Sports stats



San Diego Spirit Game Plan vs. Philadelphia

July 4, 2003 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
San Diego Spirit News Release


Joy Fawcett returns to the Spirit lineup for Saturday's match against the Philadelphia Charge after serving a one-game red-card suspension on Wednesday. The Spirit defense, which has given up two goals per game in each of the three matches that Fawcett has missed this season, will welcome back the return of its leader. Jaime Pagliarulo is expected to get the start in goal after resting a sore heel this week. Jenni Branam went unbeaten (1-0-1) in the two games she played in last week against San Jose in Pagliarulo's place. Offensively, Christine Latham had her breakout match as she tallied her first career two-goal game on Wednesday against the CyberRays. San Diego needs her to continue adding goals to those of Julie Fleeting, who has a three-game point streak for the second time this season. The key for San Diego, who has never won a game at Villanova Stadium, will be stopping the 2002 WUSA MVP Marinette Pichon, who scored twice in the last outing in Philadelphia on June 14.

SPIRIT QUICK SHOTS...A victory would:

Give SD its first win in a game that starts after 6 p.m. in 2003.

Give SD a four-game unbeaten streak and wins in three of its last four games.

Put SD in either sole possession of first or second place depending on the Atlanta Beat result tonight. Put SD three games over the .500 mark for the first time in club history.

OPPONENTS' NOTES:

- Philadelphia earned a point with a 2-2 tie against then first-place Boston on Saturday, June 28 at Villanova Stadium.

- Marinette Pichon scored two goals last week and surpassed the 50-point plateau. She accomplished the feat in just 29 games, tying New York's Tiffeny Milbrett for the quickest to reach 50. Pichon has scored nine points (four goals, one assist) in her last three games. The French international standout leads the league with 22 points (10 goals, two assists).

- Heather Mitts is expected to miss four-to-six weeks with a fractured right tibia.

- Philadelphia ranks seventh in teams offense (1.50 goals per game) and seventh in team defense (2.08 goals per game).

• Discuss this story on the Women's United Soccer Association message board...

Women's United Soccer Association Stories from July 4, 2003


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central