Bye Bye WUSA for 2004: Charge-San Jose exhibition [R]

The Philadelphia Charge closed out the WUSA Festival with a soccer clinic at the expense of the CyberRays, 2-0. Goals by Marinette Pichon and Kristine Lilly, plus a relentless, foot-to-their-throats game plan rendered San Jose impotent for most of the game. Melissa Moore was barely tested in the first half, and Siri Mullinix pinch-hit for the injured Karina LeBlanc and preserved the shutout. Every aspect of the Charge's game was clicking. It was breathtaking to watch.

And to think I switched to DirecTV and got a Tivo as one of the two receivers

Stats in a bit. And anyone who saw the game, do post here; it's the last time you'll get the chance to for a long time

Paul

 

And who raised their Athens stock today and whose declined, in your opinion?

Paul

 

Makinen in her limited minutes was pretty good out there, (cue Cachundo)

It was just a splendid performance today, and if the league does bid adieu, it got one hell of a send-off. I think the league is done. 7,123 today at Carson, less than an average Charge home game. There are whispers in the WUSA forum here that the attendance numbers for Blaine were inflated, if that's even possible.

All in all, I got to see the Charge play one more time (I don't want to say one last time, since I still hold out a sliver of hope for a restart in 2005), yet I can't help but feel today was The End. I don't know if anyone still reads this board who are affiliated with the team, but I for one would like to publicly thank you all for a game we will remember for all the right reasons.

You done good, Charge, really really good.

Paul

 

First AP story on today's games:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/soccer/06/27/bc.soc.wusasoccer.ap/index.html

Paul

 

Stats (what little there are of them):

Shots 16-11 PHL (no shots on goal were recorded on the stat sheet)
Saves 5-4 PHL
Fouls 5-2 PHL

Paul

 

Cyber Soccer News (more in-depth) and Soccer America's takes on yesterday:

http://www.cybersoccernews.com/wusa/040627WUSA.shtml and
http://www.socceramerica.com/article.asp?Art_ID=562134710

Paul

 

7,123, but it sure didn't look like it by the second game. There was a school of thought that all of the crowd had moved to the shaded part of HDC and the sunny side that everyone saw on TV wasn't that populated (understatement).

I've accepted the fact that there will probably not be a WUSA next year, and I resolve to try to make it to one NJ Wildcats game, and to root for Heather to make the Athens final cut. It was a great case of what would have been if the Charge had been truly healthy. Like seeing Real, without the baggage that came with them this season.

Paul