Spirit vs Charge, pre/post game [R]

Nothing up at the WUSA site yet on the matchup.

San Diego will be without their two top scorers, Mac and 'Fleets.' Philadelphia will be missing Arrington, Scasna, and Smith. I'm assuming that Latham will start up front for us (if the problem that took her out of the last game has gotten better), so the lineup would look something like this:

Latham - Sullivan
Connors - Wagner - Zhang
Daniela - Foudy
Lisa K - Fawcett - Pickup
Pags

Available subs would be: Nielsen, Bush, R. Fair, Alfiler, Rohbock, Tanaka, Branam

The Charge seem to be in a state of flux, so it's difficult to say who some of their mids and backs will be and where they will play. You might want to check out the thread on the game in their forum to see what they think.

https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=53124

My best guess at this point is:

Pichon - E. Burt
Benson - Hoffman - Mitts
Makinen - Tullock
McVeigh - J. Tietjen - L. Fair
Moore?

Subs: Borisjuk, Hall, Kruze, Maso de Moya, Misaki, Solo

Forecast right now for Saturday at 6pm is 63 degrees, mostly cloudy, and 90% humidity.

 

Comeback Kids
San Diego hopes to start and end strong against Philadelphia, by Jorge Palacios

“We’ve come a long way,” said Namazi after last Saturday’s tie against the Beat, “If we can play more like the way we did in the second half, I like our chances at the end of the season. But we just got to play with more urgency right at the start of the game.” - Coach Namazi

http://www.cybersoccernews.com/wusa/sandiego/030604sds-phladv.shtml

***
And here is the CSN article on the Charge:

Charge head west to battle Spirit
Progress being made from early season slump, by Brian J. Hegarty

http://www.cybersoccernews.com/wusa/philadelphia/030604phl-sdsadv.shtml

 

Spirit E-Newsletter Notes:

***

Note: Saturday is also Player Photo Day, from 3:45-4:30pm.

OPPONENTS' LAST MATCH:
May 31, 2-2 tie against Carolina

HEAD COACH:
Mark Krikorian, 3rd Year

KEY PLAYERS: (All-time stats v. San Diego)
Marinette Pichon (5 g, 1a, 11pts.)
Stacey Tullock (1g, 4a, 6pts.)

HISTORY:
1-3-2 vs. Philadelphia
1-1-1 at San Diego
0-0-0 in 2003

LAST MEETING:
8/3/02, 1-3 loss @ Philadelphia


OPPONENTS' NOTES:
* Marinette Pichon registered her sixth career multiple-goal
game after scoring two goals versus Carolina on Saturday, May 31. Pichon has scored five goals in the Charge's last four games.

* Midfielder Stacey Tullock notched her team-leading fourth assist of the 2003 season on May 31. In three matches versus the Spirit, she has tallied a goal.

* Midfielder Melanie Hoffmann (1g, 3a, 5 pts.) registered her third assist of the season versus Carolina. This will be Hoffmann's first meeting with San Diego.

* Despite allowing 18 goals (second most in the WUSA), the Charge has allowed the fewest shots against (69)... Philadelphia ranks sixth in team
offense (1.43 goals per game) and seventh in team defense (2.57 goals per game).

THE OUTLOOK
The Philadelphia Charge come to San Diego tonight for the first and only time this season. The game is the first of a home-and-home series between the clubs. The pre-season favorites to win the WUSA championship have fallen on some hard times early in the campaign, but still boast one of the most
talented attacking players in the world in Frenchwoman Marinette Pichon, the 2002 WUSA MVP. Pichon led France to its first-ever Women's World Cup berth, defeating England in a home-and-home playoff series, and she will try to lead Les Bleus into the second round during the tournament that will be played in the United States from late September to early October. Count on Pichon, one of the top stars in the WUSA, to bring her vast goal-scoring talents to the world's stage this fall. The Charge will likely be without talented English international Kelly Smith, who is on the back end of her rehabilitation for a torn meniscus, and also lost forward Deliah Arrington for the season with a torn ACL, putting even more pressure on Pichon to
score goals. The Charge defense, one of the best in the league last season, still boasts some talented players in outside backs Heather Mitts and
Southern Californian Jenny Benson, two of the best attacking defenders in the league, as well as Jen Tietjen-Prozzo, a rock solid center back. In goal, the Charge have an interesting mix of Melissa Moore, the starter for the first two years - both playoff runs - and first-round draft choice Hope
Solo, the top young goalkeeper in the country. The two have been battling for playing time this season and either one could start tonight. The Charge
have not received much production from two of its internationals in Czech Pavlina Scasna, who has been injured for most of the year, and skillful
German Melanie Hoffmann, but both are dangerous attacking players whose support of Pichon from the midfield is desperately needed.

2003 INDIVIDUAL SPIRIT STREAKS
FLEETING...has a goal in 4 of 6 games...has multi-pts in 4 of 6 games...has
a point in 5 games...has an assist in 1 game...has a goal in 2 of 3 road
games...has points in 3 road games.
FOUDY...has a goal in 2 games...has a PK in 2 games...has multi-pts. in 2
games... has an assist in 1 of 3 games...has a point in 3 of 4 games.
PAGLIARULO ... is unbeaten in 6 games...has won 1 of 2 games
ZHANG...has an assist in 1 of 2 games...has points in 1 of 2 games.

 

Spirit Seeks Charged Offense, by John Philip Wyllie

“Even when she is here, we can’t expect Fleeting to score in every game and be our only offensive weapon,” Namazi said. “We need to find other people to step up and carry the load a little bit for us. We have to find other ways to score.”

We think Philadelphia is a quality team,” Namazi said. “With (2002 WUSA MVP Marinette) Pichon, anything can happen. They can sit back and absorb all the pressure and hit you on the counter-attack using her speed and ability. We need to make sure our players know that and understand that we go into every game prepared for each team. We need to make sure that we don’t take them lightly.”

http://sandiegospirit.com/press_room/spotlight_on/366599.html

The article has a picture of Zhang in a game. Maybe this is an omen, and she will score and the team win. Then after the game she could use her new-found command of English to address the fans on the PA!

 

Weakened Charge hungry, by Mark Zeigler

"The Charge needs to win, period, as it tries to avoid falling too far behind with too few games remaining. The Spirit needs to win now because this and the next four games are against teams behind them in the standings – and the only two that are on the road are against the last-place Charge."

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/uniontrib/sat/sports/news_1s7spirit.html

There is a sidebar to the article. Part of what Mark Zeigler has to say:

Coach Omid Namazi said he might try Kerry Connors at forward - her sixth position of the season. Connors played for the Charge last season before Namazi acquired her in a WUSA draft-day trade.

Namazi's big point of emphasis will be "tightening the defense in the first 10 to 15 minutes" and not allowing yet another early goal.

Defender Rhiannan Tanaka, who rejoined the team last month after retiring in the preseason, could be ready to play as a sub today.

Ben Branam, the older brother of backup goalkeeper Jenni Branam, is back from his tour of duty with the Marines in Iraq and will attend today's game.

 

For those of you out of town...

It rained late last night or early this morning, and there was mist in the air until an hour or two ago. so the streets and grass is wet, and it is completely overcast.

The forecast for game time is 63, partly cloudy, and 90% humidity.

 

Spirit sleeps through another wake-up call; Again, a slow start leads to tough loss, by Mark Zeigler

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/uniontrib/sun/sports/news_1s8spirit.html

 

Spirit Press Release on game:

***

SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Spirit had their seven-game unbeaten streak broken by a 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Charge. The Spirit gave up two early goals, back-to-back in the 9th and 10th minutes, and despite a Julie Foudy penalty kick in the 20th minute, couldn't recover from the early deficit. The Charge won its second game of the year and moved to 2-5-1 (7 points).

Both Charge goals came off long throw-ins from Jennifer Tietjen-Prozzo that bounced in the penalty area and produced world-class finishes from Frenchwoman Marinette Pichon and German Melanie Hoffmann, who both scored of first-time volleys. The goal gave Pichon 20 for her WUSA career and Hoffman's strike may well be a candidate for goal of the year.

After going down 2-0 on the first two Charge shots of the afternoon, the Spirit controlled the rest of the match and Philadelphia fired just one more shot on goal during the entire game. The Spirit pulled a goal back in the 20th minute after Lorrie Fair was called for a handball in the penalty area when she knocked down Kerry Connors' cross with her left arm. Foudy stepped up to drill her third penalty kick goal in as many games.

Chinese international Zhang Ouying had several good chances in the match, including one in the 14th minute after Fair was disposed in the back. Zhang got behind the Charge defense, but from a bad angle, rolled her shot wide left.

In the 35th minute, Spirit midfielder Aly Wagner struck a free kick from the left side of the penalty area, but Charge goalkeeper Melissa Moore made a solid save, pushing the ball over the crossbar.

The Spirit was playing without leading scorer Julie Fleeting, away on national team duty with Scotland, and San Diego's finishing suffered. Zhang had another great chance in the 53rd minute as a nifty pass put her one-on-one with Moore, but she took her angle away with a dribble and Moore saved the shot. Allie Sullivan managed to toe poke the ball away from the scrambling Moore, and passed it back to Zhang, but her second shot dribbled harmlessly wide right.

Christine Latham, who played a hard-working match up top for the Spirit, almost pulled off the goal of the year in the 58th minute, hitting an acrobatic scissors kick off corner kick that flew just over the crossbar.

The Charge played low pressure the entire second half, challenging the Spirit to break them down, and took only two shots after the break. The only real Charge danger came in the 72nd minute when Spirit goalkeeper Jaime Pagliarulo bobbled corner kick, but Spirit managed to clear, and in the 78th minute when Pichon burst through on the left side, but slid her shot past the right post.

The Spirit hits the road next weekend, facing the Charge in Philadelphia in a match televised live on PAX TV at 1 p.m. PT. The Spirit will be without their three national team players, Joy Fawcett, Foudy and Wagner, who will be the U.S. National Women's National Team for a match against Ireland in Salt Lake City, but Fleeting will return from Europe to play against the Charge.

--Complete Match Report Follows--

MATCH SUMMARY
Philadelphia 2 0= 2
San Diego 1 0= 1

PHI - Marinette Pichon 6 (Unassisted) 9th minute.
PHI - Melanie Hoffman 2 (Unassisted) 10.
SD - Julie Foudy 3 (Penalty Kick) 20.

PHILADELPHIA CHARGE - Melissa Moore, Jenny Benson, Jen Tietjen-Prozzo, Heather Mitts, Lorrie Fair, Erin Misaki, Stacey Tullock, Anne Makinen, Emily Burt, Melanie Hoffman, Marinette Pichon.
TOTAL SHOTS: 7 (Pichon 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 3 (Three tied with 3); FOULS: 19 (Misaki 5); OFFSIDE: 5; CORNER KICKS: 2; SAVES: (Moore 5); Catch/Punches (Moore 6); CAUTIONS: (Misaki, 82); EJECTIONS: None.

SAN DIEGO SPIRIT - Jaime Pagliarulo, Joy Fawcett, Kim Pickup, Lisa Krzykowski, Kerry Connors (Susan Bush, 61), Daniela (Jen Nielsen, 57), Julie Foudy, Aly Wagner, Allie Sullivan, Christine Latham, Zhang Ouying (Ronnie Fair, 84).
TOTAL SHOTS: 12 (Zhang 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 6 (Latham 2); FOULS: 17 (Four tied with 3); OFFSIDE: 3; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: (Pagliarulo 1); Catch/Punches: (Pagliarulo 0); CAUTIONS (Kim Pickup, 27); EJECTIONS: None.

Referee: Jesse Johnson; Referee's Assistants: Fabio Tovar; Sandra Belmont; 4th Official: Kia Dehpanah.
Attendance: 3,989; Temperature: Misty and 63 degrees.

QUOTES
Mark Krikorian on holding a lead late in a game:
"We thought we had a pretty good position against Carolina (last week), but they came back to knot it. This week, we played a little better, a little smarter and we are coming together."

Krikorian on the attitude of the team:
"Absolutely great. They come to practice and play hard whether we win or lose. I think when things are going bad you have to show your character and this team has done that this is season."

Aly Wagner on the Spirit's problems in the first 10-minutes:
"The second goal was my fault, I should have been marking tighter. We talk about it, but we don't produce on the field. We are aware of what seems to be a weakness on our team and we will have to take care of it."

Aly Wagner on the team's scoring ability:
"We are not finishing. Look at what Philadelphia got. They had chances and they finished them. We had opportunities and didn't. I don't know if it is a lack of concentration or focus."

Julie Foudy on the Spirit's problems in the first 10 minutes:
"I don't know what the problem is, and even worse it's something that we are even focusing on. Simply, we are not marking up on players and we are ball watching. It's not one or two players it's a collective thing. I was thinking about bringing in 10 people and putting them in the box, but we already had 10 people in the box. It is a matter of focus and being awake in the first ten minutes. Hopefully this is something that will pass."

NOTES
· The Spirit sits in fourth place pending the results of two games tomorrow.
· With a win, the Spirit would have been tied for first.
· Both of San Diego's losses have come at home.
· Foudy has a three-game goal and point streak.
· Foudy needs a goal next week to tie the Spirit's consecutive games with a goal record.
· It was Pagliarulo's first loss since opening day.
· The Spirit has not been shutout so far this season.
· The two goals in a two-minute span were the quickest ever two goals against the Spirit.

 

Neither team played well, but Boston's two international players were able to make something of the gifts that they were given on balls bouncing around in the box. Zhang should have scored on one of her chances and should have done more with several other chances.

The newspaper included the 'power stats' for the game, and reflecting how bad the teams played, they were by far the worst of the year. The Charge ended up with a 86 total and the Spirit had a 98. To put that in perspective, here are the ratings for the other home games, starting with the first:

SD-139, Bos-158
SD-170, SJ-153
SD-175, Bos-124
SD-178, Atl-174