Two Teams Could Clinch Berths
Published on July 22, 2002 under Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) News Release
ATLANTA (Monday, July 22, 2002) - The stretch run to the WUSA Playoffs hits full speed this week as the Philadelphia Charge and Carolina Courage look to become the first two teams to clinch a postseason spot.
First place Philadelphia can clinch a playoff berth this week by defeating New York on Wednesday at Villanova Stadium and securing one point on Saturday or San Jose not winning on Saturday. After defeating Carolina on July 20 to take sole possession of first place in the WUSA, Philadelphia remains undefeated at home in 2002, compiling a 6-0-2 at Villanova Stadium. New York, which was officially eliminated from playoff contention this past Saturday, enters Wednesday's match with a nine-game losing streak.
Carolina can also secure a playoff berth, but the Courage also will need some help from the CyberRays. Any combination of a four-point swing between Carolina and San Jose will result in the Courage locking up a spot in the WUSA Playoffs. Thus, a Carolina win and a tie or loss by San Jose would send the Courage into the playoffs. Carolina could actually tie and clinch a playoff berth if San Jose loses. Both Carolina and San Jose's next match is on Saturday, July 27. The Courage travel to Atlanta to take on the Beat and San Jose hosts New York.
z - eliminated from playoffs * - Washington wins tie-breaker with Atlanta due to Overall Goal Differential.
Tie-Breaking Procedure
1) Head-to-Head Competition (against all other teams equal in points)
2) Head-to-Head Goal Differential (against all other teams equal in points)
3) Overall Goal Differential
4) Total Goals
5) Disciplinary Points (5 -each Yellow Card; 10 - each Red Card or Staff Send-off)
AN ANALYSIS OF THE WUSA TEAMS AND THEIR PLAYOFF CHANCES
PHILADELPHIA: Look for the Charge to essentially lock up a playoff berth Wednesday evening when New York visits. Theoretically San Jose could win a tiebreaker against the Charge since the two clubs still meet two more times this season. It's not a question of if, but when the Charge will clinch. Philadelphia has six games remaining to secure three points. The big question is, "Can the Charge win the WUSA regular season title?" Philadelphia actually needs a six-point swing to clinch at least second place. Remaining opponents' record - 30-48-19.
CAROLINA: Carolina should clinch soon, as the Courage has five games remaining to secure four points. Going 0-3 against Philadelphia this season hurt the Courage's chances of winning the regular season title, but games against New York and San Diego in the final week of play could propel Marcia McDermott's club into first place. Carolina's 5-1-2 road record remains the best in the WUSA. Remaining opponents' record - 26-39-14.
WASHINGTON: Jim Gabarra's club pulled off a major victory at San Jose on Sunday, giving Washington the tiebreaker over the CyberRays. With the exception of a July 31 date at Carolina, the Freedom's remaining schedule is favorable as only two matches are on the road. The August 4 match against Atlanta at RFK could decide Washington's fate. Remaining opponents' record - 28-39-14.
ATLANTA: The Beat has five games remaining, including three at home. However, two of those home matches are against Philadelphia and Carolina, the league's top two teams. Atlanta is on a roll, having scored seven goals in the club's last two games - both victories. Remaining opponents' record - 35-24-19.
SAN JOSE: The CyberRays should fair well in their matches against New York and Boston (depending on the Breakers playoff status on Aug. 10), but two games against Philadelphia and one match against Carolina make it tough. Although San Jose is 0-2-1 against the Charge and Courage in 2002, the CyberRays have performed well against the league's top two clubs. Remaining opponents' record - 36-26-17.
BOSTON: With matches against Washington and San Jose remaining, the Breakers have a shot at the postseason. Three of the club's remaining four games are at home, where Boston is 3-0-4 at Nickerson Field. However, the Breakers only have four matches remaining where every other WUSA team has five or six. Boston can only finish in third or fourth place. Remaining opponents' record - 25-25-9.
SAN DIEGO: The Spirit has the potential to make a run similar to last year's 3-0-3 finish, but San Diego has an extremely tough schedule on the horizon. Will the Spirit team that went 1-0-1 against Philadelphia show up? Remaining opponents' record - 32-23-13. NEW YORK: New York has five games remaining, but the Power has already been eliminated from WUSA Playoff contention.
PHILADELPHIA WINS FIRST-PLACE SHOWDOWN: In the battle between the WUSA's first and second place teams, Marinette Pichon and Kerry Connors each scored as the Philadelphia Charge downed the Carolina Courage 2-0 at Villanova Stadium Saturday afternoon. With the victory, Philadelphia (10-1-4, 34 pts.) moved ahead of Carolina (10-3-3, 33 pts.) in the WUSA standings to claim sole possession of first place. Although billed as a potential Founders Cup preview, Philadelphia has dominated Carolina in 2002, handing the Courage its only three losses on the season. Philadelphia swept Carolina in the 2002 regular season series, outscoring the Courage 8-2 in the three games between the two clubs.
PHILADELPHIA TIES UNBEATEN STREAK: With Saturday's 2-0 win over Carolina, Philadelphia extended its unbeaten streak to 10 games, as the Charge has gone 6-0-4 since losing to San Diego on May 19. The 10-match unbeaten streak ties the WUSA record set in 2001 by the San Jose (then Bay Area) CyberRays.
CAROLINA FINALLY HELD SCORELESS: Carolina finally went scoreless in 2002, the final WUSA team to not score in a match this year. The Courage also suffered its first road loss of the season, while Philadelphia remained unbeaten at home this year, going 6-0-2 at Villanova Stadium.
NEW YORK EXTENDS LOSING STREAK TO WUSA-RECORD NINE GAMES; ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFF CONTENTION: On the flip side of Philadelphia tying the WUSA record for consecutive games without a loss, the New York Power continues to lengthen its WUSA record for consecutive losses. With Saturday's 1-0 loss to San Diego, New York has now lost nine consecutive matches. New York last won on May 25, a 2-1 victory over San Diego. The Power has been outscored 30-11 during the nine-game losing streak. In addition, New York was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
CAROLINA'S BIRGIT PRINZ AND DANIELLE FOTOPOULOS POINT STREAKS STOPPED: It took 10 games, but Carolina's Birgit Prinz and Danielle Fotopoulos were finally held from scoring a goal or registering an assist. The two players had each tallied a point in nine straight games heading into Saturday's 2-0 loss at Philadelphia.
ATLANTA ON THE MOVE: During a three-game losing streak on the road, Atlanta scored only three times as part of a midseason stretch that featured six goals in five outings. Suddenly, the goals are coming in droves for the Beat, which defeated the Boston Breakers 3-1 Saturday to move into fourth place in the WUSA. Atlanta (8-7-1, 25 points), which entered the game with a league-low 22 goals, has erupted for seven goals in winning its past two matches. After being picked by nearly every media outlet to win the 2002 WUSA Founders Cup, Atlanta has underachieved. However, Head Coach Tom Stone has his team poised for the playoff stretch run.
U.S. WOMEN PROVE SKEPTICS WRONG WITH 4-0 WIN OVER NORWAY: The U.S. women's national soccer team put forth a dominating effort in the stifling heat and humidity, scoring three goals in the first half and adding another in the final minute of play on the way to a 4-0 win over arch-rival Norway on July 21 in Blaine, Minn. WUSA stars Cindy Parlow (two goals), Tiffeny Milbrett and Mia Hamm scored to lead the Americans. A total of 20 WUSA players (16 Americans, 4 Norwegians) saw action.
The U.S. women will now return to their WUSA clubs and will not regroup again to play for their country until September, looking toward the 2002 Nike U.S. Women's Cup. CONCACAF qualifying for the 2003 Women's World Cup will take place from October 27 to November 9 at four venues on the west coast of the United States.
JONES TO PARTICPATE IN THIS WEEK'S WUSA.COM CHAT: Washington midfielder Steffi Jones will be the featured guest on this week's WUSA.com live web chat on Tuesday, July 23. The chat will begin at 8:00 p.m. (ET) and will last approximately 40 minutes. Jones 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 16)
Wednesday, July 24, 2002 - New York Power (2-13-1, 7 pts.) at Philadelphia Charge (10-1-4, 34 pts.) - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - CSN (Philadelphia); Metro TV (New York) (Season Series: Philadelphia leads 2-0-0) (All-time Series History: Philadelphia leads 3-1-1)
On paper, this is a matchup featuring a team that is gunning for a playoff spot and has not lost at home all year against a club that has been eliminated from the playoff race. However, New York has played Philadelphia closer than the scores from the previous two games - 2-1 and 3-1 Charge victories - illustrate. New York goalkeeper Saskia Webber made eight saves and held Philadelphia scoreless for 76 minutes before the Charge (actually, Marinette Pichon) scored three goals in the final 15 minutes for a 3-1 victory on July 7.
Key Players to Watch: Two of the world's best forwards, New York's Tiffeny Milbrett (8g, 7a, 23 pts. - 4th among WUSA scoring leaders) and Philadelphia's Marinette Pichon (13g, 1a, 27 pts. - 1st among WUSA scoring leaders) square off. Philadelphia's back line of Heather Mitts, Erica Iverson, Jen Tietjen and Jenny Benson are holding opponents to 0.80 goals per game, lowest in the WUSA. However, Mitts is out with a hip pointer. Philadelphia's Lorrie Fair (0g, 3a, 3 pts.) may not have gaudy stats, but the versatile midfielder runs the league's best passing team.
Key Matchup: (Philadelphia forward Marinette Pichon versus New York defender Kristy Whelchel) - Whelchel will have her hands full with the speedy French striker. Pichon leads the WUSA with 13 goals. Whelchel and her defensive mates will look to keep Pichon in check. Pichon recorded a hat trick the last time she faced the Power.
The "Inside Scoop": Look for an exciting finish with these two teams as Philadelphia has scored a WUSA-high nine goals (tied with Washington) in the final 15 minutes. New York has allowed a WUSA-high 13 goals in the final 15 minutes. Besides Tiffeny Milbrett (4g), only Krista Davey and Emily Janss have tallied a goal against the Charge. Sporting a WUSA-best 6-0-2 record at home, Philadelphia has outscored its opponents 17-6 at Villanova Stadium. New York is allowing a league-high 3.71 goals per game on the road. Both clubs will see national team players return this week after each team had three players out for this past weekend's matches.
They Said it: "Philadelphia has a very talented team and we will have to play for a full 90 minutes against them. They have not lost at home all season, but I think that we have played well against them and have had some close games." - New York Head Coach Charlie Duccilli.
Referee: Todd Perry. Referee Assistants: Karalee Sutton, Tony Russo. 4th Official: William R. Delaney.
Wednesday, July 24, 2002 - Boston Breakers (4-8-5, 17 pts.) at Washington Freedom (7-5-4, 25 pts.) - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - No TV (Season Series: Washington leads 1-0-1) (All-time Series History: Boston leads 2-1-2)
In the last meeting between these two teams on June 12 at RFK Stadium, Mia Hamm stepped on the field for the first time this season. She scored the game-winning goal in the 72nd minute to push the Freedom past the Breakers for a 2-1 win. This will be the final meeting between the Freedom and the Breakers in the regular season and a win for Boston can tie the season series. -
Key Players to Watch: Dagny Mellgren (10g, 2a, 22 pts. - tied for 6th among WUSA scoring leaders) who did not play for her national team last weekend, will join teammate and WUSA assist leader Maren Meinert (7g, 12a, 26 pts. - 2nd among WUSA scoring leaders) to contribute to the Breakers offense. Mellgren is third in the league for goals and tied for sixth in total points scored. Meinert had the lone goal in the 3-1 loss to Atlanta this past weekend. Boston midfielder Kristine Lilly's (7g, 9a, 23 pts. - tied for 4th among WUSA scoring leaders) impact on the field will also be felt this week. Lilly is fourth in the league in points, and in 15 games has surpassed her inaugural season record of three goals and 10 assists in 20 games. Mia Hamm (4g, 1a, 9 pts.) scored will look to push Washington to continued success as the Freedom have gone 5-1-1 since the striker's return. Abby Wambach (7g, 5a, 19 pts. - 10th among WUSA scoring leaders) leads the team in scoring.
Key Matchup: (Boston forwards Maren Meinert and Dagny Mellgren versus Washington defenders Jennifer Grubb and Emmy Barr) - Grubb and Barr will have the task of keeping two of the league's most potent attackers from finding the back of the net. Mellgren has been held scoreless in her last two matches and will be looking to snap that streak versus Washington. The back line led by Grubb and Barr will have to shut down both Meinert and Mellgren in order to keep Boston's attack to a minimum.
The "Inside Scoop": Washington will be looking to extend its unbeaten streak to a team-record five games. Boston is still battling for the fourth and final playoff spot. The Breakers will be looking to snap a six-game road-losing streak. Washington is trying to catch both Carolina and Philadelphia and will be looking to grab three points with a win over Boston.
They Said it: "Boston is a team that will always try to play attractive, attacking soccer. They have a great attacking combination in (Dagny) Mellgren, (Kristine) Lilly, and (Maren) Meinert." - Washington Freedom Head Coach Jim Gabarra on Boston.
Referee: Rachel Woo. Referee Assistants: Bill Dittmar, Steven Taylor. 4th Official: Mike Stutt.
Saturday, July 27, 2002 - San Diego Spirit (4-8-4, 16 pts.) at Washington Freedom (7-5-4, 25 pts.) - 4:00 p.m. (ET) - PAX TV (National Broadcast) (Season Series: Washington leads 2-0-0) (All-time Series History: Series tied 2-2-1)
June 15 was the last time these two teams battled it out. The Freedom, paced by two Abby Wambach goals, and handed San Diego its worst-ever loss in a 4-0 shutout at RFK Stadium. The Freedom had previously defeated the Spirit 3-0 on May 5 in San Diego. San Diego will look to win back-to-back road games for the first time this season.
Key Players to Watch: The Spirit's Scottish international, Julie Fleeting (2g, 1a, 5 pts.) has made an immediate impact. In just three games, Fleeting has already tallied five points. This past weekend she scored the game-winner against New York in the 90th minute. Shannon MacMillan (5g, 2a, 12 pts. - 12th among WUSA scoring leaders) returns to the Spirit's offense after playing with the national team against Norway this past weekend. "Mac Attack" returns with a total of 11 points in 12 games. MacMillan has equaled her assist total from last season, but it will be tough to equal her 12 goals in 20 games from last year. Washington's Mia Hamm (4g, 1a, 9 pts.) and Abby Wambach (7g, 5a, 19 pts. - 10th among WUSA scoring leaders) return to the Freedom offense after a weekend of national team play. Hamm will continue to push her team toward the playoffs as the Freedom has gone 5-1-1 since the striker's return (June 12).
Key Matchup: (San Diego forward Julie Fleeting versus Washington defender Jennifer Grubb) - Fleeting has had a tremendous start to her career in the WUSA and will look to continue her streak against defender Grubb. Although Fleeting possesses great skills, she will have to rely on her teammates help to get past Grubb. In turn, Grubb will have to do the same as Fleeting has the great ability to evade defenders.
The "Inside Scoop": Washington has outscored the Spirit 7-0 in the two previous meetings this season. The Freedom is undefeated in its last three matches (as of July 22). San Diego won its first road game of the season on July 20. The Spirit will be looking to put together back-to-back road wins for the first time this season. San Diego will be looking for its first goal of the season series as San Diego will try to prevent from being shut out in a season series for the first time in team history. Will Washington playing on two full days rest be a factor?
They Said it: "San Diego has loads of experience and the hottest goal scorer in the world last year in (Shannon) MacMillan. I felt last year (Shannon) Boxx was the best defensive midfielder in the league and allowed (Julie) Foudy to be more creative." - Washington Freedom Head Coach Jim Gabarra on San Diego.
Referee: Ricardo Salazar. Referee Assistants: Melanie Johnson, Kim Oberle. 4th Official: John E. Schmitz.
Saturday, July 27, 2002 - Philadelphia Charge (10-1-4, 34 pts.) at Boston Breakers (4-8-5, 17 pts.) - 6:00 p.m. (ET) - No TV (Season Series: Philadelphia leads 2-0-0) (All-time Series History: Philadelphia leads 3-2-0)
The league's top team heads to Boston as the Charge faces the Breakers on Saturday at Nickerson Field. Marinette Pichon's goal in the fifth minute on June 15 gave the Charge a 2-0-0 edge in the season series with Boston. This will be the first meeting at Nickerson Field this season. Undefeated at home in 2002 (3-0-4), Boston will look to upend the Charge, whose only loss of the season came on the road (May 19 at San Diego). With the playoff race tightening up, Boston will be looking to keep its postseason hopes alive with a win over Philadelphia.
Key Players to Watch: Philadelphia's Pichon (13g, 1a, 27 pts. - 1st among WUSA scoring leaders) registered her league-leading 13th goal versus Carolina last Saturday. The French international has been responsible for 45 percent of Philadelphia's goal scoring. Pichon has registered two goals versus the Breakers this season, including the team's only goal during a 1-0 victory on June 15. Midfielder Zhao Lihong (2g, 4a, 8 pts.) assisted on the game-winning goal on Saturday, extending her point-scoring streak to four matches. Both Zhao and defender Heather Mitts (4a, 4 pts. - out with a hip pointer) lead the team in assists. Defender Jenny Benson (2a, 2 pts.) and midfielder Lorrie Fair (3a, 3 pts.) will return from national team duty to the Charge lineup. Goalkeeper Melissa Moore (10-1-4, 0.80 GAA) recorded her fourth shutout of the season on Saturday. Moore is the only 'keeper with a goals against average below 1.00, leading the league in wins (10), winning percentage (80.0 percent) and shutouts (4). Boston's Kristine Lilly (7g, 9a, 23 pts. - tied for 4th among WUSA scoring leaders) extended her point-scoring streak to six games with her seventh goal of the season on Saturday. Lilly has more than doubled her goal-scoring totals from last season (3). Maren Meinert (7g, 12 a, 26 pts. - 2nd among WUSA scoring leaders) recorded her league-leading 12th assist of the season on Saturday versus Atlanta. Meinert's 26 points equals the Breakers team high for points from last season (Dagny Mellgren 26 pts. in 2001). Mellgren (10g, 2a, 22 pts. - tied for 6th among WUSA scoring leaders) has been held scoreless in Boston's last two matches.
Key Matchup: (Philadelphia forward Marinette Pichon versus Boston defender Kate Sobrero) - Pichon has proven that she is one of the league's most dangerous strikers. With a WUSA-leading 13 goals scored, the French striker has led the Charge to first place in the standings. Sobrero will lead a back line that needs to shut down Pichon in order to keep Philadelphia's explosive offense in check.
The "Inside Scoop": As of July 22, Philadelphia has gone undefeated in 10 straight matches, tying the Bay Area (now San Jose) CyberRays WUSA-record 10-game unbeaten streak in 2001. Boston (3-0-4) is one of two teams undefeated at home (the other Philadelphia) this season. Philadelphia's only loss of the season came on the road (1-0 loss at San Diego on May 19). Boston owns a 1-1-0 record versus the Charge at Nickerson Field.
They Said it: "Boston is a dangerous attacking team. They pose problems for every opponent and we're going in knowing we are going to fight hard to compete." - Philadelphia Charge Head Coach Mark Krikorian on Boston
Referee: Misail Tsapos. Referee Assistants: George Gansner, Bill Dittmar. 4th Official: Claudiu Badea.
Saturday, July 27, 2002 - New York Power (2-13-1, 7 pts.) at San Jose CyberRays (6-6-4, 22 pts.) - 6:00 p.m. (ET) - Fox Sports Bay Area (San Jose); MSG (New York) (Season Series: San Jose leads 2-0-0) (All-time Series History: San Jose leads 4-0-1)
San Jose will host the Power on Saturday in the third and final match of the 2002 season between these two teams. Despite being eliminated from playoff contention, the Power will look to play spoiler in the CyberRays' bid for three points. San Jose has never lost to New York, owning a 4-0-1 record all-time versus the Power. The CyberRays defeated the Power 4-3 in the last meeting between these two teams (June 15). New York's Tiffeny Milbrett recorded her second WUSA career hat trick in the loss. San Jose's Brandi Chastain recorded two goals and drew the game-winning penalty kick on June 15 to lead her team to victory.
Key Players to Watch: New York's Milbrett (8g, 7a, 23 pts. - tied for 4th among WUSA scoring leaders) returns to the Power lineup from national team duty versus Norway. Milbrett recorded a hat trick during her last meeting with San Jose. Midfielder Emily Janss (5g, 1a, 11 pts.) is the only other player on the New York roster (other than Milbrett) to have tallied three or more goals this season. The Power will also welcome back Norwegian midfielder Anita Rapp (2g, 1a, 5 pts.) and forward Linda Ormen (2g, 3a, 7 pts.), who were both called up to national team duty versus the United States. San Jose's Katia (12g, 1a, 25 pts. - 3rd among WUSA scoring leaders) recorded her team-record 12th goal of the season on Sunday. The Brazilian forward has registered a goal in three straight matches. Forward Kim Clark (1g, 4a, 6 pts.) extended her assist streak to three matches with an assist on Katia's goal during stoppage time on Sunday. Sissi (1g, 9a, 11 pts.) recorded her first goal of the 2002 season on Sunday. Goalkeeper LaKeysia Beene (6-5-4, 1.33 GAA) will return to the San Jose lineup from national team duty versus Norway. Beene leads the league in catch/punches (78) and is third in shutouts (3).
Key Matchup: (New York defender Christie Pearce versus San Jose forward Katia) - Pearce will be looked upon to stop San Jose's most dangerous threat. The Brazilian has scored in three straight matches and will be looking to make it four on Saturday. Pearce will try to keep the league's leading shot taker (71 shots, 42 shots on goal) out of the San Jose attack.
The "Inside Scoop": New York will be looking for its first win over the CyberRays. The last meeting between these two teams was an offensive explosion, tying the then-WUSA record for combined goals in a game (7). Milbrett's last trip to San Jose resulted in the forward's second career WUSA hat trick. San Jose is currently four points out of the fourth and final playoff spot and will be looking to earn three points versus the Power this weekend.
They Said it: "We'll be going out there to try and win for the first time ever. Defensively we will need to be really sharp and try to keep a handle on Katia as well as Brandi Chastain when she comes forward. Last game was a very exciting one that we lost 4-3, we played well, but ended up on the short end that time, we hope to get a better result this time out." - New York Power Interim Head Coach Charlie Duccilli on San Jose.
Referee: Kari Seitz. Referee Assistants: Robert Sabella, Sarah Kraus. 4th Official: Yader Reyes.
Saturday, July 27, 2002 - Carolina Courage (10-3-3, 33 pts.) at Atlanta Beat (8-7-1, 25 pts.) - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - Fox Sports South (Atlanta); Fox Sports South (Carolina) (Season Series: Carolina leads 2-0-0) (All-time Series History: Carolina leads 4-0-1)
Atlanta will be looking for its first victory over the Courage as the Beat host Carolina on Saturday. This will be Carolina's second trip to Herndon Stadium this season. The Courage defeated the Beat 3-1 on June 15 in Carolina's first trip to the site of Founders Cup II. The Courage, the WUSA's best road team (5-1-2), dropped its first road contest of the 2002 season on Saturday versus Philadelphia. Atlanta has won two straight matches and is currently positioned in the fourth and final playoff spot. Eight points separate the two teams as Carolina looks to clinch a playoff spot this weekend while Atlanta hopes to gain ground on the league's second place team.
Key Players to Watch: Carolina's Birgit Prinz (8g, 5a, 21 pts. - tied for 8th among WUSA scoring leaders) was held scoreless for the first time in her WUSA career on July 20. Both she and Danielle Fotopoulos (8g, 6a, 22 pts. - tied for 6th among WUSA scoring leaders) had their league-record nine-game scoring streak snapped as the Courage was shut out for the first time in 2002. Midfielder Hege Riise (5g, 11a, 21 pts. - tied for 8th among WUSA scoring leaders) will return to the Courage lineup after being called up to the Norwegian national team. Riise currently has a five-game point-scoring streak. Atlanta's Charmaine Hooper (8g, 1a, 17 pts. - 11th among WUSA scoring leaders) registered her fifth game-winning goal of the season, tying the WUSA record held by San Jose's Katia last season. Midfielder Nikki Serlenga (2g, 6a, 10 pts.), this week's WUSA Player of the Week, notched a goal and an assist versus Boston on Saturday. The goal was her second in as many games. Forward Homare Sawa (5g, 5a, 15 pts. - 13th among WUSA scoring leaders) continues to contribute to the Atlanta offense. Sawa has scored a goal in three straight matches.
Key Matchup: (Carolina forward Birgit Prinz versus Atlanta defender Sharolta Nonen) - Prinz was held scoreless for the first time in her WUSA career last Saturday. The German striker will look to rebound from her performance versus Philadelphia. Nonen will look to keep Prinz from finding the back of the net for the second straight match. The Carolina forward netted a goal in their last meeting.
The "Inside Scoop": Atlanta is currently fighting for a playoff spot while Carolina is looking to maintain its dominance over the Beat. Carolina is the only team that Atlanta has never beaten. Despite losing to Philadelphia on the road last weekend, the Courage remains the league's best road team with a 5-1-2 record. With eight points separating these two teams, Atlanta will try to gain ground on Carolina by grabbing three points this weekend.
They Said it: "Their dangerous attack of (Homare) Sawa, Sun Wen, (Charmaine) Hooper, and (Cindy) Parlow has been playing very well of late. So how well we defend the center of the field will be critical, as well as how well we attack the flanks." - Carolina Courage Head Coach Marcia McDermott
Referee: Terry Vaughn. Referee Assistants: Jon Wilson, Brenda Wright. 4th Official: Corey Rockwell.
TEAM INJURY REPORTS AS OF 7/22/02
ATLANTA BEAT: PROBABLE - F Sun Wen (left adductor strain).
BOSTON BREAKERS: None.
CAROLINA COURAGE: QUESTIONABLE: F Kim Yankowski (lower back strain); D Danielle Slaton (L knee tendonitis); PROBABLE - D Carla Overbeck (sore R knee).
NEW YORK POWER: None.
PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: OUT: D Heather Mitts (hip pointer); QUESTIONABLE: F Erin Martin (L knee sprain); PROBABLE - M Stacey Tullock (back strain).
SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: QUESTIONABLE: D Fan Yunjie (pulled hamstring).
SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: QUESTIONABLE - D Danielle Borgman (R knee sprain); PROBABLE - D Kelly Lindsey (flu).
WASHINGTON FREEDOM: None.
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); WASHINGTON - D Lindsey Stoecker (L ACL tear).
NATIONAL TEAM DUTY AS OF 7/22/02
None Among the League's Eight Teams
suspension Summary 7/22/02
Player Team Suspension Reason
None
Warning Summary 7/22/02
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)
TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
ATLANTA BEAT: Needing a victory against an opponent within close proximity in the WUSA standings, Atlanta defeated Boston 3-1 July 20 at Herndon Stadium ... The Beat went into the match versus the Breakers expecting to play without three of its biggest stars, including Cindy Parlow, Briana Scurry and Kylie Bivens, as all three were with the U.S. national team ... By a stroke of good/bad luck, Bivens was not included on the 18-player roster released from the national team and flew in to Atlanta Saturday morning and was available for the match ... Homare Sawa, Charmaine Hooper and Nikki Serlenga all scored for the Beat ... With Scurry in Minnesota with the national team, Melanie Wilson earned her third career win and second of the 2002 WUSA season ... Due to Scurry's recent bout with the flu, Wilson has started and played the full 90 minutes in three consecutive games and has a record of 2-1-0 on the season and 3-2-1 in her career ... Parlow made the most of her time away with the U.S. national team ... In her 107th appearance for the U.S., Parlow notched two goals, the 47th and 48th of her national team career ... Scurry, who had not competed for the U.S. since August 20, 2000, made her return to the national team ... She played the entire second half of the game and helped preserve the shutout over Norway ... The appearance was the 104th of her national team career, by far the most of any goalkeeper in U.S. women's national team history ... Hooper scored in Canada's 2-2 draw against Norway July 17 in suburban Toronto ... Hooper and Beat defender Sharolta Nonen played the entire 90 minutes against Norway ... Hooper married former professional soccer player and current Northwestern University women's soccer assistant coach Chuck Codd on July 21 ... After sitting at the bottom of the WUSA in team offense during recent weeks, seven goals in the Beats last two games propelled the team into the number six slot among WUSA offenses ... Head Coach Tom Stone's team is averaging 1.50 goals per game ... Atlanta Hawks guard Saturday's match versus the Carolina Courage ... Terry will take the ceremonial first kick of the game ... Saturday's match will also feature "Mascot Mania" as local businesses and sports teams' mascots will face off in a mini-match at halftime of the game.
BOSTON BREAKERS: Looking for a key win in the club's efforts to make the playoffs, the Breakers hit the woodwork twice in the second half, but Atlanta downed Boston 3-1 on July 20 at Herndon Stadium ... The lone goal scored by the Breakers came off the foot of Kristine Lilly, who now has seven goals and nine assists for 23 points ... Lilly scored off a corner kick from Maren Meinert, who now leads the WUSA in assists with 12 ... Lilly continued her point-scoring streak with the goal against Atlanta. She now has scored a goal or notched an assist in the last six games ... Angela Hucles, Kate Sobrero and Jena Kluegel all helped the U.S. women's national team to a 4-0 victory over Norway on July 21in Blaine, MN ... Hucles earned her second cap, while Sobrero increases her total to 75 and Kluegel 19 ... Although the Breakers are unbeaten at home (3-0-4), Boston is now 1-8-1 away from Nickerson Field ... Lilly, Meinert and Dagny Mellgren account for 83 percent of the Breakers scoring ... Meinert (2nd in WUSA scoring), Lilly (4th) and Mellgren (6th) are the highest scoring trio in the WUSA ... Although she did not play against the United States on Sunday, Mellgren played the full 90 minutes on July 17 in a 2-2 draw against Canada.
CAROLINA COURAGE: Missing as many as six starters due to national team duty and injury, Carolina lost for only the third time this season when the Courage went down 2-0 at Philadelphia on July 20 ... Unfortunately, all three of those losses have come at the hands of Philadelphia, which climbed ahead of Carolina and into first place in the WUSA standings ... The 2-0 defeat signaled the first time the Courage has been held scoreless all season ... The loss also brought to an end the scoring streaks of Birgit Prinz and Danielle Fotopoulos, owners of the WUSA's all-time longest point-scoring streaks (9 games) ... It meant breaking her Courage record for consecutive appearances, but Carolina midfielder Tiffany Roberts earned her 80th international appearance for the United States, starting and playing 45 minutes in the Americans' 4-0 victory over Norway ... In the game, Roberts was matched up against Courage teammates Hege Riise and Unni Lehn who represented Norway ... The Courage could not uphold its "road warrior" reputation in Philadelphia this past Saturday ... It was Carolina's first defeat of the season on the road ... Fotopoulos, Prinz and Riise account for 68 percent of Carolina's scoring ... Fotopoulos (6th in WUSA scoring), Prinz (8th) and Riise (8th - tied with Prinz) are the second highest scoring trio in the WUSA ... Only Boston's "magic triangle" of Maren Meinert, Kristine Lilly and Dagny Mellgren have scored more goals then the Courage's trio.
NEW YORK POWER: Ever so close to snapping the club's losing streak, New York surrendered a 90th minute goal to Julie Fleeting and the San Diego Spirit downed the Power 1-0 on July 20 at Mitchel Athletic Complex ... The loss extended New York's WUSA record losing streak to nine games ... New York was without the services of Tiffeny Milbrett and Norwegians Anita Rapp and Linda Ormen as all three played in the U.S.'s 4-0 win over Norway on July 21 ... New York has now allowed 13 goals in the final 15-minute interval this season ... San Jose, with seven goals allowed from the 76-90th minute interval, is a distant second that category ... New York has not won since defeating San Diego 2-1 on May 25..
PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: Philadelphia moved back into first place with a 2-0 victory over the Carolina Courage on Saturday, July 20 ... The Charge became the first team in the WUSA this season to hold the Courage scoreless ... Midfielder Kerry Connors recorded the game winning-goal in the match ... Both of Connors' goals have come against the Courage this season ... Marinette Pichon added to her goal scoring total (13) with Philadelphia's second goal of the match on Saturday ... Pichon leads the league in both goal scoring and points scored (27) ... The French international also leads the league in offside (25) ... Her 1.93 points per game ranks second in the WUSA ... Midfielder Lorrie Fair and defender Jenny Benson will return to the Philadelphia lineup after being called up to the U.S. national team last weekend ... With the 2-0 victory over the Courage, Philadelphia extended its unbeaten streak to 10 games, tying the WUSA-record held by the 2001 Bay Area (now San Jose) CyberRays ... Chinese international Zhao Lihong has recorded a point in four straight matches for the Charge ... Goalkeeper Melissa Moore recorded her fourth shutout of the season last weekend ... The four clean sheet for Moore is one better than her 2001 total (3) ... Moore leads the league in goals against average (0.80), winning percentage (80.0 percent), wins (10) and shutouts (4) ... Philadelphia has the toughest defense in the WUSA (0.80 goals per game) while sporting the league's second highest scoring offense (1.93 goals per game) ... Philadelphia is the only team in the WUSA to hold its opponent scoreless during the first 15 minutes of action.
SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: A goal by Scottish star Julie Fleeting in the 90th minute kept the Spirit's playoff hopes alive as San Diego defeated New York 1-0 on Saturday, July 20 ... Fleeting has scored two goals and an assist in three matches since arriving in the United States ... Her 1.67 points per game ranks third in the WUSA ... San Diego is 1-0-2 lifetime when its national team players are not available...Shannon Boxx missed her first game in team history while serving a red card suspension ... She had played in a club record 36 consecutive games ... San Diego played without 48 percent of its goal scoring on July 20 with Boxx, Joy Fawcett, Julie Foudy and Shannon MacMillan out of the lineup ... Kim Pickup became the third player in team history to wear the captain's armband on July 20, Foudy and Boxx are the other two ...Carly Smolak made her second consecutive start in goal for the 2002 season and her third career on Saturday ... Both Zhang Ouying and MacMillan are riding three-game point-scoring streaks ... San Diego is ranked seventh in both team offense (1.50 goals per game) and team defense (2.06 goals per game) ... San Diego's shutout of New York was the first time since May 19 that the Spirit has held an opponent scoreless ... The victory this past weekend was San Diego's first road win of the 2002 season.
SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: San Jose fell to Washington 3-1 on Sunday evening, snapping the team's four-game unbeaten streak at home ... The loss moved the CyberRays to fifth in the WUSA standings ... The CyberRays outshot the Freedom 21 to six in the loss ... San Jose is currently four points out of the fourth and final playoff spot ... Sissi, the team's assist leader, scored her first goal of the 2002 season on Sunday ... The Brazilian playmaker leads the WUSA in corner kicks (63) ... Katia added to her goal scoring total with her 12th goal of the season in the loss ... Katia ranks sixth in the WUSA in points per game (1.56) ... She leads the league in both shots (71) and shots on goal (42), scoring on 29 percent of the shots that the San Jose striker puts on net ... The Brazilian forward has accounted for 46 percent of the team's goal scoring total ... Kim Clark's assist streak extended to three game after registering the helper on Katia's goal in stoppage time on Sunday ... LaKeysia Beene missed her first match of the season with the CyberRays this past weekend due to national team duty ... Beene leads the league in catch/punches (78) and is third in shutouts (3) ... San Jose is tied for fourth in team offense (1.62 goals per game) ... The CyberRays' defense ranks fourth in the WUSA (1.44 goals per game) ... The CyberRays lead the WUSA in shots taken (235) while allowing the fewest shots (163) this season ... Defender Thori Bryan extended her minutes-played streak to 3,525 ... Bryan has played in every minute of every match (including the playoffs) for the CyberRays.
WASHINGTON FREEDOM: Despite being outshot 21 to six on Sunday, Washington extended its unbeaten streak to four games with a 3-2 victory over San Jose ... With the win, the Freedom moved into third place in the WUSA standings ... Jennifer Grubb and Monica Gerardo each scored goals in the victory ... Forwards Abby Wambach and Mia Hamm will return to the Freedom lineup after being called to national team duty this past weekend ... Wambach is currently ranked 10th in the WUSA in scoring ... She is the only rookie to be listed among the top 10 in scoring ... Hamm's 1.50 points per game is tied for ninth in the WUSA ... Goalkeeper Siri Mullinix made her return between the pipes after suffering a broken left hand to record her fourth win of the season on Sunday ... Mullinix made nine saves in the victory ... The Freedom 'keeper leads the league in save percentage (81.2 percent) ... Washington is tied for fourth in team offense (1.62 goals per game) ... The Freedom's defense ranks third (1.37 goals per game) in the WUSA ... Washington defender Grubb has played in every minute of every match for the Freedom (3,330).
Women's United Soccer Association Stories from July 22, 2002
- Two Teams Could Clinch Berths - WUSA
- Serlenga Named Player of the Week - WUSA
- Carolina Courage Notebook - Carolina Courage
- Charge Tie WUSA Unbeaten Streak - Philadelphia Charge
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.
