Spirit Falls to Breakers, 2-1, in WUSA Season Opener

April 5, 2003 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
San Diego Spirit News Release


SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Spirit lost to the Boston Breakers, 2-1, in an end-to-end match to open the 2003 season at Torero Stadium. Norwegian striker Dagny Mellgren scored an early goal for Boston off a corner kick and German international Maren Meinert added one midway through the second half before the Spirit made a late run and pulled a goal back in the 89th minute.

The Spirit was playing with a makeshift back line as defender Joy Fawcett is out two-four weeks after undergoing ankle surgery yesterday and the defensive organization suffered in the early going. The first goal came off a corner kick from the right side as Kristine Lilly floated a cross to the far post where unmarked Monica Gonzales headed the ball back into the middle for a similarly unmarked Mellgren to nod home with her head from close range.

Meinert and Mellgren were dangerous the entire match while Kristine Lilly and Frenchwoman Stephanie Mugneret-Beghe also created havoc down the flanks. For the Spirit, Latham caused problems with her size and speed for the Boston back line, but was going it alone in the early part of the match as the Spirit was in a 4-5-1 formation, later switching to two forwards and then to three in an attempt to climb back into the match.

Boston got a cushion in the 68th minute when rookie Sarah Popper sprung a quick counter attack, sending a well-played through ball in right side of the penalty area and Meinert out-ran two Spirit defenders before lifting the ball past the onrushing Jaime Pagliarulo into the left corner.

The Spirit found some better rhythm and organization in the latter part of the first half and for most of the second, out-shooting Boston 15-10 for the game, but Boston goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc made eight saves. The Spirit's Chinese international Zhang Ouying played just 16 minutes after arriving in the USA yesterday, but created the Spirit's goal with a well-struck cross from the right side that led to a scramble in the middle of the penalty area.

The ball bounced off a Boston defender, and with LeBlanc on the ground, Latham hammered the ball into the net from seven yards out.

The Spirit's Scottish forward Julie Fleeting played just 20 minutes, but added some punch to the Spirit attack at the end of the match, sending a header in the hands of LeBlanc in the 72nd minute. The Spirit had three chances equalize at the very end of the match, but Aly Wagner's skipping shot from 18 yards was well-saved by LeBlanc. Allie Sullivan created two flurries in front of the Breakers net in stoppage time as she raced past the Boston back line, but the Breakers managed to clear both times.



Women's United Soccer Association Stories from April 5, 2003


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