Finally, the Spirit will be playing a 'professional' team, as they square off against the Atlanta Beat on Wednesday the 26th. I hope that Susan Bush does well in the return to her home town. I believe that the seeds of the rivalry between the two teams were sown in the very first WUSA preseason game that they played in El Paso. The Beat had the officials in their back pocket that day, scoring on two offsides breakaways and a penalty kick. And it's been 'grudge match city' ever since then. I wonder how much action the national team players on both teams will get. They will probably all still be jet-lagged...
$16? Anyone know why they're pricing tickets so high? The cheapest ticket is $16 - for a pre-season game! I figured they would want to attract lots of local girls' teams and price the tickets at a more reasonable price.
Re: $16? Didn't they have any deals for the girl's club teams or for groups? All the other preseason games with another WUSA game that the Spirit have been involved in during the first two years had some discounts in those categories.
That was a *boys* under-14. The SD Nomads boys u-14 team last year were the national champions for their age group. Those 'boys' normally average 5-6 taller in height and are faster than the women. So I'm surprised that the Spirit beat them so soundly on the scoreboard.
that is what i thought, that it was a boys team. however, it doesnt look good for the spirit of people read only that they beat a U-14 team, as many sources failed to mention they were boys. and... is there really that much of a gap between guys and girls? because i remember the usa national team playing the premier Nomads team and they won.
Yes, there is that much of a gap. I saw the NWT play the Nomads U-14 boys team before they went to the Olympics in 2000, and the game was a tie. The boys averaged around 5 inches taller and were also faster. The NWT players were much more 'soccer savvy' and repeatedly caught the boys offsides. There used to be photos from that game available at the nomads site, but they are no longer there... In 2002, the Nomads boys U-14 team were national champions.
Having coached women for nearly 20 years, I can tell you that the men's game is so much faster and the players are so much stronger. At some point the women cannot compete with technical skill and tactical savvy alone. The Spirit and the WNT have routinely scrimmaged the Nomads boys teams because these teams are well organized, well coached and well mannered (Translation: nobody is going to try to break somebody's leg in a friendly) The first scrimmage I saw this year was v. Wisc. last week and I had forgotten that the women just cannot knock the ball as far or run as fast as, let's say the Galaxy who I saw last night in Fullerton. The only woman I ever saw who could hang with the men was Carin Jennings, who in my opinion is the best female player ever.
Spirit 1, Atlanta 2 #1 Draft Pick Aly Wagner Scores For San Diego; Brazilian International Daniela Makes Spirit Debut FEISTY SPIRIT FALLS TO BEAT, 2-1, IN HOUSTON EXHIBITION HOUSTON - The San Diego Spirit dropped its first game of the preseason, losing 2-1 to the Atlanta Beat in an exhibition match at the Rice University Track & Soccer Stadium. The Spirit's top draft pick, midfielder Aly Wagner, scored for the Spirit off an assist from Canadian international Christine Latham in the 15th minute to tie the game after the Beat had scored an early goal. The Spirit played a physical match on the small field and took 12 shots to the Beat's seven, but Atlanta and U.S. National Team goalkeeper Briana Scurry made a handful of big saves, denying Shannon MacMillan and Allie Sullivan on several occasions. Spirit head coach Omid Namazi, in his first match against a WUSA opponent, substituted liberally, using 18 players as back-up goalkeeper Jenni Branam was the only player not to see action. The Spirit defense played well as Namazi used seven backs over the 90 minutes as he attempts to finalize his starting lineup for the Spirit's season opener on April 5 vs. the Boston Breakers at Torero Stadium. San Diego had more of the possession in the first half when both teams played starters, but gave up a bit of the match in the second half as the each team used a handful of reserves. Beat forward Cindy Parlow scored in just the 4th minute after a costly Spirit giveaway in the back, but the Spirit equalized just over 10 minutes later as Latham raced down the right flank and cut a pass back for Wagner to finish smartly from the penalty spot. Latham, who just returned from Portugal where she played for Canada in the Algarve Cup, caused problems all night for the Beat defense with her physical presence in the attacking third. The Beat had the chance to take the lead in the 35th minute, but Nikki Serlenga missed a penalty kick. The Beat got the winning goal in the 73rd minute on a goalmouth scrum, as Katie Antongiovanni finished the chance from close range. The Spirit's newest international, Brazilian Daniela, who arrived in the USA on Monday, played her first match for the club and was solid in the midfield. Jaime Pagliarulo played the whole game in goal for the Spirit. The match marked a homecoming for Houston native Susan Bush, who played well on the flank. Defender Amy Sauer, also a Houston product, did not make the trip as she is recovering from an ankle injury. Notes Ø The Spirit now travels to Tempe, Arizona where they will face the Arizona State Sun Devils on Saturday at 4 p.m. to conclude the preseason. Ø The Spirit's 2003 Media Day is Wednesday, April 2, at Torero Stadium at 1 p.m. Ø The Spirit opens the regular season on Saturday, April 5, against the Boston Breakers at Torero Stadium. Kickoff is 6 p.m. PT. Ø The WUSA Championship Game - Founders Cup III - is coming to Torero Stadium on August 24, 2003. Ticket information will be available in the coming weeks. Ø Namazi will choose two "Developmental Players" next week to complete his 20-player roster. Statistics San Diego Spirit 1, Atlanta Beat 2 Rice University Track & Soccer Stadium, Houston, Texas March 26, 2003 - 6 p.m. CT Kickoff ------------------ 1 2 = F Atlanta Beat 1 1 = 2 San Diego Spirit 1 0 = 1 Scoring Summary: ATL - Cindy Parlow (n/a) 4th minute. SD - Aly Wagner (Christine Latham) 15. ATL - Katie Antongiovanni (Unassisted) 73. SPIRIT - Jaime Pagliarulo, Joy Fawcett, Amanda Cromwell, Susie Palmer, Julie Foudy, Daniela, Aly Wagner, Shannon MacMillan, Kerry Connors, Allie Sullivan, Christine Latham. Substitutes: Jenny Mascaro, Andrea Alfiler, Lisa Kryzkowski, Susan Bush, Sherice Anders, Ronnie Fair, Kim Pickup. BEAT - Briana Scurry, Kylie Bivens, Sharolta Nonen, Nancy Augustyniak, Leslie Gaston, Ifeoma Dieke, Nikki Serlenga, Homare Sawa, Cindy Parlow, Maribel Dominguez, Charmaine Hooper. Substitutes: Conny Pohlers, Marcie Miller, Abby Crumpton, Katie Antongiovanni. Attendance: 2,000
She hasn't played in a game yet - she has been injured, but I'm not sure what is going on now. I notice that some of the players not put on the 16+2 roster were substitutes. And this is the first that I've heard that Lisa Kryzkowski is with the Spirit.
So is that your new uni or is that just a preseason/practice kit?: From today's (3/27) Houston Chronicle: Bush makes case for WUSA in city By JOSH GAJEWSKI From the 3/22 issue: http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/soc/1831675
Official roster from 3/25: GK-Pags, Branam D-Fawcett, Pickup, Sauer, Fair M-Wagner, Foudy, Neilsen, Mascaro, Zhang, Daniela, Conners F-Mac, Fleeting, Latham Reserve-Sullivan, Bush So Branam and Sauer were injured so didn't play. Zhang and Fleeting are not there yet. Cromwell, Alfiler, Kryzkowski, Palmer and Anders played and are not on the list. Where's Jen (Lalor) Nielsen? Who's kept on development besides Fahey or Finger?