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San Diego Spirit Game Plan vs. New York

June 20, 2003 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
San Diego Spirit News Release


THE OUTLOOK - The Spirit faces the New York Power Saturday in the second meeting between the two teams, but the first at Torero Stadium. The Spirit recorded a 2-0 victory at New York on April 19 on goals from Shannon MacMillan (which turned out to be her only goal of the year) and Julie Fleeting. New York beings two of the league's top scorers in U.S. National Team star Tiffeny Milbrett and top draft pick Christie Welsh, as well as one of the world's best defenders in New Jersey native Christie Pearce. Milbrett is the top scorer in the history of the WUSA, but ironically, has never scored against the Spirit. The match also brings three former Spirit players back to Torero Stadium in midfielder Shannon Boxx, goalkeeper Carly Smolak and defender Margaret Tietjen, all part of the trade that brought the WUSA's #1 pick and Aly Wagner to San Diego. San Diego used their superiority in the air to beat the Power in their first meeting. The Spirit, who will have all of their parts, will attempt to use the same strategy in Saturday's nationally televised match. In recent weeks, the team has had several players missing from the lineup due to national team commitments. Last week against Philadelphia, the Spirit played without Julie Foudy, Joy Fawcett and Aly Wagner; all three were in Salt Lake City, Utah for the U.S, Women's National Team's contest against Ireland. Julie Fleeting missed the prior week's match as she was with the Scottish National Team playing a European Women's Championship qualifying game against Portugal, a game in which she scored five goals.

NEW YORK POWER UPDATE - The New York Power earned four points at Mitchel Athletic Complex this past week, tying the Philadelphia Charge 0-0 on Wednesday, June 11 and defeating the San Jose CyberRays 3-1 on Saturday, June 14...Goalkeeper Saskia Webber recorded her second consecutive shutout, registering six saves versus the Charge on June 11... Rookie forward Christie Welsh tallied her second multiple-goal game of the season after scoring two goals versus the CyberRays on June 14... Welsh leads the Power in scoring this season with six goal for 12 points... Forward Tiffeny Milbrett and defender Christie Welsh will return to the Power lineup after U.S. national team duty on June 14... New York ranks fifth in team offense (1.64 goals per game) and eighth in team defense (2.18 goals per game).

KEEPING MILBRETT QUIET - Joy Fawcett along with her Spirit defensive teammates, will try to keep the high scoring Tiffeny Milbrett off the scoreboard. Milbrett has yet to register a point against the Spirit in her WUSA career. In five matches against the San Diego, Milbrett has only collected two assists.

NEW YORK POWER UPDATE - The New York Power earned four points at Mitchel Athletic Complex this past week, tying the Philadelphia Charge 0-0 on Wednesday, June 11 and defeating the San Jose CyberRays 3-1 on Saturday, June 14...Goalkeeper Saskia Webber recorded her second consecutive shutout, registering six saves versus the Charge on June 11... Rookie forward Christie Welsh tallied her second multiple-goal game of the season after scoring two goals versus the CyberRays on June 14... Welsh leads the Power in scoring this season with six goal for 12 points... Forward Tiffeny Milbrett and defender Christie Welsh will return to the Power lineup after U.S. national team duty on June 14... New York ranks fifth in team offense (1.64 goals per game) and eighth in team defense (2.18 goals per game).

SPIRIT ALL-STARS - San Diego Spirit midfielders Julie Foudy and Aly Wagner, defender Joy Fawcett and forward Julie Fleeting competed in the 2003 Hyundai WUSA All-Star Game in Cary, NC on Thursday, June 19. The All-Star Game was televised live on ESPN2 and provided a World Cup preview as all of the top players who are expected to compete in the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup were in Cary for the three-day event. The Maren Meinert-led World Stars defeated the American Stars 3-2 before a SRO crowd of 7,068. Fawcett played 40 minutes, Foudy played 59 minutes and Aly Wagner played 61 minutes for the Americans, while Fleeting played 40 minutes as a sub.

HELLO STRANGER - Spirit head coach Omid Namazi may not recognize some of his players today as he has not had a full team to train with for almost three weeks due to national team or All-Star game commitments. U.S. players Fawcett, Foudy, and Wagner have missed training for the last two weeks, and prior to that Fleeting and Latham were missing for a week due to national team duties.

NEW YORK CONNECTIONS - Kerry Connors played for the Power during the 2001 season. Ronnie Fair was a member of the Power for two seasons before joining the Spirit as a free agent. The return of former Spirit players Shannon Boxx, Carly Smolak, and Margaret Tietjen to San Diego for the first time since being traded.

EARLY GOALS GIVEN UP, SECOND HALF COMEBACKS - The Spirit has allowed a goal within the first 15 minutes in six (seven goals) of the club's first ten games. Last week, Philadelphia scored for the third time in two weeks in the first 15 minutes of a game en route to both of their 2-1 and 2-0 wins over the Spirit. San Diego has scored eight of their 12 goals in the second half of games this season. Six of the eight goals have come in the last half-hour of the match.

THREE DOT INFO... Pagliarulo's six-game unbeaten streak was snapped on Saturday, June 7 in the 2-1 loss to Philadelphia...San Diego is 2-3-4 all-time without MacMillan in the lineup...Foudy has eight career goals and penalty kick goals in three consecutive games, is now 4-for-5 on penalty kick attempts in her WUSA career...Foudy recorded a goal and an assist with the U.S. against Ireland on June 14...San Diego's club record seven-game unbeaten streak (3-0-4) came to an end with the 2-1 loss to Philadelphia on June 7...San Diego was held scoreless for the first time this season on June 14 against Philadelphia...San Diego had a three-game home-unbeaten streak snapped on June 7.

2003 SPIRIT STREAKS - Individual BRANAM...has lost 1 game, winless in 2. FLEETING...has a goal in 4 of 7 games...has multi-pts in 4 of 7 games...has a point in 5 of 7 games...has an assist in 1 of 3 games...has a goal in 2 of 4 road games...has points in 3 road games. FOUDY...has a goal in 3 games...has PK goals in 3 games...has multi-pts. in 3 games ...has a point in 3 of 4 games. PAGLIARULO ... is unbeaten in 6 of 7 games

CAREER MILESTONES WITHIN REACH

10 Goals - Foudy & Fleeting need 3, Zhang needs 5
10 Assists - Fair needs 4, Zhang needs 5
20 Points - Fleeting needs 4, Zhang needs 5
50 Games Played - Foudy needs 2
50 Games Started - Foudy needs 2

RECORDS WITHIN REACH

Consecutive Games with a Goal - Foudy - needs 1 to tie record (Koleski, Fleeting,4 ).

Consecutive Games with a Point - Foiudy- needs 2 to tie (Koleski, Fleeting, 5).



Women's United Soccer Association Stories from June 20, 2003


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