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San Diego Spirit Game Plan vs. Carolina

May 23, 2003 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
San Diego Spirit News Release


The Spirit, unbeaten in their last five games, travel to Carolina to face the defending Founders Cup champion Courage for the first time in 2003. San Diego will attempt to gain their first win ever over Carolina on Saturday before a national television audience at SAS Stadium. The Courage is the only team in the WUSA that the Spirit has never beaten.

San Diego draws two big breaks as Birgit Prinz, Carolina's high-powered forward, will not be available to play as she will be with the German National Team this weekend; while superstar midfielder Hege Riise is out for the season with a torn ACL knee injury. However, the Spirit defense, which has played better than expected, will still have to deal with the presence of striker Danielle Fotopoulos. The dangerous forward leads the Courage in scoring with 11 points and has been a Spirit nemesis over the past two seasons by scoring five goals.

San Diego begins the remainder of the 2003 campaign without Shannon MacMillan, who suffered a season-ending ACL tear in her right knee last Sunday. San Diego has 1-1-3 lifetime record when MacMillan is not in the lineup, previously due to national team commitments and not to an injury. Looking to pick up the slack will be forwards Julie Fleeting, Christine Latham, Allie Sullivan and Zhang Ouying. Both Fleeting and Latham will join the team today in Carolina after missing last week's game against Boston. Fleeting, who is chasing a team record for consecutive games with a goal (5, she has 4), played with the Scottish National Team this past week, while Latham suited up for Canada on Thursday against England in Ottawa. The speedy Sullivan scored the game-tying goal last week versus Boston and provides a spark to the flanks of the Spirit attack. Zhang has been relatively quiet to date, posting only one assist, but she has the capability to add instant offense.

OPPONENTS' NOTES:

* The Courage will look to record its first win at home in 2003.

* Carolina will be without the services of forward Birgit Prinz (German national team duty).

* Fotopoulos exploded for a career-high seven points on May 17 and will look to carry the momentum of that performance into this weekend's match. Fotopoulos leads the Courage in both goals (3) and assists (5).

* Goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill (1-1-0, 2.50 GAA) tallied her first win of the 2003 season on May 17. Luckenbill holds a 3-0-2 record with a 0.80 goals against average versus the Spirit all-time (five matches).

SPIRIT QUICK SHOTS...A victory would:

* Put San Diego two games over the .500 mark for the first time ever.
* Give San Diego a six-game unbeaten streak.
* Be the first-ever win over Carolina.
* End a six-game winless streak against Carolina.
* Be the first win against a defending Founders Cup champion, 0-1-2 vs. San Jose in 2002.
* Give San Diego a four-game unbeaten streak on the road.
* Give goalkeeper Jaime Pagliarulo 10 career wins.



Women's United Soccer Association Stories from May 23, 2003


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