Breakers at Beat 4/12 Pre-game

nsa · Apr 8, 2003

With the game being on "national" TV (4PM ET, PAX), this week's WUSA Insider has a feature on the match

Week Two Match-up Highlight: Boston @ Atlanta

ATLANTA (April 7, 2003) - They each opened the season with a win, and when the Atlanta Beat and Boston Breakers face off this Saturday at 4:00 p.m., in Atlanta on PAX TV, they will each be desperately trying to put a second notch in their win column.

As everyone learned in the first two seasons of the WUSA, wins are precious, especially early in the season. A year ago, Atlanta and Boston both dug themselves holes with early season losses, which they had to struggle to dig out of the rest of the season.

A unique matchup for Week Two of the 2003 season awaits the Beat and Breakers. Here are some things to watch as Beth Mowins and Anson Dorrance call the action.

1. Teammates against Teammates: One of the more interesting aspects of the WUSA is when players who represent their countries together go against one another on weekends. Canada will be well represented in the match. Sharolta Nonen is a defender for Atlanta and Canada, and Atlanta's Charmaine Hooper will be trying to score against her country's goalkeeper, Karina LeBlanc, Boston's starter. Meanwhile, Boston's Mexican international Monica Gonzalez will be trying to keep Maribel Dominguez, Mexico's star forward, from attacking Boston's goal. Each team has an offensive-minded German player in Boston's Maren Meinert and Atlanta's Conny Pohlers.

The USA will be represented by current national team members Cindy Parlow and Briana Scurry of Atlanta and Kristine Lilly, Angela Hucles and Kate Sobrero of Boston.

2. Keep an eye on Cindy: Cindy Parlow, Atlanta's crafty forward, can set the tone of a match by herself. She did that in last week's 5-0 season-opening win over New York. "I thought Cindy really got the rest of our team going and backed New York up. It just energized everyone," Beat head coach Tom Stone said. Boston, of course, will be looking to keep Parlow under wraps.

3. Constant motion: Kristine Lilly never lets up. The Boston midfielder, who has been a mainstay in the U.S. national team lineup for well over a decade, is always running. You'll see her at both ends of the field making crucial plays. She carries a WUSA record 11-game point-scoring streak into the match.

4. Speedy Beat: When reviewing his 2002 team, coach Tom Stone thought the Beat lacked speed. So through international signings and draft picks, Stone raised the team's speed limit . a lot. Dominguez, a member of the Mexican national team, starts at forward with Hooper, the team's leading scorer for the past two seasons, giving Atlanta a dynamic one-two punch.

5. M&Ms: When Boston scores - and they scored 36 times last season - Dagny Mellgren and Maren Meinert are usually involved. Last season, Mellgren and Meinert combined for 18 goals and 18 assists, ranking them among the most potent combinations in the WUSA. Last week in Boston's season-opener at San Diego, they each scored in a 2-1 win.

6. The last 10 minutes: There is a highly recommended suggestion for anyone watching WUSA games on TV - don't turn it off until the final whistle. All eight league clubs have histories of fighting until the very end, and comebacks have been plenty over the first two seasons. Last week, only one match - Atlanta's 5-0 win over New York - was decided before the 90th minute.

7. Goals aplenty: Boston is, and always has been, considered one of the most explosive offensive teams in the league. Meinert, Mellgren and Lilly have been referred to by opposing coaches, Atlanta's Stone included, as "The Triangle of Death." On the other hand, the Beat scored five times in their season-opener and no one had more than one goal. Common sense says that this game could be wide open.
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jc in nh · Apr 9, 2003

Funny, that was the EXACT sentence I was about to write, substituting "Breakers" for "Beat".

Breakers have done relatively well against the Beat in the past. That was before we had Pia ... and you don't!

nordby1 · Apr 10, 2003

Canada will be well represented in the match. Sharolta Nonen is a defender for Atlanta and Canada, and Atlanta's Charmaine Hooper will be trying to score against her country's goalkeeper, Karina LeBlanc, Boston's starter. Meanwhile, Boston's Mexican international Monica Gonzalez will be trying to keep Maribel Dominguez, Mexico's star forward, from attacking Boston's goal. Each team has an offensive-minded German player in Boston's Maren Meinert and Atlanta's Conny Pohlers.
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What an intriguing match-up for the second nationally televised match of this season.

I was really impressed with how well Gonzalez handled a big physical player like Latham so I would expect to see her start against Hooper, Parlow, and her Mexican teammate Domniguez. To get more size in the lineup I wonder if Pia will start both Gonzalez and Chrissy McCann? It will also be interesting to see if the newest Breaker, Rebekah McDowell, who played for Pia in Philly last season, sees a lot of action on Saturday.

Too bad Ragnhild Gulbrandsen won't be ready to play this week because the Breakers could really use another big physical target player especially on the set pieces. Hopefully Ragnhild will be back in time for the next time the Breakers play against the Beat in late May.

nsa · Apr 10, 2003

To get more size in the lineup I wonder if Pia will start both Gonzalez and Chrissy McCann?
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The problem would be, who would play out wide? Both Gonzalez and McCann play better in the center. While Sobrero may play wide for the USWNT, I don't think the other two can pair up in the middle with Atlanta's offense. Aldama does a credible job on the outside, although her passing leaves something to be desired.

I'm looking forward to the midfield battles with Lilly, Hawkins, and Mugneret-Beghe against Sawa, Parslow, and Serlenga.

And I'm really happy that I'll be able to watch it on TV. Matchtrack leaves too much to the imagination.

nsa · Apr 11, 2003

Breakers Upbeat

Beat Looks to Continue Offensive Fireworks

Committed LeBlanc plays for keeps
nsa note to Jamie: LeBlanc was not a rookie last year.
note #2: LeBlanc went to U of Nebraska, not Minnesota

jc in nh · Apr 11, 2003

Also, counter to what it says in "Breakers Upbeat" the Breakers-Beat match is at 4PM (not 7PM) on PAX.

nsa · Apr 11, 2003

Originally posted by jc in nh
Also, counter to what it says in "Breakers Upbeat" the Breakers-Beat match is at 4PM (not 7PM) on PAX.
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Thanks for the heads up. I have let the editors know.

The match time is in the sidebar that shows for all WUSA stories, not in the article. Phew. You had me worried for a moment. No telling what I might write with a deadline looming.

nsa · Apr 11, 2003

Stressing Team Defense

nsa · Apr 11, 2003

Go Breakers!

Recognition comes in rush for Beat's Maribel Dominguez

Reminder: 4 PM on your local PAX station