Spirit Fall to Courage, 1-0, in North Carolina

July 19, 2003 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
San Diego Spirit News Release


CARY, N.C. - The San Diego Spirit lost a key match on the road to the Carolina Courage, falling 1-0 on a first-half goal from Nel Fettig. With the loss, the Spirit drop to 6-5-6 (24 points) while the Courage moved to 6-7-3 (21 points). Despite the loss, the Spirit remained in third place in the WUSA with four matches left to play.

The Courage dominated the first half, out-shooting the Spirit 11-2 in the first half and San Diego was fortunate to go into the break just one goal down, giving up a chance to German Birgit Prinz just seconds into the game. Still, the Courage goal was an ugly one, coming off a Brooke O'Hanley corner kick that skimmed off the front of the crossbar, hit Spirit captain Julie Foudy on the leg and bounced to a wide open Fettig, who tapped the ball into the net from three yards out.

Courage defender Danielle Slaton had several chances in the first half, bouncing a header over the goal in the 6th minute, then getting around the end on the left flank in the 12th, only to see Spirit goalkeeper Jenni Branam gobble up the cross. The U.S. National Team defender also skimmed a shot off the top of the cross bar in the 43rd minute. Venus James also had two quality chances in the first half.

The best Spirit chance of the half came in the 28th minute when Allie Sullivan beat Erin Baxter in the right side of the penalty area, but Courage goalkeeper Kristen Luckenbill made good save to turn ball away. The Spirit put together a mini-run at the end of the first half as a free kick flew dangerously over Luckenbill in the 44th minute then Aly Wagner sailed a shot over the crossbar in the 45th.

The Spirit played a much better second half, out-shooting the Courage 8-3 after the break. Carolina's only dangerous chance came when Prinz smoked a shot off the left post from 22 yards at the end of the match. Still, the Spirit could not find the net despite creating danger for 45 minutes. Courage Defender Erin Baxter shadowed Spirit forward Julie Fleeting the entire match, but the Scottish striker still had her chances, taking six shots and sending three headers wide or over the goal in the last 11 minutes, including a chance two minutes into stoppage time.

Jen Nielson also created a super chance in the 63rd minute, sending a hard cross on the ground that was deflected in the goal box and sat tantalizingly in front of the goal for a moment before the Courage cleared. In the 77th minute, Kerry Connors hit a dangerous volley after slipping behind the defense in the left side of the penalty box, but her shot deflected off a defender and Luckenbill recovered to lunge back and make the save.

The Spirit had perhaps their best chance in the 90th minute when Luckenbill misplayed a cross and it dropped to Sullivan, but with a wide open net, she miss-kicked the ball. Foudy had a shot at the back post from a bad angle off a corner kick in the closing seconds but it was blocked for another corner kick. Then Fleeting's header went awry in the 92nd minute and the match was over. Kim Pickup, Joy Fawcett and Lisa Krzykowski played a fine match in the back, limiting the danger from Prinz with some solid physical play.

San Diego returns home for a match next Wednesday night against the New York Power at Torero Stadium at 7 p.m. PT in a match the holds major playoff implications. The first 4,000 fans will receive a Shannon MacMillan bobble head doll honoring the injured Spirit forward.



Women's United Soccer Association Stories from July 19, 2003


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