Sports stats



Spirit Record Wild 5-4 Win Over Breakers

July 6, 2002 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
San Diego Spirit News Release


SAN DIEGO (Saturday, July 6, 2002) - Julie Foudy's penalty kick heroics in the third minute of stoppage time of the second half propelled the San Diego Spirit to a roller-coaster 5-4 win over the visiting Boston Breakers before the third largest crowd in team history of 6,149.

Chrisy McCann clipped forward Zhang Ouying in the penalty area with just seconds remaining in the match and Foudy stepped up to coolly drill her penalty kick home for the game winner. The win, the first for interim head coach Kevin Crow, moved the Spirit to 3-7-3 (12 points) on the season while Boston dropped to 3-6-5 (14 points).

"It was nice to generate some offense, but the last time we did this, we had a shortage afterwards," said Foudy. "It was awesome that we scored five goals, but we need to shore up our defense."

The match, broadcast nationally on PAX TV, set a WUSA record for total goals scored and for goals in a half by both teams, as the first 45 minutes saw each team score three times for a 3-3 halftime deadlock. In an amazingly even match, each team fired 13 total shots and nine shots on goal, with each team getting six shots on goal in the first half and three in the second.

San Diego goalkeeper Jaime Pagliarulo played perhaps her worst game in a Spirit uniform, allowing two of the first three Breakers goals to slip through her hands. The first gaff came in the 13th minute when Breakers midfielder Kristine Lilly took a free kick from the outside of the penalty area on the right flank. Her left-footed shot curled toward the near post, where Pagliarulo was waiting, but inexplicably let the ball slip through her hands and into the net.

The Spirit tied the game four minutes later on a brilliant individual effort from midfielder Shannon Boxx. From the right wing, Anna Kraus curled a big cross into the middle where Lori Lindsey battled for the ball only to have Monica Gonzalez clear it, albeit poorly. Boxx took the ball down with her thigh at the top of the penalty area and drilled a left-footed half-volley into the left corner. Breakers goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc got a hand on the ball but couldn't turn it away. It was Boxx's first goal of the season.

The Spirit took the lead in the 23rd minute as Foudy played Sherrill Kester down the right flank and then drifted into the middle. Kester caught up with the ball and bent a perfect cross to the far post for Foudy, who cut in front of her defender and dropped a header over LeBlanc and into the upper left corner.

In the 26th minute, Pagliarulo almost let another ball slip by her as Angela Hucles' shot slipped through her gloves, bounced twice off the top of the crossbar and fell back into the prone 'keepers hands.

The Breakers tied the game in the 28th minute on a great individual effort from Lilly, who blocked a Fawcett clearance, causing the ball to bounce into the Spirit's defensive third. Lilly won a footrace to the ball with three Spirit defenders and then slipped her shot past the closing Pagliarulo into the lower right corner from 16 yards out.

In the 31st minute, Foudy had another great chance on a header from corner kick, but LeBlanc had a great touch to tip the ball over the cross bar. In the 37th minute, Pagliarulo gave the Breakers another gift as a seemingly harmless, although somewhat knuckling shot from the top of the penalty area by Maren Meinert, bounced through the falling Spirit goalkeepers hands and into the net.

To complete the wild first half, the Spirit earned a free kick from 19 yards in the 39th minute. Shannon MacMillan, making her return to the lineup after missing two games with a foot injury, hit the wall with her shot, but the ball bounced high and ended up on the foot of Boxx on the right flank. She popped a high cross up into the middle as Joy Fawcett slipped behind the Breakers defensive line to nod a header into the lower left corner.

Crow replaced Pagliarulo at halftime with Carly Smolak, who made her second appearance of the year and played well. In the 54th minute, she came up with a big save, sliding to snuff a shot from Sarah Yohe.

"I was glad that I was able to step up today and be there for the team," said Smolak, who had played just 100 minutes for the Spirit before today's game. "I have been preparing myself to be ready in case the opportunity came up and today it did."

The Spirit took the lead for the second time in the match in the 55th minute on a fantastic goal from Lori Lindsey. MacMillan struck a corner kick from the right side which Lindsey met it first time, sending a spinning volley over LeBlanc and into the left side netting.

The Breakers almost tied the game in the 63rd minute as Bettina Wiegmann penetrated straight down the middle and drove a shot off the left post past the flying Smolak. One minute later, MacMillan, who despite five Spirit goals did not find the net, had her best chance. She drove down right side past Kate Sobrero, cut inside and from a bad angle and hit her shot off bottom of right post.

Second half substitute Sarah Yohe pulled the Breakers even in the 66th minute after she collected a ball in the penalty area that was really a shot from Angela Hucles. She fought off Fawcett, who was on the ground, got up and slammed her shot past Smolak from six yards out.

With the game seemingly headed for the first 4-4 tie in WUSA history, the Spirit busted out on a counter-attack as substitute Jenny Mascaro played substitute Margaret Tietjen who sprung Zhang down the right flank. She cut hard into the penalty area before McCann bundled into her and referee Rachel Woo pointed to the penalty spot. The rest was up to Foudy, who came up big on her pressure kick.

"I am so proud of our team, because every time they would score we would come right back and knock one in," said Foudy. "It shows that we have tremendous fight and perseverance."

The match also marked the passing of the 100,000th Spirit fan through the Torero Stadium gates as 11-year-old Tiffany Lambert of Chula Vista was awarded with lifetime season tickets and a prize package worth over $1,500.

The Spirit will travel to Boston for a Wednesday night match on July 10 at Nickerson Field. A win there would vault the Spirit over the Breakers and into sixth place in the standings. San Diego then returns home to Torero Stadium next Saturday, July 14, 5 p.m. PT, to face Brandi Chastain and the defending Founders Cup champion San Jose CyberRays. The first 2,000 fans through the gates will receive a free adidas Spirit tote bag.



Women's United Soccer Association Stories from July 6, 2002


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