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| Event Spotlight: Pichon Leads Charge Over Beat, 3-0 Emily Burt Adds Goal And Assist As Team Ends Five-Game Skid Saturday, August 2, 2003
By Greg Wiley
Philadelphia Charge Correspondent Marinette Pichon scored twice to lead the Philadelphia Charge over the Atlanta Beat, 3-0, on Saturday night at Villanova Stadium. The Charge (4-11-4, 16 pts) ended an eight-game winless streak (1-6-2) as they recorded their highest goal total in a win this season. The first-place Beat (9-4-6, 33 pts) suffered their second straight setback and failed to secure a playoff berth. Emily Burt added a goal and an assist for the Charge, who had not scored more than two goals in a game since suffering a 5-4 loss to the New York Power on May 3. Jen Tietjen-Prozzo and Stacey Tullock added assists, as Philadelphia ended a franchise worst five-game losing streak. Rookie goalkeeper Hope Solo made two saves for her first career shutout. She improved to 2-4-0 on the year for the Charge, who won for the first time since a 2-0 victory over the San Diego Spirit on June 14. The shutout was the third of the year for the Charge. Pichon ended a four-game scoreless streak, recording two goals for the first time since scoring twice against the Boston Breakers in a 2-2 tie on June 28. The streak had covered a six-game span. However, the Frenchwoman didn't play in two of those games due to injury. The Charge next take the field this Wednesday, August 6 when they host the Washington Freedom and Mia Hamm. Hamm recorded a hat-trick on Saturday and forward Abby Wambach scored twice, leading the Freedom to a 5-0 win over San Jose in Washington. Wambach leads the Freedom this year against the Charge, as the national team member has five goals in two games. Wednesday will also be Fan Appreciation Night. The first 2,000 fans to the game will receive Charge rally towels courtesy of PECO. Leading 1-0 at halftime the Charge took a two-goal lead just five minutes into the second half. After a Beat defender deflected a Lorrie Fair shot, Burt ran onto the loose ball from the left of the net six yards out and one-timed a shot over the top of Beat keeper Briana Scurry. Burt then had a hand in the Charge's third goal, recording a secondary assist on Pichon's goal in the 57th minute. After a clearance from the defensive half by Tietjen-Prozzo, Pichon outraced the Beat defense and touched the ball by Scurry and then touched it again into the net. The goal for Burt was her second of the season and second in as many games. She had played three games earlier this season for the Beat before being released and picked up by the Charge. Atlanta had beaten the Charge twice earlier this season, defeating Philadelphia 4-2 on June 22 and 1-0 on July 16. Coming into tonight's game the Beat needed only one point to clinch a playoff berth. The Charge also ended a three-game losing streak to the Beat, improving to 3-4-2 all-time against the club. In addition, Philadelphia avoided tying a league record winless streak set by the New York Power last season. Nine straight losses by the Power from June 1 - July 20 is the longest in league history. After a number of quality scoring chances, the Charge broke the board first in the 20th minute of play. Tullock started the play when she stripped Atlanta's Nikki Serlenga of the ball in Philadelphia's defensive half. She carried the ball across midfield and fed a through pass to Pichon, who broke away from her defender and beat Scurry low and to the goalkeeper's left. The shot, taken from the top of the 18, first hit the post before finding the back of the net. Following the goal, the Charge continued to pressure the Beat defense. Melanie Hoffmann put a ball just wide of the net in the 29th minute and Heather Mitts shot the ball just over the cross bar in the 33rd. These scoring opportunities came after three chances to put the ball in the net prior to the Charge's first goal. Pichon hit the ball over the in the 10th minute, then put a ball just wide in the 14th minute and missed the net in the 19th minute. Atlanta had a chance to even the game in the 37th minute off a corner kick from Serlenga. The cross went far post, finding the head of Cindy Parlow. The U.S. National Team member headed the ball to her near post, apparently beating Solo, but Pichon, who was on the post, cleared the ball off the line and Tullock cleared it from trouble. The Beat had another chance in the 44th minute. A failed clearance attempt by the Charge defense hit off of Beat forward Charmaine Hooper at the six and hit the crossbar. Note: Head official Rachel Woo was forced to serve as the fourth official in the second half after suffering a first-half injury. First-half assistant Adam Smeltz served as head official and Stanford Nagle moved to an assistant in the second half. Post Game Quotes Philadelphia Goalkeeper Hope Solo on the team: "Our defense played great today, it was amazing. All across the board from the forwards to the defense." Solo on the upcoming game against Washington: "The same way we came out today, we need to do that Wednesday. If we play them the same way we played today we'll be fine." Philadelphia Head Coach Mark Krikorian on Atlanta's game strategy: "They play a lot of players central, and that leaves the wings exposed. We attacked in the space with Mitts and Benson. We hoped that changing the play in midfield, we could spring them and get opportunities off of that. Our possession was good today." Krikorian on his team: "I'm very proud of the team. It's very easy at this point in the season, knowing playoffs are out, to pack in and just go out and go through the motions. I don't think we did that at all today, I think we played all 90 minutes with great concentration for that entire time." Marinette Pichon on the game: "I think the team had great movement and support. When you beat the first-place team in the league, it makes you step back at say 'wow.'" Pichon on the rest of the season: "Everybody comes to practice and works hard every day. We know we won't make the playoffs but we come and practice with a smile and keep working hard." Atlanta Beat Brianna Scurry on Pichon's second goal: "[The ball] bounced and skidded and just stayed there. So instead of it coming up to meet me and getting it clearly above her [Pichon] it stayed, and she stuck her foot out and it went right by me. She was onto it. I was hoping the angle wasn't good enough for her to score but she's a textbook finisher. I just didn't have my A game today." Atlanta Head Coach Tom Stone on the game: "We lost a little steam. I don't think we've had our best games in our last two outings. But it's still under our control. They earned it. Philly played well. For as well as Philly played, Charmaine [Hooper] hit it off the crossbar, Maribel [Dominguez] missed an open net, Cindy [Parlow's] was knocked off the line." Tom Stone on the game: "It's sometimes more dangerous to play against teams like tonight. Philly played with a lot more freedom than last time we were here. You could sense they were like, ok, our season's done but let's show everyone we can still play." Atlanta Head Coach Tom Stone on Atlanta's lack of scoring: "Every team goes through stretches where they're getting a goal, and not putting it in the goal. It's important that they ride those out. We really haven't had that happen to us this year. We're still second in goals scored. You play all year to get yourselves in playoffs, done that. You play the rest of the season to play at home. I think we're the only team in the league in three years to have a winning record on the road, so if we have to go on the road, we go on the road." Atlanta Goalkeeper Brianna Scurry on Philadelphia: "I think a lot of people underestimate common pride. Philly has had a lot of hard luck this year. They're a good team; they always have been a good team. I felt we were lucky to get out of here last time with a win. As few points as they have, their quality of play is not much different than the first place teams. Pride can get you a long way." Scoring Summary:
PHI -- Marinette Pichon 11 (Stacey Tullock 5) 20 Atlanta Beat -- Briana Scurry, Kylie Bivens, Julie Augustyniak, Nancy Augustyniak, Sharolta Nonen (Abby Crumpton 66), Marci Miller (Kristin Warren 52), Homare Sawa, Nikki Serlenga, Cindy Parlow (Callie Withers 67), Charmaine Hooper, Conny Pohlers (Maribel Dominguez 46). TOTAL SHOTS: 12 (Cindy Parlow 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 3 (Homare Sawa 2); FOULS: 16 (Charmaine Hooper 5); OFFSIDES: 6 (Maribel Dominguez 4); CORNER KICKS: 1 (Nikki Serlenga 1); SAVES: 1 (Briana Scurry 1) Philadelphia Charge -- Hope Solo, Jenny Benson, Mary McVeigh, Heather Mitts (Pavlina Scasna 63), Jennifer Tietjen-Prozzo, Lorrie Fair, Emily Burt, Anne Makinen, Stacey Tullock (Karyn Hall 80), Marinette Pichon, Melanie Hoffmann. TOTAL SHOTS: 13 (Marinette Pichon 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 4 (Marinette Pichon 2); FOULS: 12 (Anne Makinen 5); OFFSIDES: 10 (Marinette Pichon 6); CORNER KICKS: 5 (Melanie Hoffmann 4); SAVES: 3 (Hope Solo 2) Misconduct Summary: |
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