Predictions

Here are Soccer America Associate Editor Dean Caparaz’s predictions for the June 9-10 games: Atlanta 0 Washington 1 San Diego 1 Boston 2 New York 2 Bay Area 1 Philadelphia 4 Carolina 1

Previews

(all times ET) Saturday, June 9 – (7:00 pm) – Washington (4-2-2, tied for 2nd place, 14 pts) at Atlanta (3-1-4, 4th place, 13 pts) (WJAL, Fox Sports Net South). Season series: First meeting; All-time regular-season series: First meeting. Leading scorers: Washington: F Pretinha (5 g, 1 a = 11 pts); Atlanta: F Charmaine Hooper (3 g, 1 a = 7 pts). Did you know? Washington defeated Atlanta, 2-1, in Spring Training. Key players out: Washington: None; Atlanta: M Charry Korgel (fibula fracture-L), M Sara Reading (torn MCL-R) Notes: Atlanta F Sun Wen (high ankle sprain-L) is questionable. The trio of Beat Canadians — Hooper, D Sharolta None and M Amy Walsh — don’t leave for national team duty until Sunday. They will be gone 10 days and will miss just one game for Atlanta: the June 17 home game vs. San Diego. KEY MATCHUP: Washington M Anne Makinen vs. Atlanta M Marci Miller: This key matchup could also be Washington M Mia Hamm vs. Atlanta M Amy Walsh or some other combination of the four players. Atlanta has a rugged duo that could cause problems for the slight Hamm, who moved up front last week once Makinen entered the game in the second half. Makinen, a bigger player who is a natural central midfielder, may have more success in the middle. SCHEDULED REFEREES: Referee: Terry Vaughn; Assistant Referees: Jon Wilson (SAR), B. Griff Sims (JAR). Fourth Official: Thomas Rathgeb. Saturday, June 9 – (7:00 pm) – Boston (2-3-3, 5th place, 9 pts) at San Diego (1-4-2, 8th place, 5 pts) (AT&T 3, Cox Ch. 4). Season series: First meeting; All-time regular-season series: First meeting. Leading scorers: Boston: F Maren Meinert (5 g, 1 a = 11 pts); San Diego: F Shannon MacMillan (4 g, 1 a = 9 pts). Did you know? MacMillan leads the league in shots on goal (34), while M Kristine Lilly is second with 29. But while Boston is tied for second in the league in goalscoring with 1.6 goals per game, San Diego is seventh with just 0.9 gpg. Key players out: Boston: None; San Diego: G Ulrika Karlsson (Sweden call-up), D Gina Oceguera (Mexico call-up). Notes: The Spirit has lost three straight games and four overall. It was only led opponents for a total of 80 minutes this season. Coach Carlos Juarez’s team has won just once in four games at home and lost the other three. … Since backup keeper Karlsson is away with Sweden for pre-European Championship training, the Spirit activated reserve goalie Carly Smolak. D Kristin Bengtsson is on her country’s Euro 2001 roster but won’t join Sweden until June 18. Karlsson won’t rejoin San Diego until after Euro 2001. … Oceguera joins Mexico for two games against Canada’s under-21 team next week. She will rejoin the Spirit in Washington, D.C., in time for her club’s June 21 match against the Freedom. She will replace Bengtsson on the active roster. … F Robin Confer would have been available to play but didn’t make the travel roster. … Boston G Tracy Ducar will start in goal vs. San Diego. Boston G Karina LeBlanc, who started in the 1-1 tie with Atlanta on June 6, is in San Diego and is expected to leave Sunday for national team duty with Canada. KEY MATCHUP: Boston M Bettina Wiegmann vs. San Diego M Julie Foudy: One of the keys to beating the Spirit is shutting down San Diego’s U.S. star. Carolina and the Bay Area did that in successive weeks and kept Foudy from making an impact in either game, though the Courage did allow three goals. The German international could easily handle the job, though Boston coach Jay Hoffman may not want to waste Wiegmann’s many talents by having her mark Foudy throughout the game. SCHEDULED REFEREES: Referee: Ricardo Salazar; Assistant Referees: Alex Del Angel, Jr. (SAR), Kia Dehpanah (JAR). Fourth Official: Debbie Hoelscher. Sunday, June 10 – (4:00 pm) – Carolina (2-5-1, tied for 6th place, 7 pts) at Philadelphia (4-2-2, tied for 2nd place, 14 pts) (CNN/SI regional). Season series: First meeting; All-time regular-season series: First meeting. Leading scorers: Carolina: F Danielle Fotopoulos (5 g, 1 a = 11 pts); Philadelphia: M Liu Ailing (4 g, 1 a = 9 pts). Did you know? Philadelphia defeated Carolina, 4-1, in Spring Training. Key players out: Carolina: F Silvana Burtini (Canada call-up), D Nicole Roberts (tibia/fibula fracture-R); Philadelphia: D Erica Iverson (stress fracture foot-R), F Erin Martin (strained quad). Notes: Philadelphia activated G Melissa Moore (broken hand-R) yesterday and sent G Laurie Pells back to the reserve squad, so almost everyone is available to Coach Mark Krikorian. No word on who starts between Moore and G Saskia Webber. While Moore is back, some players are still hurt. Listed as probable are Kelly Smith (fractured ankle-R), Laurie Schwoy (sore knee-R ), Jennifer Tietjen (sore back); and listed as questionable is D Jenny Benson (sore knee-L). … Carolina’s defense needs to regroup. After shutting down an albeit anemic Atlanta attack, the Courage was ripped apart by New York F Tiffeny Milbrett yesterday. Playing three in the back — as part of Coach Marcia McDermott’s usual 3-4-3 formation — might not be the way to go against a Philly team that has England star Smith on the field again. KEY MATCHUP: Carolina M Tiffany Roberts vs. Philadelphia M Liu Ailing: Carolina needs someone to slow down the Charge’s Chinese star, who has been on fire the last three games. Roberts is the woman for the job, if she plays in midfield instead of on the backline. The former North Carolina star has done superbly when marking playmakers such as Sissi and Hege Riise throughout her club and U.S. careers. SCHEDULED REFEREES: Referee: Faith Rossi; Assistant Referees: Melanie Johnson (SAR), Adam Smetlz (JAR). Fourth Official: William Delaney. Sunday, June 10 – (6:00 pm) – Bay Area (2-4-1, tied for 6th place, 7 pts) at New York (4-1-3, 1st place, 15 pts) (CNN/SI national). Season series: First meeting; All-time regular-season series: First meeting. Leading scorers: Bay Area: M Sissi (1 g, 3 a = 5 pts) ; New York: F Tiffeny Milbrett (5 g, 2 a = 12 pts). Did you know? The CyberRays defeated New York, 3-2, in Spring Training. … Bay Area coach Ian Sawyers recruited both New York D Ronnie Fair and D Jen O’Sullivan to Stanford but never coached them because he left the Farm before their 1996 freshman season began. Key players out: Bay Area: M Brandi Chastain (yellow card suspension), D Lauren Molinaro (tibia fracture-R), G Jen Mead (knee sugery-L); New York: None. Notes: The Bay Area activated D Dianne Alagich after she received her work visa on Friday. But the Australian did not travel to New York for Sunday’s game. … Possible replacements for Chastain in midfield: M Ann Cook, a good choice as a defensive mid; D/MCarey Dorn, strictly a defensive player, better in the back; M Kim Clark, a fast, attacking flank player (Chastain played left mid last week); and M Theresa Wagner, an attacking midfielder who is more of a backup for M Tisha Venturini. … Reserve Bay Area G Janine Szpara is the backup to starter LaKeysia Beene for the next few games while regular backup Jen Mead recovers from June 7 knee surgery. MeadÆs left knee problem had been diagnosed as a tear of the medial meniscus, part of the cartilage structure of the joint. However, the arthroscopic procedure performed by Dr. Martin Trieb, team orthopedist, found that the problem actually was an “articular surface defect” on the back of the kneecap and femoral groove. That means, there was a rough place where the kneecap and femur — the thigh bone — rub against each other in the knee, and Trieb was able to smooth the surfaces during surgery. KEY MATCHUP: Bay Area D Thori Bryan vs. New York F Tiffeny Milbrett: No one has been able to corral Milbrett, except when the Power didn’t look for their star player enough times in the Atlanta game. She’s coming off a virtuoso performance against Carolina, against which she scored twice and set up another goal. Bryan is the only CyberRay defender with the speed to match Millie. SCHEDULED REFEREES: Referee: Rachel Woo; Assistant Referees: Sharon Wheeler (SAR), Christopher Price (JAR). Fourth Official: John Konstantinidis.