Thursday, July 19, 2001
By Al Cohen
Philadelphia Charge Correspondent
Upcoming Opponent
The Charge and Breakers meet for the second time this Thursday at 7:05 p.m. In the first meeting on May 27 in Boston, Liu Ailing scored twice for Philadelphia, but it was Laurie Schwoy's header from Michelle Demko in the 83rd minute that was the difference in a 3-2 Charge victory. The Charge and Breakers also conclude the regular season against each other on Sunday, Aug. 12 at 3:05 p.m. in Boston. The Breakers' roster features U.S. National Team members Kristine Lilly and Kate Sobrero, as well as German stars Bettina Wiegmann and Maren Meinert.
On the Offensive
Captain Doris Fitschen made quite a return to the Charge lineup in Friday's 3-0 victory over San Diego. After missing four matches while helping the German National Team capture its third straight title at the European Women's Championships, Fitschen stepped back into her role as starting central defender and was instrumental in Philadelphia posting its fifth shutout of the season. She also tallied the first two goals, scoring on a 30-yard free kick in the 21st minute and a header off a corner kick in the 57th. Fitschen's return couldn't come soon enough, as the Charge went 0-3-1 while she was away.
July 19 Game Info
The theme is Child Safety Night, as the Radnor Fire Company, Red Cross, Delaware County Emergency Services and DARE will set up displays and booths in the Fun Zone. The Radnor Fire Company will also do a mock burning of a house following the match, and along with Widgets Promotions, will be handing out trading cards of Charge mascot Electra on a firetruck to the first 5,000 fans. A special collector's poster featuring Charge goalkeeper Saskia Webber and Boston Breakers forward Kristine Lilly will be handed out courtesy of the Philadelphia Inquirer's Newspapers in Education program. It will also be Chamber Night for members of the Chester County, Great Valley Regional, Delaware County, King of Prussia & Valley Forge and Main Line Chambers of Commerces. For $20, chamber members will receive admission to a pregame mixer party with Charge players, a midfield ticket to the game, a hot dog and soda, and exclusive merchandise item. All police officers, fire fighters and EMS workers can purchase $20 seats for $12 and $15 seats for $8.
German Reunion
Less than two weeks after winning the 2001 European Women's Championships, Charge defender Doris Fitschen and Boston Breakers midfielders Maren Meinert and Bettina Wiegmann will be on the same field again this Thursday. The Charge and the WUSA will honor the trio prior to the game for their parts in helping Germany capture its third straight European Championships title.
Athlete of the Week
The Charge and WIOQ FM (Q102) are recognizing local youth soccer athletes for their dedication, hard work and skills. Just log on to www.philadelphiacharge.com (Fan Zone section) or www.q102.com (contests section) and, in 50 words or less, tell us who you would like to nominate for Athlete of the Week and why. The Charge and Q102 will select one athlete per week until Aug. 8. Each winner will receive four tickets to Philadelphia's Aug. 9 match vs. San Diego, an invitation to a meet & greet with Charge players before the game and a certificate of recognition.
Charge Notes
- Doris Fitschen is the second Charge player to score twice in a game. Liu Ailing first accomplished the feat in a 3-2 win at Boston on May 27.
- Both of goalkeeper Melissa Moore's wins this season have been shutouts vs.San Diego. Ironically, Moore began training camp with the Spirit before being claimed off waivers by Philadelphia on March 30.
- Eighteen different players have started a game for the Charge this season.
- Fourteen different players have recorded at least one point this season.
- The Charge matched season highs on Friday for goals in a game (3), goals in a half (2) and largest victory margin (3).
- Philadelphia is 4-0-0 when leading at halftime and 5-1-0 when scoring first.
Calm Before the Storm
Philadelphia has just one game this week before closing the season with six matches in 18 days. The frenzy begins on Thursday, July 26 in Washington and ends on Sunday, Aug. 12 in Boston. In between are three home games (July 30, Aug. 6 & 9) and a trip to the Bay Area on Aug. 2.
Charge Among the League Leaders
The Charge lead the league in offense, scoring 1.5 goals per game. The team's 21 total goals are tied for second, while their 1.28 goals allowed per game average is fourth in the league. Philadelphia is tied for second with three road wins and three home wins. Midfielder Liu Ailing is fourth in points (15) and tied for third place in goals (7).
Offense Spread Around
Philadelphia's 21 goals have come from 10 different players. Chinese midfielder Liu Ailing leads the way with seven goals, defender Doris Fitschen has three while Kelly Smith, Mandy Clemens and Laurie Schwoy all have two.
Road Success
The Charge reside in the top half of the WUSA standings despite the fact that eight of their first 14 matches have been on the road. Philadelphia is 3-3-2 away from home thus far and is tied with Washington for the most road games played.
Perfect in Penalty Kicks
The Charge are a perfect 3-for-3 in penalty kicks this season. Defender Doris Fitschen scored Philadelphia's first-ever goal with a penalty kick in San Diego on April 22, midfielder Laurie Schwoy converted an attempt on June 10 vs. Carolina, and midfielder Liu Ailing booted one in on June 17 at New York. Charge opponents are 0-for-1 in penalty kick tries.
Iron Woman
Through 14 games, defender Jennifer Tietjen is the only Charge player to play all 1,260 minutes. Defender Heather Mitts is close, playing 1,256 minutes. Defender Doris Fitschen has played all 900 minutes in the 10 matches she's been around for.
TV Schedule
Comcast SportsNet and CN8, the Comcast Network, are combining to televise nine Philadelphia Charge games this season. SportsNet's next game is this Thursday, July 19 vs. Boston, while CN8's next broadcast is Thursday, July 26 at Washington.
Charge on National TV
Philadelphia finished with a 1-1-1 record in games televised nationally by CNN-SI this season, as they won 3-2 in Boston on May 27, dropped a 2-1 decision at New York on June 17 and played to a 1-1 draw with Atlanta on Sunday.
Ticket Information
Individual game tickets for Charge home games at the 11,800-seat Villanova Stadium are $20, $15 and $10. Tickets can be purchased at the First Union Center box office and all Ticketmaster locations, or by calling 215-467-GOAL or the Ticketmaster number in your area: 215-336-2000, 856-338-9000 or 302-984-2000. Fans can also find a ticket request form on the team's official web site at www.philadelphiacharge.com. Discounts are offered for groups of 15 or more and children 12 and under on the $20 and $15 seats. Season tickets, which are priced at $300, $150 and $100, are also still available.
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