Three Down, One to Go

August 5, 2002 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) News Release

ATLANTA (Monday, August 5, 2002) - The Philadelphia Charge, Carolina Courage and Washington Freedom are all headed to the playoffs after securing postseason spots this past weekend. The Atlanta Beat and San Jose CyberRays are battling for the fourth and final playoff berth as the WUSA heads into its final week of the 2002 regular season.

The top four teams during the regular season advance to a one-game playoff on Saturday, August 17. The first match between two yet to be determined teams will tale place at 1:30 pm ET on August 17. The second playoff match (teams TBD) will meet at 3:30 pm ET that same afternoon as part of a doubleheader on PAX. The first and second place finishers will have homefield advantage. The playoff semifinal winners advance to Founders Cup II at Atlanta's Herndon Stadium on August 24.

Philadelphia secured passage into the postseason on Saturday, August 3 when the Charge defeated San Diego 3-1 at Villanova Stadium. Philadelphia became the first WUSA team to clinch homefield advantage when the Washington Freedom defeated the Atlanta Beat on Sunday, August 4. Head Coach Mark Krikorian's club needs a four-point swing with Carolina to claim the WUSA 2002 regular season title. It won't be easy for Philadelphia in the club's next two games, as the Charge hosts San Jose on Wednesday and visits Atlanta in a nationally televised game on PAX on August 10 at 4 pm ET.

After suffering through a last-place finish in 2001, the Carolina Courage continued the club's surprising 2002 season by clinching a playoff berth with Saturday's 4-1 win over San Jose. Carolina's magic number to clinch homefield is two points. With a Wednesday match at New York and a trip to San Diego on Sunday, Carolina could take six points against the league's lower echelon and make a run at Philadelphia for the regular season championship.

The hottest team in the WUSA is the Washington Freedom, as Mia Hamm and company are 8-1-2 in their last 11 games. Washington secured its first playoff berth in club history when Pu Wei's header found the back of the net with less than 30 seconds remaining to give the Freedom a 3-2 win over Atlanta on Sunday, August 4. Hamm has started just once in 10 games since returning from knee surgery on June 12, but the 2001 FIFA Player of the Year could be ready for full-time action for the playoffs. Washington has just one match remaining, an August 10 date at New York.

Atlanta controls its own destiny. The Beat only has to win one of two remaining games and the club advances to the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Also, Atlanta can back in if San Jose loses either of its two remaining games, as the Beat owns the tiebreaker against the CyberRays after winning two of three games during the regular season against Brandi Chastain's club. Atlanta hosts San Diego on Wednesday and closes with a home match against Philadelphia on Saturday.

Defending champion San Jose is on the brink of elimination, but the CyberRays still have an outside chance of qualifying. San Jose needs to produce at least a win and a tie in its final two matches to have a shot. Of course, Ian Sawyers' squad will need some help from Atlanta to capture fourth place. WUSA schedulemakers didn't make it easy on San Jose, as the CyberRays are on the road against first-place Philadelphia on Wednesday and travel to Boston -- the league's only team that is unbeaten at home - on Saturday.

MAKING AN IMPACT: Washington's Mia Hamm - In each of her club's two games last week, Washington's Mia Hamm could be seen on the sidelines during the first half. The world's all-time leading scorer was cheering her teammates, tossing them water bottles and assisting the Freedom in any way possible. In the second half of the two Freedom victories, Hamm made opponents remember why she has 130 goals at the international level. After coming on at halftime of both games with her team down by a goal in each match, Hamm combined for three goals and three assists in the two contests to help Washington secure its first WUSA playoff berth.

After an injury-plagued 16 months, a subpar inaugural WUSA season and offseason knee surgery, Hamm is making a major impact in the WUSA. Still not 100 percent, she's only played an entire game once since coming back on June 12 (she's seen action in 10 games with just one start). But Hamm is suddenly the owner of 19 points on seven goals and five assists, or seven goals every 65.9 minutes. A year ago, she finished the season with six goals and four assists in 19 games (1710 minutes).

"My job if I am not starting is to make an impact, and that is what I am trying to do," said Hamm. "Maybe some teams have to think a little bit more defensively when I come in, but at the same time, anyone who has been able to come off the bench has provided a spark for us. If we can get a goal back, that is wonderful. Playing 45 minutes or 90 minutes, I have to look at it in the same way - making a difference when you step on the field."

More importantly, the once downtrodden Washington Freedom is making a run at the WUSA regular season title. Coming off a 2001 campaign where the club finished tied for last place in the WUSA and went 2-10-1 in its final 13 games, Washington was mired in sixth place with a 2-4-3 (9 pts.) record prior to June 12. Since Hamm made her debut, Washington has gone 8-1-2 and is now one of four teams that will compete in the WUSA playoffs. The club is 7-1-2 with Hamm in the lineup as she missed the June 20 match against San Jose while scoring for the U.S. national team in a 4-0 win over Norway.

"When Mia comes in at halftime, she totally adds a huge spark for us," said Freedom captain Jen Grubb following Sunday's 3-2 win over Atlanta. "After today, I wish we could get her playing like that for 90 minutes, but if she can get accomplished what she does in 45, I think she is doing a great job."

SAN DIEGO'S CROW NAMED WUSA'S CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER: San Diego Spirit General Manager and interim Head Coach Kevin Crow has been named Chief Operating Officer of the WUSA. After managing the Spirit since October, 2001, Crow and his family will move East to the WUSA's Atlanta-based headquarters. In his new position with the league, Crow will be accountable for the management and profitable growth of the WUSA in order to contribute to the development and realization of overall objectives. He will also work closely with the activities of the eight team general managers to ensure business plans are successfully reached.

One of the finest players to ever grace the San Diego soccer scene, Crow has a distinguished background on and off the playing field. Prior to joining the Spirit, Crow, was the president of Zipdirect, LLC, a business-to-business full service design, print, mail, data processing, and presort company. Before joining Zipdirect, he worked for the San Diego-based Mesa Distributing Company.

Before his successful business career, Crow was a world-class soccer player, starring in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics. Crow earned 13 caps with the U.S. National Team between 1984-'88. He played professionally for nine years with the San Diego Sockers. Born on September 17, 1961 in Berkeley, Calif., Crow led the Sockers to eight world team indoor soccer championships and was an eight-time All-Star and a five-time MISL Defender of the Year.

ALL-STAR TICKETS GO ON SALE TODAY: WUSA All-Star Game tickets go on sale Monday, August 5 at 9 a.m. PT. Soccer fans can purchase tickets at PGE Park and all Portland-area Ticketmaster outlets, including select Fred Meyer and G.I. Joe's locations. Tickets are also available by calling Ticketmaster at (503) 224-4400 or by going on-line at www.ticketmaster.com. Individual tickets to the WUSA All-Star Game will be priced from $15-$45. In addition, a special $4.75 ticket will be made available for a limited time only in the Fred Meyer Family Seat Section. Featuring the North vs. the South, the WUSA's first All-Star Game will take place September 21 at 4:00 pm ET (1 pm PT) at PGE Park in Portland, Oregon.

RECORD-SETTING SEASON: Year two of the Women's United Soccer Association saw the level of play elevated from the previous season. A number of league records fell in 2002. Both offensively and defensively teams and individuals set new marks in the WUSA record books.

Teams Records:

- The Philadelphia Charge (38 pts.) has already surpassed the league mark in total points from last season (37 pts. held by the Atlanta Beat and Bay Area [now San Jose] CyberRays in 2001).

- Both Carolina and Philadelphia have tied the league record for wins in a season (11 - 2001 Bay Area [now San Jose] CyberRays).

- The Courage is looking to set the WUSA record for most road wins in a season (5). The Courage is 5-2-2 on the road with two road games remaining.

- The Charge has already set the WUSA record for most home wins in a season (7). Philadelphia (7-1-2 at Villanova Stadium) is the league's best home team in 2002. The previous record was six held by the CyberRays in 2001. Individual Records:

- San Jose's Katia is closing in on Tiffeny Milbrett's points record from 2001 (36). The Brazilian leads the WUSA in scoring this season with 15 goals, four assists for 34 points.

- Katia is also one goal away from tying Milbrett's single-season record for goals scored (16). Katia's 15 goals lead the WUSA.

- Boston's Maren Meinert has already set a new single-season mark in assists with 14. The old mark was shared by San Jose's Sissi and Boston's Kristine Lilly in 2001 (10).

- Brazilian forward Katia has already set the single-season record for shots with 87. The previous record was held by San Diego's Shannon MacMillan in 2001 (86). With two games remaining, she is tied with MacMillan (2001) with the most shots on goal in a season (50).

- Atlanta's Charmaine Hooper has set the single-season record for game-winning goals in 2002. The Canadian striker has recorded six this season, one more than the previous mark of five held by Katia in 2001.

- Hooper is also one of three players (Carolina's Birgit Prinz and San Jose's Katia) to tie Milbrett's 2001 record for consecutive games with a goal (5).

- Five players set the record for consecutive games with an assist in 2002. Atlanta's Emily Burt, Atlanta's Nikki Serlenga, Carolina's Hege Riise and Philadelphia's Heather Mitts all tallied assists in four straight games this season. The previous record was three games held by 15 players both in 2001 and 2002.

- Three players recorded a record nine-game point-scoring streak in 2002. Boston's Kristine Lilly (current), Carolina's Prinz and Carolina's Danielle Fotopoulos were able to record a goal or an assist in nine straight matches. The record had been set a few times in 2002. The 2001 record was five games held by San Diego's (now a member of Philadelphia) Tara Koleski.

- Goalkeepers Melissa Moore (Philadelphia) and Kristin Luckenbill (Carolina) have already tied the single-season mark for victories (11 - held by San Jose's LaKeysia Beene in 2001).

- Luckenbill also became the first goalkeeper to record over 100 saves in a single-season. The Carolina 'keeper has recorded 103 saves this season. The previous record was held by San Jose's Beene (95) in 2001.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME: With one game remaining in the 2002 season the Boston Breakers could become the first team in WUSA history to remain undefeated at home for an entire season. Through nine games at Nickerson Field the Breakers have gone 4-0-5. A 4-1 victory over New York on Sunday, August 4 extended Boston's home-winning streak to nine games. Boston has outscored its opponents 21 to 12 at home in 2002. The Breakers will look to remain undefeated through 10 straight home matches when Boston hosts San Jose on Saturday, August 10. SCURRY TO PARTICPATE IN THIS WEEK'S WUSA.COM CHAT: Atlanta goalkeeper Briana Scurry will be the featured guest on this week's WUSA.com live web chat on Tuesday, August 6. The chat will begin at 8:00 p.m. (ET) and will last approximately 40 minutes. Scurry will be on hand to answer fan questions. Fans can submit questions before and during the chat. For more information, log on to www.WUSA.com.

WUSA Game Previews (Week 18)

Wednesday, August 7, 2002 - San Diego Spirit (4-11-4, 16 pts.) at Atlanta Beat (10-8-1, 31 pts.) - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - No TV (Season Series: Atlanta leads 2-0-0) (All-time Series History: Atlanta leads 3-1-1) The Atlanta Beat will look to clinch the fourth and final playoff spot with a victory over the San Diego Spirit on Wednesday. Both teams are coming off tough road losses from the past weekend and will hope to bounce back with a win on Wednesday. The Beat has won both meetings between the two clubs in 2002 and holds a 3-1-1 record all-time versus the Spirit. In the last meeting on July 31, Atlanta defeated the Spirit 4-1, eliminating San Diego from playoff contention. Homare Sawa registered two goals and an assist in the match to lead the Beat to victory.

Key Players to Watch: San Diego's Shannon MacMillan (5g, 6a, 16 pts. - 14th among WUSA scoring leaders) leads the Spirit in scoring, but has not recorded a point in the team's last four outings. Midfielder Julie Foudy (4g, 4a, 12 pts.) has surpassed her point-scoring total from 2001 (7). Scottish international Julie Fleeting (3g, 1a, 7 pts.) has proven that she can be a dominant offensive presence, averaging 1.17 points per game. Atlanta's Charmaine Hooper (11g, 2a, 24 pts. - tied for 9th among WUSA scoring leaders) has scored a goal in five straight matches, tying the WUSA record held by Carolina's Birgit Prinz and San Jose's Katia. The Beat's Sawa (7g, 6a, 20 pts. - 12th among WUSA scoring leaders) has shattered her point total from last season (8). The Japanese international registered five goals and an assist in the month of July.

Key Matchup: (San Diego defender Joy Fawcett versus Atlanta forward Charmaine Hooper) - Hooper has scored a goal in five straight matches and will be looking to set a new WUSA record with her sixth straight. Fawcett will anchor a defense (ranked seventh in the WUSA) intent on shutting down the Canadian striker.

The "Inside Scoop": A win for Atlanta and the Beat is in the playoffs. The Beat has won four of its last five matches and will be looking to sweep the series with the Spirit. San Diego has dropped its last four matches. The Spirit will try to play spoiler to Atlanta's bid for a playoff berth this week. This will be the Spirit's first trip to Herndon Stadium.

They Said it: "I don't know how San Diego is going to come into the game. I think they gave it their all last Wednesday and we were able to defeat them in that game, so I think we can do it again." - Atlanta Beat Head Coach Tom Stone on San Diego.

Referee: Faith Rossi. Referee Assistants: Griff Sims, Patrick Baker. 4th Official: Brian D'Amato.

Wednesday, August 7, 2002 - Carolina Courage (11-5-3, 36 pts.) at New York Power (3-15-1, 10 pts.) - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - Metro Channel (New York) (Season Series: Carolina leads 2-0-0) (All-time Series History: New York leads 3-2-0) The Power, who went 3-0-0 against Carolina last season, will look to break a two-game losing streak against the Courage. Tiffeny Milbrett has scored five goals and added two assists against Carolina in their five meetings. The Power will look to stop Carolina's Birgit Prinz, who tallied two goals and added an assist the last time these two teams met.

Key Players to Watch: The Courage attack will be led by standout forward Danielle Fotopoulos (10g, 8a, 28 pts. - tied for 3rd among WUSA scoring leaders), who leads the team in scoring. "Fotop" ranks sixth in goals scored and fifth in assists. Carolina will also hold strong in the midfield with star Norwegian, Hege Riise (5g, 12a, 22pts. - 11th among WUSA scoring leaders), who tallied points against New York in the last meeting. New York's attack will be led by Milbrett (10g, 7a, 27 pts. - tied for 7th among WUSA scoring leaders) and midfielder Emily Janss (7g, 1a, 15pts. - 15th among WUSA scoring leaders).

Key Matchup: (New York forward Tiffeny Milbrett versus Carolina defender Danielle Slaton) - Milbrett torched the Courage last season with four goals and two assists, leading the Power to a 3-0-0 record versus the Courage. Slaton, who was the WUSA's first draft pick this season, will look to use her speed and national team experience to slow down the nifty striker. Milbrett tallied the Power's lone goal on June 1 when Carolina defeated them 4-1. Milbrett is still looking for her first goal at home this season.

The "Inside Scoop": Carolina can claim homefield advantage Wednesday. The Courage needs just three points in its remaining two games to ensure an August 17 semifinal match at SAS stadium will take place. It seems as though Carolina and New York have switched positions from last year. Marcia McDermott has guided her team from a last place finish to become one of the first teams to qualify for the postseason in 2002, while last season New York was one of the first to qualify for postseason play. This year they were the first to be eliminated from postseason play.

They Said it: "The challenge I am issuing to the team is to beat Carolina - a sure playoff team. We achieved that goal against Philadelphia and want to see if we can do it again with Carolina. To do that, we will have to get control over their big forwards up top." - New York Power Interim Head Coach Charlie Duccilli on Carolina.

Referee: Ricardo Salazar. Referee Assistants: Steve Taylor, Christopher Price. 4th Official: Steve Karaduzovic.

Wednesday, August 7, 2002 - San Jose CyberRays (8-7-4, 28 pts.) at Philadelphia Charge (11-3-5, 38 pts.) - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - No TV (Season Series: San Jose leads 1-1-0) (All-time Series History: San Jose leads 3-1-1) It's time to produce a positive result or go home for San Jose as the CyberRays must win or tie to have a chance to make the playoffs. San Jose defeated Philadelphia 2-0 last Wednesday, July 31. Melissa Moore, Philadelphia's No.1 'keeper, was rested in favor of Maite Zabala. The teams played to a scoreless tie June 1 in Philadelphia. San Jose has never won at Villanova Stadium, going 0-1-1 over two seasons. The CyberRays have never faced Philadelphia with the Charge's leading scorer, Marinette Pichon, in the lineup. Look for Pichon to start for the Charge on Wednesday.

Key Players to Watch: San Jose's Katia (15g, 4a, 34 pts. - 1st among WUSA scoring leaders) leads the team in scoring, but 12 of her 15 goals have been scored at home. She had a goal and an assist in the 2-0 win over Philadelphia on July 31. French standout Marinette Pichon (14g, 1a, 29 pts.) is second in WUSA scoring and seems to have recovered from an injured big toe that kept her out of the July 31 match. Pichon scored against San Diego in a 3-1 Philadelphia win on August 3.

Key Matchup: (Philadelphia forward Marinette Pichon versus San Jose defender Thori Bryan) - Pichon's sophisticated runs and solid finishing have helped her score 14 goals, but Bryan might be the most athletic defender in the WUSA. Two different styles will meet at Villanova Stadium. Which one will prevail?

The "Inside Scoop": The CyberRays have their backs against the wall, but they have fared well against Philadelphia this year. In fact, San Jose is the only team Philadelphia has not defeated in 2002. However, San Jose has struggled on the road, compiling a 1-4-3 mark away from Spartan Stadium. The CyberRays' only road victory this season was a 1-0 victory at last-place New York on May 5, the second road game of the season. Conversely, Philadelphia possesses the WUSA's best home record at 7-1-2.

They Said it: "With our loss (at Carolina), the Philadelphia game becomes more pivotal than initially. We need to pick ourselves up to win it.'' - San Jose Head Coach Ian Sawyers.

Referee: Rachel Woo. Referee Assistants: Bill Dittmar, Adam Smeltz. 4th Official: William R. Delaney.

Saturday, August 10, 2002 - Philadelphia Charge (11-3-5, 38 pts.) at Atlanta Beat (10-8-1, 31 pts.) - 4:00 p.m. (ET) - PAX TV (National Broadcast) (Season Series: Philadelphia leads 2-0-0) (All-time Series History: Philadelphia leads 2-1-2) In the regular season finale for both teams, the Philadelphia Charge will head to Herndon Stadium (the site of Founders Cup II) to face the Atlanta Beat on Saturday. The Charge has already clinched a playoff spot as well as homefield advantage, but (depending on Wednesday's results) Philadelphia could be crowned the 2002 WUSA regular season champion after this match. Philadelphia has won both of the previous two matches versus the Beat this season, including a 3-1 win at Villanova Stadium on June 29. Marinette Pichon tallied two goals, while all four of the starting defenders for the Charge recorded a goal or an assist in the match.

Key Players to Watch: Philadelphia's Pichon (14g, 1a, 29 pts. - 2nd among WUSA scoring leaders) made her return to the lineup on August 3 to score her 14th goal of the season after missing the previous two matches due to an injury to her left big toe. Midfielder Zhao Lihong (2g, 8a, 12 pts.) set the team record for assists in a match (3) while tying the WUSA record held by four other players (Washington's Abby Wambach was the most recent player to accomplish this feat - July 31). Zhao assisted on all three goals in the Charge's 3-1 victory over San Diego (August 3). Goalkeeper Melissa Moore (11-2-5, 0.94 GAA) continues to shine in net for Philadelphia. Moore leads the league in goals against average (0.94), winning percentage (75.0) and wins (11). Atlanta's Charmaine Hooper (11g, 2a, 24 pts. - tied for 9th among WUSA scoring leaders) will be looking for her first goal of the 2002 season versus the Charge. Homare Sawa (7g, 6a, 20 pts. - 12th among WUSA scoring leaders) has been an offensive force for the Beat in 2002. The Japanese international is second on the team in scoring and leads the team in shots (44) and shots on goal (28). Goalkeeper Briana Scurry (8-7-1, 1.44 GAA) leads the WUSA in shutouts (5) and catch/punches (88).

Key Matchup: (Philadelphia defender Erica Iverson versus Atlanta forward Charmaine Hooper) - Anchoring the league's best defense (1.00 goals per game allowed), Iverson will try and shut down the Beat's dangerous goal scorer. Hooper's ability to find the back of the net could give Philadelphia some problems. In order to keep the Beat in check, Iverson will try to keep Hooper's touches to a minimum.

The "Inside Scoop": Depending on Wednesday's results, the Beat could be looking at a must win situation on Saturday in order to get into the playoffs. Philadelphia has already clinched homefield advantage for the 2002 playoffs and is looking to win the 2002 regular season crown.

Referee: Erich Simmons. Referee Assistants: Diana Driggers, Sandra Serafini. 4th Official: Patrick Baker.

Saturday, August 10, 2002 - Washington Freedom (10-5-5, 35 pts.) at New York Power (3-15-1, 10 pts.) - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - MSG (New York); CSN-DC (Washington) (Season Series: Series tied 1-1-0) (All-time Series History: Washington leads 3-2-0) Heroics by Pu Wei during stoppage time on Sunday, August 4 gave the Freedom its first-ever playoff berth. Washington is hoping to host a game at RFK Stadium on August 17. However, the Freedom will need a victory on Saturday versus the Power and two favorable results in Carolina's final two matches of the season. New York has been eliminated from playoff contention and will be looking to end the 2002 season on a high note with a win over one of the league's hottest teams. The season series between these two teams is tied 1-1-0 with the last match going to the Freedom in a 4-1 victory over the Power on June 29. Washington's Mia Hamm notched two goals in the victory.

Key Players to Watch: The Freedom's Hamm (7g, 5a, 19 pts. - 13th Among WUSA scoring leaders) is one of the main reasons for the team's first-ever playoff berth. In the last eight matches, the Freedom has gone 6-0-2. In those matches Hamm has recorded five goals and four assists for 14 points. Forward Abby Wambach (10g, 8a, 28 pts. - tied for 3rd among WUSA scoring leaders) leads all rookies in scoring. The first-year player leads the Freedom in both goals and assists. Chinese international Pu Wei (1g, 7a, 9 pts.) recorded her first career WUSA goal on Sunday to give the Freedom a berth in the playoffs. New York's Tiffeny Milbrett (10g, 7a, 27 pts. - tied for 7th among WUSA scoring leaders) is one of the league's most dangerous strikers. However, the Power forward has yet to score a goal at home in 2002 (as of August 5). Midfielder Emily Janss (7g, 1a, 15 pts. - 15th among WUSA scoring leaders) has had a successful season offensively for the Power. Janss has shattered her 2001 total for goal scoring (1).

Key Matchup: (Washington defender Jennifer Grubb versus New York forward Tiffeny Milbrett) - Grubb has been solid on the back line for the Freedom, leading a defensive unit that ranks second in the WUSA (1.35 goals per game allowed). The ever-dangerous Milbrett has registered two goals and an assist versus the Freedom this season.

The "Inside Scoop": Washington is one of the league's hottest teams (6-0-2 in the last eight matches). The Freedom has tallied nine goals in the last three matches. Having clinched a playoff berth on Sunday, August 4, Washington could still host a playoff match with two favorable results in the Carolina Courage's last two matches. New York has been eliminated from playoff contention, but would like to end the season on a high note.

They Said it: "Washington has a very talented team and Mia has been coming back strong every game. We will have to get things sorted out in the back and challenge them for every ball in the midfield." - New York Power Interim Head Coach Charlie Duccilli on Washington.

Referee: Kari Seitz. Referee Assistants: Thomas Supple Tom Shenk. 4th Official: Christopher Price.

Saturday, August 10, 2002 - San Jose CyberRays (8-7-4, 28 pts.) at Boston Breakers (5-8-7, 22 pts.) - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - AT&T 3 (Boston); Fox Sports Net Bay Area (San Jose) (Season Series: San Jose leads 1-0-1) (All-time Series History: San Jose leads 2-1-2) San Jose will be coming off a Wednesday match while Boston will be playing on nearly a week's rest. In their previous game in Boston this season, the teams tied 1-1 after swapping goals within three minutes of the first half. Boston was San Jose's home opener in 2001 and 2002. The CyberRays won the 2002 season-opener 2-1 when Brandi Chastain one-touched a Sissi free kick into the goal in the 88th minute.

Key Players to Watch: Two of the WUSA's best scoring trios will compete against each other. San Jose's Brazilian triangle of Katia (15g, 4a, 34 pts. - leads WUSA), Sissi (9 assists) and Pretinha (4g, 3 a, 11 pts.) square off against Boston's Maren Meinert (7g, 4 a, 28 pts - 3rd among WUSA scoring leaders), Kristine Lilly (7g, 13 a, 27 pts.- 7th among WUSA scoring leaders) and Dagny Mellgren (11g, 2a, 24 pts.- 9th among WUSA scoring leaders).

Key Matchup: (Boston forward Kristine Lilly versus San Jose's defense) - Lilly, the world's all-time leader in international appearances, has recorded a goal or an assist in nine consecutive games, tying the WUSA point streak record. Will San Jose be the team to end the streak or will she set a new record?

The "Inside Scoop": Depending on Wednesday's results, San Jose could be one point away from a playoff spot, or both clubs could be playing for pride. Boston is unbeaten at home (4-0-5), and San Jose struggles on the road (1-4-3 prior to Wednesday's game at Philadelphia). Boston's high-scoring attack has been slowed down by San Jose in the two previous meetings, as the Breakers have scored just two goals this year against the CyberRays.

Referee: Arnold Baldeaux. Referee Assistants: Brenda Wright, Jeffery Cukor. 4th Official: Bahij Salman.

Sunday, August 11, 2002 - Carolina Courage (11-5-3, 36 pts.) at San Diego Spirit (4-11-4, 16 pts.) - 8:00 p.m. (ET) - Cox 4 (San Diego); Fox Sports South (Carolina) (Season Series: Carolina leads 2-0-0) (All-time Series History: Carolina leads 4-0-1) In the final game of the 2002 WUSA regular season, the Carolina Courage will travel to Torero Stadium to face the San Diego Spirit on Sunday. Depending on Wednesday's results the Courage could still be battling for homefield advantage in the playoffs. The Courage has never lost to the Spirit, winning both of the previous two meetings with San Diego, including a 3-0 win at SAS Stadium on June 29. Carolina, the WUSA's best road team (5-2-2), will look to become the first team in WUSA history to win more than five road games in a season.

Key Players to Watch: Courage forwards Danielle Fotopoulos (10g, 8a, 28 pts. - tied for 3rd among WUSA scoring leaders) and Birgit Prinz (11g, 6a, 28 pts. - tied for 3rd among WUSA scoring leaders) lead the team in scoring. Carolina's "Dynamic Duo" has been wreaking havoc on opposing defenses all season. Midfielder Hege Riise (5g, 12a, 22 pts. - 11th among WUSA scoring leaders) has surpassed her 2001 point total (21 pts.). The Norwegian international ranks third in the WUSA in assists. San Diego's Shannon MacMillan (5g, 6a, 16 pts. - 14th among WUSA scoring leaders) leads the Spirit in both goals and assists in 2002. With one of the hardest shots in the league, MacMillan is a constant threat while San Diego is on the attack. Forward Zhang Ouying (5g, 2a, 12 pts.) combines with MacMillan up top to create a dangerous tandem. Midfielder Lori Lindsey (2g, 5a, 9 pts.) has been a nice addition to the Spirit offense. The San Diego rookie has been able to create scoring chances for the Spirit all season.

Key Matchup: (Carolina forwards Danielle Fotopoulos and Birgit Prinz versus San Diego defenders Joy Fawcett and Fan Yunjie) - Prinz and Fotopoulos are two of the most dangerous forwards in the WUSA. Their ability to create scoring chances and power their way past opposing defenders makes them tough to defend. Fawcett and Fan must also be concerned with Prinz and Fotopoulos' ability to win balls in the air. Because of their size, both are key targets on corner kicks.

The "Inside Scoop": Carolina has already clinched a playoff spot, but will be looking to host a match at SAS Stadium on August 17. The season's best road team (5-2-2), the Courage will try to set a new mark for victories on the road (6). San Diego will try and close out the 2002 season with a victory at home. The Spirit is 3-4-2 at Torero this season.

They Said it: "I think San Diego has played well since the arrival of Julie Fleeting. The last time we faced the Spirit they didn't have Shannon MacMillan. We know we have a tremendous challenge with their talent up front." - Carolina Courage Head Coach Marcia McDermott on San Diego.

Referee: Terry Vaughn. Referee Assistants: Emiliano Monje, Bryan Elliott. 4th Official: Kia Dehpaneh.

TEAM INJURY REPORTS AS OF 8/5/02
ATLANTA BEAT: PROBABLE - M Liping Wang (R knee contusion); F Sun Wen (left adductor strain); M Kylie Bivens (Plantar fascitis).
BOSTON BREAKERS: PROBABLE - Ragnhild Gulbrandsen (foot).
CAROLINA COURAGE: None.
NEW YORK POWER: None.
PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: OUT - D Jenny Benson (L knee sprain); D - Jennifer Tietjen (L arch strain); PROBABLE - F Marinette Pichon (L big toe); D Heather Mitts (hip pointer); M Rebekah McDowell (hip pointer); F Mandy Clemens (hip flexor).
SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: OUT - GK Jaime Pagliarulo (strained knee); QUESTIONABLE - F Zhang Ouying (pulled hamstring).
SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: OUT - F Maren Hendershot-Brown (R knee inflammation); PROBABLE - D Kelly Lindsey (R knee surgery.); D Danielle Borgman (R knee sprain).
WASHINGTON FREEDOM: OUT - M Ann Cook (L knee strain).

SEASON ENDING INJURIES: NEW YORK - D Sara Whalen (R knee ACL tear); PHILADELPHIA - F Rakel Karvelsson (R ACL tear); M Kelly Smith (R ACL tear); SAN JOSE- F Megan Horvath (L knee meniscus tear); F Kim Clark (L ankle sprain); WASHINGTON - D Lindsey Stoecker (L ACL tear).

NATIONAL TEAM DUTY AS OF 8/5/02 None Among the League's Eight Teams

suspension Summary 8/5/02

Player Team Suspension Reason None

Warning Summary 8/5/02

Player Team Reason Shannon Boxx San Diego Spirit 3 Non-Consecutive Yellow Cards Accumulated (A caution in the next game will result in a 1 game suspension = 4 non-consecutive cards accumulated)

Chrisy McCann Boston Breakers 3 Non-Consecutive Yellow Cards Accumulated (A caution in the next game will result in a 1 game suspension = 4 non-consecutive cards accumulated)

TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES

ATLANTA BEAT: Atlanta went 1-1 last week, winning 4-1 at San Diego July 31 and losing 3-2 at Washington on August 4 ... The Beat's four-game winning streak ended Sunday afternoon as the team fell 3-2 to the Washington Freedom on a hot and humid day at RFK Stadium ... Forward Charmaine Hooper scored her eleventh goal of the season, and Cindy Parlow scored her fifth goal of 2002 ... Hooper, who extended her goal-scoring streak to five games, is on track to eclipse last year's total of 12 goals, while Parlow's five scores equal her total from 2001 ... Hooper's 11 goals are tied for third in the WUSA ... Hooper, Parlow and Homare Sawa have accounted for 71.8 percent of the Beat's scoring ... Atlanta's .667 winning percentage (5-2-1) is second in the WUSA behind Philadelphia ... Fortunately for the Beat, the club has two home games remaining (San Diego on Aug. 7 and Philadelphia on Aug. 10) to close out the season ... Atlanta's 1.47 goals allowed per game is the third lowest in the WUSA (tied with two other teams) ... Hooper's 50 fouls rank second in the WUSA ... Atlanta ranks seventh in the WUSA in total shots and shots on goal ... The Beat does not have a player ranked among the league's top 10 in shots.

BOSTON BREAKERS: Four different players scored as Boston downed New York 4-1 on August 4 at Nickerson Field ... Boston extended its home unbeaten record to 4-0-5 in 2002 ... The Breakers are the only WUSA team to not taste defeat at home in 2002 ... Kristine Lilly continued her point-scoring streak with two assists vs. New York ... Lilly now has a nine-game scoring streak - tying the league record shared by Danielle Fotopoulos and Birgit Prinz of the Carolina Courage ... Lilly now has seven goals and 13 assists this season for 27 points, good for seventh in WUSA scoring ... Maren Meinert, who celebrates her 29th birthday today (Aug. 5), had two assists against New York, giving her 14 on the season ... She now leads the league in assists and has 10 multiple-point games ... Allie Kemp scored her second goal of the season ... Last week against Philly, Kemp scored her first career goal ... Chrisy McCann and Maren Meinert are the only two Breakers to have played in every game this season ... Dagny Mellgren's goal in the 5th minute against New York gave her five goals against the Power in three games this season ... It also broke a four-game drought by Mellgren, who had not scored since the Breakers 3-2 win over San Diego on July 10 ... Boston started it's 17th different lineup of the season ... Boston is the only WUSA team with three players in the top 10 in scoring - Meinert (3rd), Lilly (7th) and Mellgren (9th).

CAROLINA COURAGE: Carolina went 1-1 last week, clinching its first appearance in the WUSA playoffs with a 4-1 victory over the San Jose CyberRays on Saturday afternoon at SAS Stadium and losing 5-2 to Washington on July 31 at home ... A two-goal performance by forward Birgit Prinz helped lead the Courage over San Jose on August 3 ... Danielle Slaton and Danielle Fotopoulos also scored against San Jose, snapping a three-game losing skid for Carolina ...The Courage needs just three points from the club's remaining two games to ensure that an August 17 semifinal match will be played at SAS Stadium ... The scoring tandem of Fotopoulos and Prinz have officially ended their scoring droughts ... Prinz and Fotopoulos had each registered a goal or an assist in a WUSA-record nine games before the Courage went on its three-game losing streak ... In Carolina's two games last week, Fotopoulos scored two goals and added two assists, while Prinz scored three goals and two assists ... The pair is tied for third in the WUSA scoring race ... The Courage recorded its first sellout in team history on July 31 ... The standing room only crowd of 7,214 was the largest ever to watch a Courage game ... Hege Riise is the WUSA's most fouled player ... The Norwegian national team midfielder has been fouled 52 times, an average of 3.06 times per game ... Fotopoulos' 84 shots rank second in the WUSA, three behind the league's leader, San Jose's Katia.

NEW YORK POWER: New York lost 4-1 at Boston on Sunday, August 4 ... Tammy Pearman had the Power's lone goal ... With two games remaining, New York will finish with the worst record and least amount of points in the WUSA's two-year history ... The Power is 3-15-1 with 10 points ... Both Carolina and Washington went 6-12-3 (21 pts.) in 2001 ... During the past three games, New York goalkeeper Saskia Webber has made 33 saves ... She is currently second in the WUSA with 87 saves in 13 games ... Through 19 games this season, the Power has allowed 56 goals, setting a WUSA record for goals allowed in a season ... Last year, Carolina allowed a WUSA-high 40 goals on the season ... The Power allowed only 25 goals all of last season.

PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: The Philadelphia Charge finished the week 1-1 to clinch a playoff berth at home ... On Wednesday, July 31, the Charge fell to the San Jose CyberRays 2-0 ... Philadelphia was without the services of starters Marinette Pichon and Heather Mitts due to injuries ... On Saturday, August 3, the Charge, which had clinched a playoff spot earlier in the day due to Carolina's 3-1 victory over San Jose, defeated San Diego 3-1 ... Zhao Lihong tied the WUSA record for assists in a match with three in the victory over the Spirit ... Philadelphia clinched homefield advantage in the playoffs with Washington's 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Beat on Sunday, August 4 ... The July 31 match versus the CyberRays marked the first time in team history the Charge did not start an international player ... Philadelphia is four points away from being crowned the 2002 regular season champion ... The Charge still remains the only team to not allow a goal during the first 15 minutes of action in 2002 ... Pichon, who is second in the league in scoring (29 pts.), is third in the WUSA in points per game (1.81) ... The French international leads the league in offside infractions (28) ... Goalkeeper Melissa Moore leads the league in goals against average (0.94), winning percentage (75.0) and wins (11) ... Philadelphia is second in the league in team offense (1.84 goals per game) ... The Charge defense is the stingiest in the WUSA, allowing just 1.00 goal per game.

SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: San Diego dropped two matches last week, eliminating the Spirit from playoff contention ... San Diego fell to 4-1 to Atlanta on Wednesday, July 31 ... Scottish international Julie Fleeting scored the Spirit's only goal of the match ... San Diego lost to Philadelphia 3-1 on Saturday, August 3 ... Jen Mascaro scored her first goal of the 2002 season in the loss ... Amy Sauer registered her first WUSA point with an assist on Saturday versus Philadelphia ... The Spirit is 9-1-3 all-time when scoring the first goal of the game ... The team's first loss on the road came on July 31 versus Atlanta ...The Spirit is 2-17-6 all-time when the opponent scores first ... San Diego has allowed two or more goals in 13 of 19 games in 2002 ... The Spirit has lost seven of the last eight road games ... San Diego has trailed at the half in eight of 13 games ... The Spirit has scored 17 goals at home in 2002 while only registering nine on the road ... San Diego ranks eighth in team offense (1.37 goals per game) and seventh in team defense (2.16 goals per game).

SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: Despite defeating first-place Philadelphia 2-0 on Wednesday, July 31, the San Jose CyberRays failed to gain any ground on fourth-place Atlanta after falling to Carolina 4-1 on Saturday, August 3 ... Brazilian forward Katia recorded a goal and an assist last week to move her into first place in the WUSA standings (34 pts.) ... Katia is now one point shy of Tiffeny Milbrett's WUSA record for points in a season (35 in 2001) ... The San Jose forward leads the league in goals (15), shots (87) and shots on goal (50) ... With the CyberRays' 4-1 loss to Carolina on Saturday, San Jose slumped to 1-4-3 on the road in 2002 ... San Jose has recorded a league-low eight goals on the road this season ... The 4-1 loss to Carolina also marked the first time this season the CyberRays lost by more than one goal ... Defender Thori Bryan extended her minutes played streak to 3,795 ... Bryan has played in every minute of every match (including the playoffs) for the CyberRays ... San Jose's offense ranks fifth in the WUSA, scoring 1.74 goals per game ... The CyberRays' defense is tied for third in the league (1.47 goals per game).

WASHINGTON FREEDOM: The Freedom extended its undefeated streak to eight games with two victories last week ... Washington defeated Carolina 5-2 on Wednesday, July 31 ... Mia Hamm, this week's WUSA Player of the Week, recorded two goals and an assist in the match ... Rookie Abby Wambach tallied a goal and three assists on Wednesday ... The Freedom defeated the Atlanta Beat 3-2 on Sunday, August 3 to clinch its first-ever playoff berth ... Hamm registered a goal in two assists in 45 minutes of action on Sunday ... Hamm (19 pts.) has surpassed her point total from last season (16 pts.) while playing in nine fewer games ... Hamm ranks second in the league in points per game (1.90) ... Wambach, who is tied for third among WUSA scoring leaders, remains the only rookie to rank in the top 10 in scoring ... Washington ranks third in team offense (1.80 goals per game) ... The Freedom defense ranks second, allowing 1.35 goals per game ... The Freedom has allowed the most shots in the WUSA (314).

Women's United Soccer Association Stories from August 5, 2002

• Three Down, One to Go - WUSA
• Two Losses put San Diego out of Playoff Hunt - San Diego Spirit
• Beat Looks to Clinch Playoff Berth on Wednesday - Atlanta Beat
• Hamm Named Player of the Week - WUSA
• Charge Make Playoffs for Second Straight Year - Philadelphia Charge

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