore was late coming off her goal line for another cross and Fleeting won the header, but the ball fell outside the right post.

The Spirit had just one less shot than the Charge and more shots on goal, but once again, could not finish consistently. It was Smolak's fifth consecutive start in goal for the Spirit. Spirit forward Zhang Ouying missed her third game in a row with an injured hamstring. The Spirit travels to Atlanta for a Wednesday night game that will not be on TV in San Diego before returning home for the season finale on Aug. 11 against the Carolina Courage. That match kicks off at 5 p.m. PT.

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Women's United Soccer Association Stories from August 3, 2002


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