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San Diego Spirit Fall To Charge 2-0 in Philadelphia

June 14, 2003 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
San Diego Spirit News Release


VILLANOVA, PA - Charge forward Marinette Pichon scored her team-leading seventh goal of the season and Melissa Moore made six saves to lead Philadelphia to a 2-0 win over the San Diego Spirit on Saturday afternoon at Villanova Stadium. The Spirit (3-3-4,13 pts), also lost to Philadelphia (3-5-2, 11 pts.) in San Diego last Saturday. The game marked the return of Omid Namazi to the Philadelphia area. Namazi, the head coach of the Spirit, had spent the previous four years with the Philadelphia Kixx of the NPSL. Namazi led the Kixx to the 2002 league championship.

The Charge's first goal developed when Stacey Tullock played a ball deep into the Spirit defense. Rhiannon Tanaka, who was making her first start this season after coming back to the team on May 21from her retirement, attempted to pass the ball back to her goalie, Jenni Branam, but pressure from Pichon caused Tanaka to hit the ball over the head of Branam into the net. The own-goal was San Diego's first this season and fourth all-time. San Diego has given up a goal within the first 15 minutes of a match in six of 10 games this season.

Pichon later increased the lead to 2-0 in the 31st minute. She was fed a ball by Melanie Hoffmann inside the box and beat Branam who went down to try and make a save. Jenny Benson also recorded an assist on the play. Moore now has registered back-to-back shutouts, giving her eight for her career. Branam, who was making her second career start, deserved a better fate, ending the match with two saves.

San Diego, which loss back-to-back games for the first time since July 31-August 3, 2002, was without three U.S. National Team players, Joy Fawcett, Julie Foudy and Aly Wagner, who were in Salt Lake City, Utah preparing for a match against Ireland tonight. Philadelphia was without Lorrie Fair due to U.S. national team duty.

Villanova Stadium continues to be a house of horrors for San Diego, as the club has never won a game in the venue. The Spirit is now winless in four attempts (0-3-1), having scored only two goals in those games.

The Spirit return to Torero Stadium on Saturday, June 21, 1 p.m., to face Tiffeny Milbrett and the New York Power in a nationally-televised match. The game also marks the return of three former Spirit players, Shannon Boxx, Carly Smolak and Margaret Tietjen, to San Diego for the first time this season since being moved in an off-season deal to the Power.

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