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San Diego Spirit Game Plan vs. Philadelphia

June 12, 2003 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
San Diego Spirit News Release


OPPONENTS' NOTES:

* Marinette Pichon registered her sixth career multiple-goal game after scoring two goals on Saturday, May 31. Pichon has scored six goals in the Charge's last six games.
* Pichon is Philadelphia's all-time goal scoring leader with 20... Pichon became the fastest player to reach 20 goals in WUSA history (25 matches)... Pichon leads the WUSA in offside infractions with 22.
* Midfielder Melanie Hoffmann (2g, 3a, 7 pts.) registered her second goal of the season against San Diego last Saturday.
* Goalkeeper Melissa Moore earned her first victory of the season on June 7.
* Philadelphia ranks sixth in team offense (1.50 goals per game) and seventh in team defense (2.38 goals per game).

THE OUTLOOK

The Philadelphia Charge hold a 4-1-2 advantage in the all-time season series between the clubs, including last week's 2-1 win at Torero Stadium, and they look to extend their home-unbeaten streak over San Diego at Villanova Stadium to four games on Saturday, 1 p.m. PT. The Spirit faltered twice on the artificial turf surface of Villanova Stadium in 2001 and managed to earn a 1-1 tie last season in the "City of Brotherly Love." This season, San Diego will have to turn the tables on the Charge without three key players, Joy Fawcett, Julie Foudy and Aly Wagner; not to mention the absence of Shannon MacMIllan. The U.S. trio will be playing on Saturday night in Salt Lake City against Ireland in a world cup tune-up. Returning to the Spirit lineup will be Scottish forward Julie Fleeting, who spent last week peppering the Portugal goal five times in a European Women's Championship qualifying match. Hopefully, the Spirit's leading scorer saved some offensive firepower for her WUSA club team. Fleeting has accounted for a third of the Spirit's goal production this season (4 of 12 goals). Head coach Omid Namazi is also looking to Christine Latham, Allie Sullivan, and Zhang Ouying for goal production in the match against the Charge. Giving up early goals has been a concern this season for Namazi. Last week, Philadelphia scored twice in the first ten minutes of the match, making it the fifth time in nine outings that the Spirit has allowed the opponents to take the lead. In fact, all six first-half goals given up by the Spirit have been allowed in the first 10 minutes. Once into the flow of the match, San Diego has been a very dangerous team by creating many good scoring opportunities, but failing to finishing them. If the Spirit can manage to get an early lead, they have the ability to seal the deal, but the key is to make it past the first 10 minutes of the contest without falling behind.

2003 INDIVIDUAL SPIRIT STREAKS BRANAM...Has tied one game. FLEETING...has a goal in 4 of 6 games...has multi-pts in 4 of 6 games...has a point in 5 games...has an assist in 1 game...has a goal in 2 of 3 road games...has points in 3 road games. FOUDY...has a goal in 3 games...has a PK in 3 games...has multi-pts. in 3 games...has a point in 4 of 5 games. PAGLIARULO ... is unbeaten in 6 of 7 games...has won 1 of 3 games ZHANG...has an assist in 1 of 3 games...has points in 1 of 3 games.

STAT BREAKDOWN Spirit Charge
GOALS FOR: 12 12
GOALS AGAINST: 10 19
SHOTS: 123 88
LEADING SCORER: Fleeting, 9 pts. Pichon,13 pts.
STREAK: Loss 1, Winless 2 Tied 1, UB 2

SPIRIT QUICK SHOTS...A victory would:

* Put San Diego two games over the .500 mark for the second time.
* Give San Diego a two-game road winning and four-game unbeaten streaks.
* Give San Diego its first win in Philadelphia.
* Give San Diego a 7-3-2 record in national TV games.

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Women's United Soccer Association Stories from June 12, 2003


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