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San Diego downs CyberRays 2-1

April 27, 2003 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
San Jose CyberRays News Release


SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Spirit came from behind to with two goals in an eight-minute span in the second half to defeat the San Jose CyberRays, 2-1, in front of a crowd of 5,965 at Torero Stadium. Scottish international Julie Fleeting paced the Spirit attack, firing eight shots and scoring the tying goal while a CyberRays own goal off a long throw-in from Kim Pickup the 61st minute gave San Diego the win.

The win Spirit moved the Spirit to 2-1-0 (6 points) on the season and above the .500 mark for the first time in club history while the CyberRays dropped to 1-2-0. Both teams played without Brazilians - Katie and Pretinha for San Jose and Daniela for San Diego - as they are currently in Peru with their national team for 2003 Women's World Cup qualifying.

San Jose tallied first in the 49th minute after Spirit midfielder Julie Foudy was disposed in the midfield by the CyberRays Ann Cook who then fed Sissi. The Brazilian placed a perfect ball through to the rushing Tisha Venturi-Hoch, who slid to drive a perfect shot into the upper left corner past charging Spirit goalkeeper Jaime Pagliarulo.

Pagliarulo had come up big on two quality chances earlier in the game she tipped a Christina Bell header over the crossbar in the 15th minute and then guided a Sissi shot from 35 yards over the bar in the 29th minutes.

Five minutes after going behind, San Diego tied the match on a wonderful finish from Fleeting. Fleeting's second goal of the year came from eight yards out as she ran onto a perfect service from Shannon MacMillan to volley past CyberRays goalkeeper LaKeysia Beene. Fleeting took a season team-high eight of the Spirit's 16 shots on goal. Beene was forced to make nine saves in the match, while Pagliarulo recorded only two in her second win of the season.

Beene played a big role in the 61st minute own-goal off a flip throw-in by Kim Pickup. Pickup's toss from the right sideline sailed into the middle of the six-yard box and, with a big group of Spirit and CyberRays players converging on the ball, it glanced off Beene's hands into the CyberRays net.

San Diego travels to Boston next Saturday to meet the Breakers in the second game of a MLS/WUSA doubleheader at Gillette Stadium, kickoff 3:30 p.m. PT. The game will not be televised.

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