By Scott French, Senior Editor
in Atlanta
Carolina and Washington, last year's WUSA weaklings bolstered by savvy roster enhancements, meet Saturday at Herndon Stadium in the league's second title game.
The Courage, which rebounded from a last-place finish to win the regular-season title, then overcame Atlanta in the semifinals with a late penalty kick and Carla Overbeck's overtime goal, benefited this season from the acquisitions of German star Birgit Prinz, Norwegian winger Unni Lehn, first-round draft choice Danielle Slaton and waiver pick-ups Nel Fettig and Venus James.
Washington's preseason trades with San Jose, in which the Freedom swapped Brazilian standout Pretinha and former national-teamer Michelle French for reserve forward Jacqui Little and central midfielder Ann Cook, were widely derided, but they worked wonders, opening up a foreign slot for Chinese youngster Pu Wei and roster-cap space for German midfielder Steffi Jones.
The Courage played superbly most of the season, notching early wins on WUSA Goalkeeper of the Year Kristen Luckenbill's heroics, then overcoming a late skid to nab the top spot in the league standings.
Washington, battling injuries early, relied heavily on Rookie of the Year Abby Wambach's play up front the first month of the season. The acquisition of Jones, who replaced injured midfielder Lindsay Stoecker; a tactical maneuver in the back, in which Carrie Moore marked opponents' top forwards while defensive leader Jen Grubb organized things from a deep position; and the return to form following injuries of Chinese forward Bai Jie and — especially — Mia Hamm has taken the Freedom on a 10-match unbeaten streak, the past five of them wins, including last week's 1-0 semifinal victory at Philadelphia on Monica Gerardo's strike.
Jones and Prinz are looking for their fifth title in a little more than a year. They were part of Germany's European Championship team last summer and won a treble — German league and cup titles, plus the UEFA Women's Cup club crown — with FFC Frankfurt in the spring.
Cook and Little or James, who won the title with San Jose last year, could become the first players to win two WUSA championships.
Jones trained for the first time Friday since the semifinal win at Philadelphia. She was slowed by a blood blister that formed on her left big toe on the Charge's sizzling artificial surface.
Hege Riise, who runs Carolina's attack, is nursing a sore hamstring and hasn't trained since the win over Atlanta.
Both are expected to play on Saturday.
WUSA officials said about 12,500 tickets had been sold for the match. Temporary seating behind one of the goals increased capacity at Herndon Stadium to about 17,000.
CAROLINA vs. WASHINGTON
Saturday, 4 p.m. EDT
Herndon Stadium, Atlanta
TV: PAX TV
Probable lineups
WASHINGTON at PHILADELPHIA
Saturday, 1:30 p.m. EDT TV: PAX TV
Probable lineups
Philadelphia (11-4-6, 39 points)
G — Melissa Moore (1.00 GAA, 78.2 save pct.)
D — Heather Mitts (0 G-4 A–4 pts)
D — Jen Tietjen (1-3–5)
D — Erica Iverson (2-0–4)
D — Jenny Benson (0-3–3)
M — Stacey Tullock (2-0–4)
M — Kerry Connors (2-1–5)
M — Lorrie Fair (0-5–5)
M — Rebekah McDowell (0-0–0)
M — Zhao Lihong (2-8–12)
F — Marinette Pichon (14-1–29)
Head coach
Mark Krikorian
The Charge was in first place nearly from start to finish, but a difficult final three weeks of the regular season — seven games in 22 days — has slowed the team's momentum. Philly has won just one of its past and two of its past eight games to fall into second place on the season's final day.
Qualification for the playoffs seemed assured early, and so Krikorian — prodded by injuries, most notably to forward Marinette Pichon and defender Heather Mitts, and the hectic schedule — has spent much of the last month experimenting with lineups and tactics and giving fatigued players games off. The result is that the Charge enter the playoffs with the deepest midfield of the semifinalists. Zhao Lihong, finally at full strength, has been a revelation, and Rebekah McDowell, Kerry Connors and rookie Stacey Tullock have assumed critical roles in Krikorian's 4-5-1 alignment.
Tullock, the Charge's first-round draft choice (who didn't join the club until finishing her studies at Arizona State in May), has been particularly strong as a classy holding midfielder. Behind her, Erica Iverson and Jen Tietjen have been the most capable center-back combo in the league. Iverson is the fearless warrior whose size works to her advantage; Tietjen is the organizer and communicator.
Jenny Benson, among the WUSA's premier attacking backs, and athletic Heather Mitts might be the league's best outside pair, too, and Melissa Moore has been solid in the nets. Philadelphia was the top defensive team in the league, surrendering only 20 goals in 21 games — seven fewer than No. 2 — and allowing more than one goal just four times, three of them in the final six games.
Pichon, who must depart following the game to play in France's World Cup qualifier Aug. 23 against Denmark in Lens (one day before the Founders Cup final), has been the surprise hit of the league this year. The sophistication of her runs, her tenacity at getting to the ball, her instincts in front of the net, and the joyousness evident in her game has impressed everyone in the WUSA.
Pichon stepped up after playmaker Kelly Smith, in the early stages of what looked like an MVP season, sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament June 1, ending her season. Pichon scored nine goals in the next six games as Philly went through the meat of a 10-game unbeaten streak that separated it from the pack. Midfielder Lorrie Fair also was crucial after Smith went down, taking more offensive responsibility and organizing things in midfield.
Washington (11-5-5, 38 points
G — Siri Mullinix (1.19, 80.8)
D — Skylar Little (1-1–3)
D — Carrie Moore (0-0–0)
D — Jen Grubb (2-0–4)
D — Emmy Barr (2-3–7)
M — Steffi Jones (0-2–2)
M — Sarah Kate Noftsinger (0-1–1)
M — Monica Gerardo (3-1–7)
M — Pu Wei (1-8–10)
F — Abby Wambach (10-9–29)
F — Bai Jie (6-5–17)
Head coach
Jim Gabarra
The Freedom are riding great momentum into the final two weeks of the season. Mia Hamm, the No. 1 goalscorer in international women's soccer, has been the unstoppable weapon off the bench, a player capable (likely?) of winning the title by herself.
Also significant for the Freedom has been forward Abby Wambach, the frontrunner for the WUSA's Rookie of the Year award, whose size (5-foot-11, 170 pounds), skill and effort has quickly made her among the league's most feared attackers.
Jen Grubb has anchored a solid defense, although the Freedom has gone out and outscored foes in critical games late in the season. and Gabarra's bench is deeper than Hamm, especially with Ann Cook's quick recovery from meniscus surgery two weeks ago.
Soccer America prediction
Philadelphia 1 Washington 2
ATLANTA at CAROLINA
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. EDT TV: PAX TV
Probable lineups
Carolina
G — Kristin Luckenbill (1.43 goals-against average, 73.1 save percentage)
D — Staci Burt (0 goals-4 assists–4 points)
D — Nel Fettig (0-3–3)
D — Erin Baxter (0-0–0)
D — Danielle Slaton (4-0–8)
M — Tiffany Roberts (1-4–6)
M — Brooke O'Hanley (0-0–0)
M — Hege Riise (6-13–25)
M — Unni Lehn (2-2–6)
F — Danielle Fotopoulos (11-10–32)
F — Birgit Prinz (12-8–32)
Head coach
Marcia McDermott
Washington
G — Siri Mullinix (1.19, 80.8)
D — Skylar Little (1-1–3)
D — Carrie Moore (0-0–0)
D — Jen Grubb (2-0–4)
D — Emmy Barr (2-3–7)
M — Steffi Jones (0-2–2)
M — Ann Cook (0-1–1)
M — Anne Makinen (2-2–6)
M — Pu Wei (1-8–10)
F — Abby Wambach (10-9–29)
F — Bai Jie (6-5–17)
Head coach
Jim Gabarra
Soccer America's prediction:
Washington 3 Carolina 2.