2002 WUSA season

The 2002 Women's United Soccer Association season was the second season for WUSA, the top level professional women's soccer league in the United States. The regular season began on April 13 and ended on August 11. The playoffs began on August 17, with the championship match between played on August 24 between the Carolina Courage and the Washington Freedom.

Women's United Soccer Association
Season2002
ChampionsCarolina Courage
Top goalscorerKátia (15)
← 2001
2003 →

Changes from 2001

Prior to the season the Bay Area CyberRays, the champions in the previous season, changed their name to the San Jose CyberRays

The WUSA All-Star game was played for the first time after the completion of the 2002 season, with the South squad defeating the North 6-1 in front of 14,208 spectators at PGE Park in Portland, Oregon. Rookie Abby Wambach of the Washington Freedom was awarded the game MVP after scoring twice.[1]

Competition format
  • The regular season began on April 13 and ended on August 11.
  • Each team played a total of 21 games, three against each opponent (either twice at home and once away or vice versa). This caused an uneven schedule with teams hosting either 10 or 11 home games each.
  • The four teams with the most points from the regular season qualified for the playoffs. The regular season champions and runners-up hosted the fourth- and third-placed teams, respectively, in the single-game semifinals on August 17. The winners of the semifinals met at Herndon Stadium for the final on August 24.

Standings
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Carolina Courage 21 12 4 5 40 30 +10 40 Regular Season Championship
2 Philadelphia Charge 21 11 6 4 36 22 +14 39 Qualification to play-offs
3 Washington Freedom 21 11 5 5 40 29 +11 38
4 Atlanta Beat 21 11 1 9 34 29 +5 34
5 San Jose CyberRays 21 8 5 8 34 30 +4 29
6 Boston Breakers 21 6 7 8 36 35 +1 25
7 San Diego Spirit 21 5 5 11 28 42 −14 20
8 New York Power 21 3 1 17 31 62 −31 10
Updated to match(es) played on August 2002. Source:

Source:[2]

Playoffs
Semi-Finals Founders Cup
      
2 Philadelphia Charge 0
3 Washington Freedom 1
1 Carolina Courage 3
3 Washington Freedom 2
1 Carolina Courage 2
4 Atlanta Beat 1

Semi-Finals
August 17, 2002 Semi-FinalsCarolina Courage2–1 (a.e.t.)Atlanta BeatCary, North Carolina
Fotopoulos  89' (pen.)
Overbeck  92' 		Report Serlenga  28' (pen.) Stadium: SAS Stadium
Attendance: 5,583
Referee: Misail Tsapos
August 17, 2002 Semi-FinalsPhiladelphia Charge0–1Washington FreedomPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Report Gerardo  80' Stadium: Villanova Stadium
Attendance: 6,547
Referee: Sandra Hunt

Founders Cup II
Main article: 2002 WUSA Founders Cup
August 24, 2002 Founders CupCarolina Courage3–2Washington FreedomAtlanta, Georgia
Riise  20'
Fotopoulos  53'
Prinz  58'		 Report Fotopoulos  31' (o.g.)
Hamm  64'		 Stadium: Herndon Stadium
Attendance: 15,321
Referee: Ricardo Salazar

Awards
AwardPlayerClub
Most Valuable Player Marinette PichonPhiladelphia Charge
Offensive Player of the Year Marinette PichonPhiladelphia Charge
Defensive Player of the Year Danielle SlatonCarolina Courage
Goalkeeper of the Year Kristin LuckenbillCarolina Courage
Rookie of the Year Abby WambachWashington Freedom
Coach of the Year Mark KrikorianPhiladelphia Charge
Humanitarian Award SissiSan Jose CyberRays
Team Community Service AwardBoston Breakers
Team Fair Play AwardBoston Breakers
Referee of the Year Kari Seitz

Source:[3]

Statistical leaders

See also

References

  1. "WUSA All-Stars showcased in Portland". USLFans.com. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  2. "WUSA Stats and Standings (Archived)". Archived from the original on 9 December 2002. Retrieved 20 May 2014.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  3. "Philadelphia's Pichon takes top honor in WUSA awards". USA Today. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
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