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WUSA Midseason Report

June 24, 2002 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) News Release


ATLANTA (Monday, June 24, 2002) - As the 2002 Women's United Soccer Association reaches its midpoint, there are many surprises during the league's second season. From Carolina's turnaround to San Diego's coaching change, the 2002 campaign has seen its share of storylines. WUSA Communications sat down with Commissioner Tony DiCicco, the mastermind behind the United States teams that won the Olympic gold medal in 1996 and the Women's World Cup in 1999, to take an inside look at each team (in order of the club's place in the standings).

PHILADELPHIA NOT A SURPRISE: With a 7-1-3 (24 pts.) record, Philadelphia has been the class of the WUSA for the majority of the 2002 season. The Charge features the league's stingiest defense (0.82 GAA) and second highest scoring offense (1.82 goals per game). Known as one of the surprises of the 2001 season when Philadelphia landed the final playoff spot despite being picked by many experts to finish last in the league, the Charge has held the top spot in the WUSA for the entire season.

"I don't think it's a surprise at all where Philadelphia is," DiCicco said. "They showed glimpses of it last year."

Philadelphia's offense saw the emergence of midfielder Kelly Smith as a bonafide WUSA Most Valuable Player candidate during the first two months of the season. But Smith's season ended June 1 when she tore her ACL, leaving many in the soccer community to question whether or not the team could be successful without the English national team star. Philadelphia has answered the skeptics by going 2-0-2 since Smith went down with her injury. French national team star Marinette Pichon has carried the Charge's scoring load in Smith's absence, registering six of Philadelphia's last nine goals.

"Pichon has been everything they were hoping she would be," DiCicco stated. "Philadelphia's the league's best possession team and she fits in well with their style of play.

DiCicco added that Philadelphia's young defense has improved steadily since the inception of the league.

"The main question everyone had heading into this season was whether or not they could replace Doris Fitschen," DiCicco said, referring to the veteran Charge defender who retired after winning the league's Defender of the Year award in 2001. "Heather Mitts, Jenny Benson, Melissa Moore and the rest of the Charge defense have really made a difference this year."

THE CAROLINA TURNAROUND: Following a tough 2001 season that saw Carolina finish in last place, the Courage organization has completely turned around its fortunes. With 10 games remaining, Carolina has already earned 21 points - which is as many as the 2001 team earned all last year. Carolina's 6-2-3 (21 pts.) record includes a 4-0-2 mark on the road, the lone WUSA club that has not tasted defeat away from home.

"Carolina is definitely one of the biggest surprises of the season," DiCicco said. "They made great acquisitions that we're familiar with such as Birgit Prinz, Danielle Slaton and Unni Lehn, but Carolina also acquired seldom-used players like Venus James who have contributed."

Known for the trio of Danielle Fotopoulos (7g, 3a, 17pts - 3rd in the WUSA), Prinz (3g, 2a, 8pts in just 5 games) and playmaker Hege Riise (3g, 7a, 13pts - tied for WUSA assist lead), DiCicco believes holding midfielder Tiffany Roberts also has played a key role in the Courage's success.

"Tiffany Roberts has made great decisions and is freeing up Hege Riise to focus on attacking," DiCicco said. "Tiffany has always been one of the best ball winners, but now she is spraying the ball around to her teammates to make something happen."

ATLANTA OVERCOMES SLOW START: The WUSA's top defensive team in 2001 struggled at the start of 2002, allowing nine goals in their first five games while compiling a 1-3-1 record. Head Coach Tom Stone made the necessary adjustments and the Beat has gone 5-1-0 and allowed just five goals in the club's past six games.

"Atlanta started slow, but there wasn't anyone who thought they would end the season the way they began,' DiCicco stated. "They have great talent at nearly every position and one of the deepest benches in the league."

Charmaine Hooper continues to lead the Beat's offense. The 34-year-old Canadian international is tied for eighth in WUSA scoring with six goals and one assist for 13 points. Cindy Parlow (4g, 1a 9 pts.) also provides a top scoring threat for Atlanta, and midfielders Homare Sawa and Nikki Serlenga each have five assists. Atlanta also features some of the fiercest competitors in the league.

"No team is comfortable playing against Atlanta," DiCicco said. "As long as they stay healthy, they'll be one of the teams to watch at the end of the season."

CAN SAN JOSE DEFEND ITS FOUNDERS CUP CHAMPIONSHIP?: When San Jose is healthy and playing to its potential, the CyberRays look like a team that is well on its way to a return trip to the Founders Cup. However, the 2002 season has featured its share of peaks and valleys for Brandi Chastain and company. A slow start saw Head Coach Ian Sawyer's squad with a 2-3-1 in mid-May, but San Jose has bounced back, going 3-1-1 in its last five games.

Despite leading the WUSA in shots, San Jose's offense sputtered early, scoring just seven goals in the first six games. However, Katia and Chastain have ignited a CyberRays offense that has registered 10 goals in the club's last five matches.

"San Jose's been hot and cold this year," DiCicco said. "But they are a resilient team that certainly has the talent to win it all again."

Various injuries have caused Chastain to play multiple positions in 2002, and the U.S. national team defender has scored three goals and added two assists while playing forward.

"It's a plus that Brandi can play so many different positions," DiCicco added. "She's one of the leaders of that team and has stepped in wherever she has been needed."

DiCicco also says the Brazilian trio of Katia, Sissi and Pretinha will play a key role in San Jose's efforts to win a second championship.

"The key question for San Jose is the productivity in the midfield," DiCicco said. "They have an excellent creator in Sissi, but will need for others to make stronger contributions. Pretinha has the ability to elevate her game, but we haven't seen that on a consistent basis this year."

REINFORCMENTS BOLSTER WASHINGTON: Washington is another team where the club's 2002 season can almost be divided into two separate parts. The Freedom started 2-4-1, but the return of goalkeeper Siri Mullinix, forward Mia Hamm and the addition of German midfielder/defender Steffi Jones helped Jim Gabarra's troops go 2-1-2 in their last five matches.

"Washington seems to have a new life with Siri and Mia back," DiCicco said. "But now they have to deal with the loss of Lindsey Stoecker. She got a lot done in the midfield and there is a question of whether or not they can replace her."

Stoecker, the Freedom's defensive midfielder, suffered an ACL tear in her left knee on June 15 and will miss the remainder of the season. However, Hamm and Chinese international Bai Jie, who has been limited to just two starts due to an injured knee, combine with rookie Abby Wambach to give Washington a dynamic attack. However, DiCicco believes that Finnish midfielder Anne Makinen could be the key to the Freedom's success.

"The Freedom's trump card is Anne Makinen," DiCicco said. "We haven't seen the best of her yet. She can make a major impact when she is playing at a level we know she is capable of reaching."

BOSTON: THE BIG PARADOX: Are the Boston Breakers one of the WUSA's most feared teams or are they the club that went 0-3-2 before exploding for five goals against New York June 22? Boston boasts the "Big Three" in Maren Meinert (6g, 6a, 18 pts. - 2nd in the WUSA), Dagny Mellgren (8 goals are tied for WUSA lead) and Kristine Lilly (7 assists are tied for the WUSA lead), but consistency has been a challenge for the entire team in 2002.

"Boston is a team that could easily break out with a string of wins," DiCicco said. "But they need to maintain some consistency, especially with their talented frontrunners. The addition of (Norwegian international Ragnild) Gulbrandsen - who could make her debut soon -- might be the added dimension they need."

SAN DIEGO FIRST TO UNDERGO COACHING CHANGE: San Diego entered the season with expectations of competing for the Founders Cup trophy after finishing 3-0-3 to close out the 2001 season. Following a 2-4-2 start and inconsistent play, the WUSA's first coaching change was made as Carlos Juarez was replaced by General Manager Kevin Crow on June 5. San Diego has gone 0-2-1 under Crow.

"San Diego is another big surprise," DiCicco said. "With their run at the end of last year, some solid offseason acquisitions and Shannon MacMillan's superb play with the national team, I thought they were going to be a factor this year."

MILBRETT CHARGES ON DESPITE POWER'S STRUGGLES: New York started the season with high hopes when the Power soundly defeated Washington 4-1 on the road in the opening game of the 2002 season. But those high hopes were grounded in week two when New York went down 6-1 at San Diego. Tiffeny Milbrett is a strong contender to win her second WUSA MVP award, as the U.S. national team star leads the WUSA in scoring with eight goals and five assists for 21 points. Milbrett's eight goals are almost half of the Power's total scoring output of 18.

"Tiffeny is commanding more attention than ever, and she's still having a great season," DiCicco said. "The Power goes as Tiffeny goes, but one player is not enough."

The Power defense is allowing the most goals in the WUSA at 2.82 goals per match. New York has already allowed six more goals than the club did in 2001 and is only 10 goals away from setting a new league record. DiCicco believes that retired Norwegian international Gro Espeseth's presence on the back line has been missed.

"Gro Espeseth's leadership is missed," DiCicco said. "New York's had a tough time holding leads and they need a leader to control the center of the defense."

BOSTON'S KRISTINE LILLY TIES WUSA ASSIST RECORD: Boston's offense broke out on June 22, registering a 5-2 victory over New York. Midfielder Kristine Lilly, the engine behind the Breakers potent attack, tied a WUSA record with three assists in the match. Lilly's three helpers tie her with U.S. national team teammate Brandi Chastain for most assists in a game. Chastain had three assists in San Jose's 3-2 win over Washington on July 12, 2001.

WUSA TO ECLIPSE ONE MILLION FANS FOR REGULAR SEASON PLAY: Soccer fans have shown their support for the WUSA, and this weekend the second-year league will hit a milestone for attendance when the one millionth fan walks through the turnstiles for a regular season match. The WUSA has drawn a total of 990,754 fans to regular season games since its inception. A total of 680,705 fans attended the 84 regular season games in 2001, and 310,049 supporters have attended 44 matches this year. The total regular season average is 7,741 for those 128 games. With current attendance projections, look for the one millionth fan at Nickerson Field when the Boston Breakers host the defending WUSA champion San Jose CyberRays on June 29 at 4 pm ET. Including the WUSA's three postseason matches in 2001, total attendance for the league is 1,032,945.

CAROLINA CONTINUES TO FIND SUCCESS ON THE ROAD: The Carolina Courage extended its road-unbeaten streak to six games after defeating the Washington Freedom 3-1 on Saturday, June 22 at RFK Stadium. With the win, Carolina remains the only team in the WUSA that is undefeated on the road. In its six road matches, Carolina has outscored its opponents 13-7 while compiling a 4-0-2 record. The Courage averages 2.17 goals per game away from SAS Stadium while scoring 1.60 goals per game at home. The Courage has won two straight road matches to remain only three points behind first place Philadelphia.

Last season, Carolina had the worst road record in the WUSA at 2-7-1. The Courage recorded 10 goals while allowing 22 on the road in 2001. SCORING TANDEMS: In Boston's 5-2 victory over the New York Power last Saturday, the Breakers set a club record for goals in a game. Forwards Dagny Mellgren and Maren Meinert each recorded two goals in the victory to become only the third tandem in WUSA history to produce such a feat.

Meinert and Mellgren become the second duo to record multiple goals in a match this season. In San Diego's 6-1 victory over New York on April 20, Zhang Ouying and Shannon MacMillan each recorded two goals for the Spirit.

Date Teams Score Scoring Tandems
Aug. 6, 2001 Carolina at Philadelphia 5-1 (PHI) Liu Ailing (3), Mandy Clemens (2)
April 20, 2002 New York at San Diego 6-1 (SD) Shannon MacMillan (2), Zhang Ouying (2)
June 22, 2002 New York at Boston 5-2 (BOS) Dagny Mellgren (2), Maren Meinert (2)

KEMP TO PARTICPATE IN THIS WEEK'S WUSA.COM CHAT: Boston forward/midfielder Allie Kemp will be the featured guest on this week's WUSA.com live web chat on Tuesday, June 25. The chat will begin at 8:00 p.m. (ET) and will last approximately 40 minutes. Kemp 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 Twelve)

Wednesday, June 26, 2002 - Carolina Courage (6-2-3, 21 pts.) at New York Power (2-8-1, 7 pts.) - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - New York Metro Channel (New York) (Season Series: Carolina leads 1-0-0) (All-time Series History: New York leads 3-1-0) On paper, Carolina should be tough to beat as the Courage lead the WUSA in scoring (1.91 goals per game) and face a New York defense that allows a WUSA-high 2.82 goals per game. Carolina picked up its first victory against New York when the Courage downed the Power 4-1 on June 1 at SAS Stadium. New York is still looking for its first win during the month of June. The Power is 0-4 in June with the club's last win on May 25 against San Diego. New York's Tiffeny Milbrett has collected five goals and two assists against Carolina all-time for 12 points. Milbrett scored the lone Power goal in the 4-1 loss June 1. Carolina's Birgit Prinz scored her first WUSA goal in the June 1 win over New York.

Key Players to Watch: Once again, Milbrett (8g, 5a, 21 pts - WUSA scoring leader) is the key to New York's offensive success. However, the Power back line of Wynne McIntosh, Christie Pearce (or Kristy Whelchel), Tammy Pearman and Sara Whalen will make or break New York. The Carolina trio of Danielle Fotopoulos (7g, 3a, 17pts - 3rd in the WUSA), newcomer Birgit Prinz (3g, 2a, 8pts in just 5 games) and playmaker Hege Riise (3g, 7a, 13pts - tied for WUSA assist lead) could be the league's most feared threesome. Carolina defensive midfielder Tiffany Roberts will be key to stopping the New York attack before it reaches Milbrett. Carolina's Kristin Luckenbill (WUSA leading 65 saves) and New York 'keeper Gao Hong, the Chinese international who made her 2002 debut last Saturday after recovering from wrist surgery, should see plenty of action while trying to stop the opposition from scoring.

Key Matchup: (New York forward Tiffeny Milbrett versus Carolina defender Danielle Slaton) - Milbrett torched the Courage last season for 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 and a teammate of Milbrett's on the U.S. national team, will look to use her speed to slow down the nifty striker. Milbrett tallied the Power's lone goal on June 1 in Carolina's 4-1 win.

The "Inside Scoop": After a tough 3-1 loss to Philadelphia last Wednesday, Carolina rebounded with a 3-1 victory at Washington last Saturday. Carolina is the WUSA's best team on the road, going 4-0-2 this season. New York's 1-4-0 home record ranks eighth among WUSA clubs. The Courage averages 2.17 goals per game on the road, while New York scores a WUSA-low 0.80 goals per game at home. Will New York Head Coach Pat Farmer look to make lineup changes after losing to Boston 5-2 this past Saturday?

They Said it: "They have some great players in Danielle Fotopoulos, Hege Riise and Danielle Slaton that should make this a good, exciting game to watch." - New York Head Coach Pat Farmer.

Referee: Rachel Woo. Assistant Referees: Brenda Wright, Mark Gorak. 4th Official: Steve Karaduzovic.

Saturday, June 29, 2002 - San Jose CyberRays (5-4-2, 17 pts.) at Boston Breakers (3-5-4, 13 pts.) - 4:00 p.m. (ET) - PAX TV (National Broadcast) (Season Series: San Jose leads 1-0-0) (All-time Series History: San Jose leads 2-1-1) In a rematch of the 2002 season opener, the CyberRays will head to Nickerson Field to face the Breakers on Saturday. San Jose's Brandi Chastain gave the CyberRays a 2-1 victory in the last meeting (April 13, 2002) with a goal in the 88th minute, extending the team's win streak over the Breakers to two games. Boston is coming off a club record-setting performance (in goal scoring) with a 5-2 victory over the New York Power last Saturday. Dagny Mellgren and Maren Meinert became only the third tandem in WUSA history to record multiple goals in the same match. Mellgren and Meinert each netted two goals in the win.

Key Players to Watch: San Jose's Katia (7g, 1a, 15 pts.) leads the team in scoring and is tied for sixth in the league in scoring. The Brazilian forward was held scoreless for the first time since June 1 in the CyberRays 2-1 loss to Atlanta on Saturday. Chastain (3g, 2a, 8 pts.) has recorded three of her five career goals versus Boston. With eight points thus far, Chastain is one point shy of her 2001 total. Sissi (6a, 6 pts.) continues to make plays for the CyberRays, recording her sixth assist on Saturday. She is tied for second in the WUSA in assists. Goalkeeper LaKeysia Beene (5-4-2, 1.27 GAA) had her four-game unbeaten streak snapped with the 2-1 loss to Atlanta. Beene's last two defeats came at the hands of the Beat. The San Jose 'keeper is tied for third in goals against average (1.27) and leads the league in Catch/Punches with 60. Scoring five goals on Saturday, Boston set a team record for goals in a game.

Meinert (6g, 6a, 18 pts.) and Mellgren (8g, 16 pts.) each registered two goals last Saturday, moving the forwards to second and fourth among the league's leading scorers respectively. Mellgren's eight goals ties the Norwegian striker for the most goals (with New York's Tiffeny Milbrett) in the WUSA this season. Kristine Lilly (2g, 7a, 11 pts.) tied the WUSA record for assists in a game with three last Saturday. Lilly is currently tied for first (with Carolina's Hege Riise) in assists. Goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc (3-5-4, 1.58 GAA) leads the league in shots faced (78) and is tied for second in saves (52).

Key Matchup: (San Jose midfielder Sissi versus Boston midfielder Kristine Lilly) - Two very talented midfielders go head-to-head this weekend. Each will try to set the tempo for their club while shutting down any opportunities for their opponent. Numbers one and two in assists this season, Lilly and Sissi will try and continue to set their teammates up with solid scoring chances.

The "Inside Scoop": Neither team has had much trouble scoring as of late. San Jose has recorded eight goals in its last three matches while Boston has registered six during that same stretch. The Breakers will look to carry over the momentum of their record-setting performance on Saturday (five goals). San Jose was riding a four-game unbeaten streak until the loss to Atlanta last Saturday. The CyberRays have beaten the Breakers in two straight, dating back to July 15, 2001 at Nickerson Field.

They Said it: "Coming off a disappointing loss, we need to get back on a winning track and get the mentality of that figured out. We've got to try and put some distance between us and some of the bottom teams. I really see two key matchups: Boston's front line against our back line and our front line against Boston's back line. How that comes out in the wash will determine the game.'' - San Jose CyberRays Head Coach Ian Sawyers on Boston.

Referee: Terry Vaughn. Assistant Referees: Brenda Wright, Claudiu Badea. 4th Official: Bahij Salman.

Saturday, June 29, 2002 - Washington Freedom (4-5-3, 15 pts.) at New York Power (2-8-1, 7 pts.) - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - Metro Channel (New York); CSN-DC (Washington) (Season Series: New York leads 1-0-0) (All-time Series History: Series tied 2-2-0) New York registered four unanswered goals in a 4-1 victory over Washington on April 13, 2002, drawing the all-time series at 2-2-0. New York's Tiffeny Milbrett started the scoring for the Power with a couple of goals, giving the league's leading scorer her third and fourth career goals versus Washington. Following the victory, the Power went winless in its next five matches while the Freedom won two of its next three. Washington's Abby Wambach recorded her first point in the season opener and continued to produce for the Freedom in her next four matches.

Key Players to Watch: Washington's Mia Hamm (2g, 1a, 5 pts.) will face the Power for the first time in 2002. Hamm has recorded a goal or an assist in two of the Freedom's last three matches. Wambach (6g, 4a, 16 pts.) is tied for fourth among the league leaders in scoring. She is the only rookie to be ranked in the top five in scoring and leads the Freedom in both goals scored and assists. Goalkeeper Siri Mullinix (2-3-3, 1.24 GAA) leads the league in save percentage (81.5%) while ranking second in goals against average (1.24). New York's Milbrett (8g, 5a, 21 pts.) continues to cause problems for opposing defense with a league-high eight goals. Milbrett has been involved in 13 of the Power's 18 goals this season. Emily Janss (4g, 1a, 9 pts.) continues to be a spark off the bench, eclipsing her goal total from last season (1). Goalkeeper Gao Hong (0-1-0, 5.00 GAA) made her 2002 debut on Saturday after missing the first half of the season while recovering from wrist surgery.

Key Matchup: (Washington forward Abby Wambach versus New York defender Tammy Pearman) - Wambach will look to continue to find the back of the net, scoring three goals in the team's last three matches. Pearman will be called upon to use her strength and speed to shutdown one of the league's most dangerous players.

The "Inside Scoop": Washington is undefeated in four of its last five matches, recording eight goals during that span. The Power has dropped four straight (heading into Wednesday's game). However, New York has not had any trouble finding the back of the net, registering six goals in its last four games. The league's seventh rated offense (Washington - 1.33 goals per game) will face the WUSA's eighth rated defense (New York - 2.82 goals per game).

They Said it: "We must contain Milbrett and deny her service to have success against the Power. If we do, I think we can score goals against this team." - Washington Head Coach Jim Gabarra on New York.

Referee: Kari Seitz. Referee Assistants: Sharon Wheeler, Sarah Kraus. 4th Official: John Konstantinidis.

Saturday, June 29, 2002 - Atlanta Beat (6-4-1, 19 pts.) at Philadelphia Charge (7-1-3, 24 pts.) - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - CN8 (Philadelphia); WB 36 (Atlanta) (Season Series: Philadelphia leads 1-0-0) (All-time Series History: Series tied 1-1-2) Two of top teams in the WUSA face off on Saturday as Atlanta heads to Philadelphia. The Charge defeated Atlanta 2-0 during the first week of the season (April 13), tying the all-time series 1-1-2. Kelly Smith and Zhao Lihong each netted goals in the Charge's first victory of the season. The win was the first ever for the Charge versus the Beat. Philadelphia would go on to win its next three matches. Atlanta would get off to a 1-3-0 start after that loss. The Beat has since gone undefeated in six of its last seven matches.

Key Players to Watch: Atlanta's Charmaine Hooper (6g, 1a, 13 pts.) has scored in three of the team's last four outings. The Canadian striker leads the league in game-winning goals (4). Cindy Parlow (4g, 1a, 9 pts.), who notched the game-winning goal on Saturday versus San Jose, has tallied two goals in her last three matches. Goalkeeper Briana Scurry (6-4-1, 1.27 GAA) recorded her sixth win on Saturday, tying her for second in wins this season. Scurry ranks third in winning percentage (59.1%) while leading the league in shutouts in 2002 with four. Philadelphia's Marinette Pichon (7g, 1a, 15 pts.) is tied for sixth among the league's leading scorers. The French international was held scoreless on Sunday for the first time in four matches. Philadelphia goalkeeper Melissa Moore (7-1-3, 0.82 GAA) is the only 'keeper in the WUSA with a goals against average below 1.00. Moore leads the league in winning percentage (77.3%) and wins (7). Moore ranks second in saves (52) and shutouts (3).

Key Matchup: (Atlanta defender Sharolta Nonen versus Philadelphia forward Marinette Pichon) - Philadelphia's most dangerous threat, Pichon will look to keep her club atop the WUSA standings. Nonen will look to disrupt Philadelphia's flow by keeping Pichon from making plays and hold the league's second highest rated offense (1.82 goals per game) from finding the back of the net.

The "Inside Scoop": Philadelphia is undefeated in six straight matches. The league's second rated offense has scored in four straight matches. Atlanta is undefeated in four of its last five and will look to crack the WUSA's stingiest defense (0.82 goals per game). Philadelphia is the league's only undefeated team at home (3-0-2). Atlanta has won its last three road matches.

They Said it: "Obviously, the Charge has had a great first half of the season. The key to their effort is team balance. They have quality in each line of their team. They are physical in the back, hard working and creative in midfield and deadly up front. They may only start with one player up front, but they get plenty of people in the right places once they get going forward. Pichon has been the key addition, especially with the loss of Smith (best player in the league when she got hurt), she is a player no one has been able to contain.'' - Atlanta Beat Head Coach Tom Stone on Philadelphia.

Referee: Rachel Woo. Referee Assistants: Kelly Lee, Karalee Sutton. 4th Official: Tony Russo.

Saturday, June 29, 2002 - San Diego Spirit (2-6-2, 9 pts.) at Carolina Courage (6-2-3, 21 pts.) - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - Fox Sports South (Carolina); Cox 4 (San Diego) (Season Series: Carolina leads 1-0-0) (All-time Series History: Carolina leads 3-0-1) San Diego will head to North Carolina to face their chief nemesis. The Spirit has never beaten Carolina in four attempts. The last attempt resulted in a 2-1 loss in the 2002 San Diego opener (April 13). An own goal by Joy Fawcett gave the Courage its first road win of the 2002 campaign. Carolina has gone on to become the only team in the WUSA with an undefeated record on the road (4-0-2). Carolina has defeated San Diego three times in the last four matches.

Key Players to Watch: San Diego's Zhang Ouying (5g, 2a, 12 pts.) notched a 49th-minute game-tying goal to snap the Spirit's four-game losing streak on Sunday. Lori Lindsey (1g, 5a, 7 pts.) has controlled midfield for the Spirit, leading the team and all rookies in assists this season. Goalkeeper Jaime Pagliarulo (2-6-3, 1.84 GAA) will be looking for her first win since May 19 (1-0 over Philadelphia). Carolina's Danielle Fotopoulos (7g, 3a, 17 pts.) had her four-game, goal-scoring streak snapped on Saturday, The Carolina forward ranks third in the league in scoring and is tied for third among the WUSA's goal scoring leaders. Midfielder Hege Riise (3g, 7a, 13 pts.) is tied for first in assists in the WUSA after recording two on Saturday. Goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill (6-2-3, 1.36 GAA) leads the league in saves (65). She currently ranks second in wins (6) and winning percentage (68.2%). In each of her first five matches in the WUSA, forward Birgit Prinz (3g, 2a, 8 pts.) has registered at least a goal or an assist.

Key Matchup: (San Diego defenders Anna Kraus and Amy Sauer versus Carolina midfielder Hege Riise and forward Danielle Fotopoulos) - The Courage offensive players have the size advantage over the Spirit rookies, but they will defend with tactical and smart play to shut down the potent Courage attack. However, Fotopoulos has been tremendous against the Spirit in the air, a place where Carolina has dominated over San Diego.

The "Inside Scoop": The Spirit snapped a four-game losing streak by drawing a 1-1 tie with the Philadelphia Charge. In the past five games San Diego has trailed at the half. San Diego also has allowed a goal in 10 of 11 games. Carolina remains undefeated on the road and just came off of a 3-1 win over the Washington Freedom. Carolina stands at second place in the WUSA standings and has yet to be shut out this year. The league's top ranked offense (Carolina - 1.91 goals per game) will face the WUSA's seventh rated defense (San Diego - 1.91 goals per game).

They Said it: "San Diego has an explosive attack. The best way to defend them is to hold possession. Obviously, you have to respect the talent of Shannon MacMillan and Zhang Ouying. We can never defend them alone. We must always have defensive cover." - Carolina Courage Head Coach Marcia McDermott.

Referee: Erich Simmons. Referee Assistants: Fabio Tovar, Kim Oberle. 4th Official: Daniel A. Burak.

TEAM INJURY REPORTS AS OF 6/24/02
ATLANTA BEAT: OUT - D Lisa Krzykowski (L broken ulna); PROBABLE - F Sun Wen (left adductor strain); M Liping Wang (R knee contusion).
BOSTON BREAKERS: OUT - D Heather Aldama (pulled left groin).
CAROLINA COURAGE: OUT -F Kim Yankowski (lower back strain); PROBABLE - Carla Overbeck (R knee surgery); D/M Erin Baxter (R ankle sprain).
NEW YORK POWER: None.
PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: OUT - M Kelly Smith (R ACL tear).
SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: DOUBTFUL - F Shannon MacMillan (R foot strain); QUESTIONABLE - D Rhiannon Tanaka (R hamstring strain)
SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: OUT - F Megan Horvath (L knee meniscus tear); QUESTIONABLE - Kim Clark (R ankle sprain); PROBABLE - D Kelly Lindsey (R knee surgery.).
WASHINGTON FREEDOM: OUT - D Lindsey Stoecker (L ACL tear) SEASON ENDING INJURIES: PHILADELPHIA - F Rakel Karvelsson (R ACL tear).

NATIONAL TEAM DUTY AS OF 6/24/02
ATLANTA BEAT: None.
BOSTON BREAKERS: None.
CAROLINA COURAGE: None.
NEW YORK POWER: FINLAND - Minna Mustonen
PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: None.
SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: None.
SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: None.
WASHINGTON FREEDOM: None.

suspension Summary 6/24/02

Player Team Suspension Reason

Mercy Akide San Diego Spirit 6/29 versus Carolina Red Card 6/23 versus Philadelphia

Warning Summary 6/24/02

Player Team Reason

Thori Bryan San Jose CyberRays 3 Non-Consecutive Yellow Cards Accumulated (A caution in the next game will result in a 1 game suspension =4 non-consecutive cards accumulated)

Kelly Lindsey San Jose CyberRays 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: Charmaine Hooper returned from a one-game suspension to score and Cindy Parlow added the game-winner in Atlanta's 2-1 victory over San Jose on June 22 at Herndon Stadium ... Hooper has now scored in four consecutive matches against San Jose ... Atlanta has not defeated San Jose in four of five regular season meetings ... San Jose did defeat Atlanta at Founders Cup I to win the inaugural WUSA championship last year ... After starting the season 1-3-1 with nine goals against in the first five games and a 1.80 goals against average, the Beat has given up only five goals in the past six games for a 0.83 goals against average ... The Beat's current goals against average stands at 1.27, tied with San Jose as the second stingiest defense in the WUSA ... Parlow continues to be the WUSA's most fouled player with 36 fouls suffered ... Hooper leads the WUSA in fouls committed with 36 ... Atlanta leads all WUSA clubs with 183 fouls and 16 cautions.

BOSTON BREAKERS: Dagny Mellgren and Maren Meinert each scored two goals as the Boston Breakers downed the New York Power 5-2 on June 22 at Nickerson Field ... The five goals were a club record for Boston ... "I thought we took our chances well and created some great opportunities. One of the things we tried to work on all week was to get more people involved in the game. I think we did just that,'' said Breakers coach Jay Hoffman after the win ... Kristine Lilly set a Breakers record with three assists and tied the WUSA mark ... She is now tied for the league lead in assists with seven ... Meinert is the second leading scorer in the WUSA with six goals, six assists for 18 points ... Meinert had her first two-goal game of her WUSA career in the 5-2 win over New York ... It was also Meinert's seventh multiple-point game in her two-year career ... Dagny Mellgren has scored two goals three times this season, twice vs. New York ... She is tied with Tiffeny Milbrett for the league lead in most goals with eight on the season ... Karina LeBlanc and Chrisy McCann remain the only players on the Breakers roster to have played every minute of every game this season as Meinert played only 65 minutes against New York ... It was the first game this season she did not play a full 90 minutes ... LeBlanc's 53 saves are tied for second in the WUSA ... Boston has a WUSA-low eight cautions this season ... The Breakers are unbeaten at home, going 2-0-3 at Nickerson Field in 2002 ... Philadelphia is the only other WUSA team with an unbeaten record at home this season.

CAROLINA COURGE: Carolina continued its dominance on the road last week, maintaining its distinction as the only unbeaten road team in the WUSA at 4-0-2 when the Courage downed Washington 3-1 on June 22 at RFK Stadium ... However, in the battle for first place at SAS Stadium on June 19, Philadelphia defeated the Courage 3-1 ... On Saturday in the Nation's Capital, Danielle Fotopoulos and Birgit Prinz extended their point scoring streaks to five games each in the victory over the Freedom ... Prinz scored on a diving header and Venus James tallied her first two career WUSA goals ... "(Venus James) has been on fire in practice with consistency and productivity. That translated into a great day on the field today." - Carolina Head Coach Marcia McDermott on James' performance ... German national team star Prinz has now registered either a goal or an assist in every game in which she has played for the Courage ... With 10 regular season games remaining, the Courage has already earned 21 points - which is as many as the 2001 team earned all last year ... Courage midfielder Hege Riise, who helped to set up Birgit Prinz's goal in the 67th minute against Washington, has handed out seven helpers in 10 games for the Courage and is tied for the WUSA lead in assists (with Boston's Kristine Lilly) ... Fotopoulos, who led the Courage in scoring last year, is currently third in the WUSA in scoring with seven goals and three assists for 17 points ... Fotopoulos continues to lead the WUSA with 52 shots ... Fotopoulos ranks second in shots on goal (behind San Jose's Katia) with 25 ... Carolina, which scored only 28 goals in all of 2001, has the WUSA most explosive offense this season ... Through 11 games, the Courage has scored a WUSA-high 21 goals, including 13 in its last five matches.

NEW YORK POWER: Tiffeny Milbrett had a goal and an assist, but the Power's defense was unable to contain a potent Boston attack in a 5-2 defeat to the Breakers June 22 at Nickerson Field ... Emily Janss scored her fourth goal of the season for New York's other score ... Although the Power sit in last place, Milbrett continues to lead the WUSA in scoring with eight goals and five assists for 21 points ... The New York co-captain is currently tied with Boston's Dagny Mellgren in overall goals with eight ... Through 11 games this season, the Power has allowed 31 goals ... New York allowed only 25 goals all of last season ...The Power has been involved in all three highest scoring games in WUSA history, losing them all (6-1 @ San Diego, April 20; 4-3 @ San Jose, June 15; 5-2 @ Boston, June 22) ... New York picked up their first home victory of the 2002 season, defeating the San Diego Spirit, 2-1 on May 25 ... New York is now 1-4-0 at home this season. Last year, the Power recorded a 4-3-3 record at Mitchel Athletic Complex, in Uniondale, NY ... New York's offense ranks third in the WUSA at 1.64 goals per game, but the Power defense is allowing the most goals in the WUSA at 2.82 goals per match.

PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: The Charge held on to a 1-1 draw with the San Diego Spirit on Sunday evening to extend the team's undefeated streak to six games ... Philadelphia is 3-0-3 in its last six outings ... Forward Marinette Pichon had her four-game, goal-scoring streak snapped on Sunday ... The French forward had scored six of the last eight Philadelphia goals prior to Sunday ... Goalkeeper Melissa Moore recorded 17 saves in two matches this past week while improving her record to 7-1-3 ... Moore is the only 'keeper in the WUSA with a goals against average below 1.00 (0.82) ... The Charge is 11-1-1 all-time when registering the first goal of a match ...Philadelphia has the second rated offense in the WUSA (1.82 goals per game) ... The Charge has the league's stingiest defense (0.82 goals per game) ... Philadelphia remains the only team to not allow a goal during the first 15 minutes of action ... Philadelphia is the only team with an undefeated record at home this season (3-0-2).

SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: San Diego snapped a four-game losing skid after tying first place Philadelphia 1-1 on Sunday evening ... Despite competing a player down for 75 minutes (Mercy Akide red card in the 15th minute), the Spirit battled back to tie the first place Charge ... With Philadelphia's goal coming on an own goal in the 45th minute, San Diego has not allowed the Philadelphia offense to score a goal though two meetings this season ... Recently acquired Anna Kraus made her first start on Sunday ... Akide's red card was the team's second in history (both in 2002) ... San Diego has trailed at the half in five consecutive matches ... The Spirit has allowed a goal in 10 of 11 games ... San Diego has allowed its opponent to score first in five straight matches ... Zhang Ouying's goal in the 49th minute was the team's first at home in 186 minutes and first overall in 154 minutes ... Jen Mascaro saw her first action on Sunday since suffering a broken left foot on April 20, 2002 ... The Spirit has lowest rated offense in the WUSA (1.27 goals per game) .. The Spirit defense is ranked seventh (1.91 goals per game).

SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: San Jose had its four-game unbeaten streak snapped with a 2-1 loss to Atlanta on Saturday ... Tisha Venturini-Hoch's goal in the 43rd minute was not enough as the CyberRays fell to the Beat for the second straight time this season ... Despite defeating Altanta in Founders Cup I, San Jose has never defeated the Beat during the regular season (4-0-1) ... Venturini-Hoch's shot on goal was the only one of the match for the CyberRays setting a new team-record for for fewest shots on goal in a game ... The loss marked the first time in which San Jose has recorded a loss when Venturini-Hoch scored a goal (six times) ... Thori Bryan extended her league-leading minutes played streak to 3,075 ... The San Jose defender has played in every minute of every match (including the playoffs) for the CyberRays ... San Jose will face the Memphis Mercury in an exhibition match on Tuesday, June 25 at 8:00 p.m. in Memphis Tenn. as part of a two-week road trip.

WASHINGTON FREEDOM: Washington had its club-record, four-game unbeaten streak snapped with a 3-1 loss to Carolina on Saturday ... The loss was the first for the Freedom since the return of Mia Hamm ... The loss also snapped the team's club-record, two-game winning streak ... Abby Wambach was held scorless on Saturday. However, she is still tied for fourth in scoring among the league leaders ... Wambach is the only rookie to rank in the top five in scoring ... Bai Jie scored her first goal of the season after coming in off the bench in the 62nd minute ... Goalkeeper Siri Mullinix is second in the league in goals against average (1.24) and leads the league in save percentage (81.5%) ... Washington's offense is ranked seventh (1.33 goals per game) ... The Freedom's team defense ranks fifth in the league (1.42 goals per game).



Women's United Soccer Association Stories from June 24, 2002


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