Philadelphia Charge
 | |||
| Founded |
10 April 2000[1] Name established on 2 November 2000[2] | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Dissolved | 15 September 2003 | ||
| Stadium |
Villanova Stadium Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 | ||
| Capacity | 12,500 | ||
| Owner | Comcast | ||
| General Manager | Tim Murphy | ||
| Head Coach | Mark Krikorian | ||
| League | Women's United Soccer Association | ||
| Final season 2003 |
8th | ||
|
| |||
The Philadelphia Charge was an American women's professional soccer team that played in the Women's United Soccer Association. The team played at Villanova Stadium on the campus of Villanova University near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
History
The team was founded in 2000 and began play in 2001 in the inaugural season of the Women's United Soccer Association.
Players
Several notable U.S. Women's National Team stars made their pro debuts with the Charge, including defender Heather Mitts (2001-2003) and goalkeeper Hope Solo, who appeared in 8 matches as a rookie backup goalkeeper in 2003. Other notables included French international Marinette Pichon, who won the 2002 WUSA Most Valuable Player award for the Charge, and English star Kelly Smith.[3]
2003 Roster[4]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Coach: Mark Krikorian
Year-by-year regular season record
| Year | W | L | T | Pts | Pos | GF | GA | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 31 | 4th/8 | 35 | 28 | 5-3-2 | 4-5-2 |
| 2002 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 39 | 2nd/8 | 36 | 22 | 7-1-3 | 4-3-3 |
| 2003 | 5 | 11 | 5 | 20 | 8th/8 | 30 | 40 | 3-4-3 | 2-7-2 |
Awards
In 2001, Philadelphia Charge player, Doris Fitschen was named WUSA Defender of the Year.[5]
In 2002, Philadelphia Charge player, Marinette Pichon was named WUSA's Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year and was the co-recipient with Mia Hamm for Goal of the Year for a scissor kick volley against the San Diego Spirit. Goalkeeper Melissa Moore was awarded Goalkeeper of the Year and Stacey Tullock was named Rookie of the Year. Coach Mark Krikorian took the honor of WUSA Coach of the Year the same year.[6]
In 2003, the Charge was awarded the WUSA Team Fair Play Award and defender, Jenny Benson, was named WUSA Humanitarian of the Year.[7]
League Suspension
The Women's United Soccer Association announced on September 15, 2003 that it was suspending operations.[8][9]
See also
References
- ↑ "Women's soccer in deals". CNNfn. April 10, 2000. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
- ↑ Trecker, Jerry (November 3, 2000). "Wusa: From Heat To Rays". Hartford Courant. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
- ↑ http://www.funwhileitlasted.net/2012/07/06/june-8-2002-philadelphia-charge-vs-washington-freedom/
- ↑ "2003 Philadelphia Charge Roster". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
- ↑ "Power forward selected as first WUSA MVP". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
- ↑ "Philadelphia's Pichon takes top honor in WUSA awards". USA Today. 22 August 2002. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
- ↑ "Meinert wins most valuable player". USA Today. 21 August 2003. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
- ↑ Michaelis, Vicki (16 September 2003). "WUSA ceases operations after three years". USA Today. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
- ↑ "U.S. WNT Responds to Women's United Soccer Association Suspending Operations". US Soccer. Retrieved 21 October 2012.