Hoisting the Cup

Bay Area defeats Atlanta on penalty kicks, claims first championship

Bay Area's Brandi Chastain (left) helps hoist the Founders Cup, claimed by the Championship Game winners. John Freeman Todd

By Dan Lauletta

BOSTON -- In a riveting conclusion to the inaugural WUSA season, the Bay Area CyberRays defeated the Atlanta Beat on penalty kicks Saturday to become the first team to hoist the coveted Founders Cup.

Atlanta's Sun Wen had put the CyberRays behind 3-2 in the 83rd minute, but Tisha Venturini's 86th minute reply leveled the match at 3-3 and forced overtime and eventually penalty kicks. Julie Murray scored the CyberRays' second goal, then knocked home the championship clinching penalty (4-2) on her way to being named the game's Most Valuable Player.

Game Stats   Atlanta  Bay Area  Shots  8  13  SOG  7  9  Saves  6  3  Fouls  14  17  Corners  10  8  Offside  1  2

"I'm a little numb to express myself very well right now," winning coach IanSawyers said in the post-match press conference. "Just watching the players come off the field as champions is one of the greatest payments a coach can get."

A crowd of 21,078 came to Foxboro Stadium to watch one of the most exciting final matches in the brief history of women's soccer.

Like had they had done in their semi-final victory over the Power last Saturday, the CyberRays exchanged early goals in the final match. Brandi Chastain's opportunistic goal gave them a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute, but the Beat battled back to lead 2-1 after just 14 minutes, thanks to goals by Kylie Bivens and Charmaine Hooper. The CyberRays drew even on Murray's goal in the 43rd minute to set the stage for a tense and thrilling second half.

Chastain put the CyberRays on top by deflecting Kelly Lindsey's shot off the top of her head. The play started with a Sissi free kick from 25 yards out.

Before the ball touched the ground it caromed off the heads of Katia and Atlanta defender Dayna Smith. Lindsey's sneaky, far-post run left her open for a right-footed volley that skimmed Chastain's head into the goal.

"I'm not very good at recounting goals," Chastain said afterwards as she flashed her broadest smile. "What I remember is something Ian has been hammering into our brains lately-details. That the little things matter. Kelly hit an awesome ball. I saw it coming and I just squared up to the goal and ducked down to try and let it skim off my head."

Almost as soon as the CyberRays were in front, the Beat bounced back to equalize. In the 11th minute, a series of Atlanta passes had the CyberRays' defense running ragged. Homare Sawa received the ball deep on the left side of the penalty area and her cross was permitted to travel all the way through LaKeysia Beene's goal mouth to Nancy Augustyniak. Augustyniak played it to the middle of the penalty area where an open Kylie Bivens was waiting to drill a right-footed shot by Beene.

The Beat completed an incredible flurry three minutes later directly off a punt from goalkeeper Briana Scurry. Cindy Parlow headed the punt ahead to Charmaine Hooper, who got in behind a flat-footed CyberRays defense. Beene came out to challenge but the Beat's leading scorer chipped her to put Atlanta ahead.

Atlanta's Charmaine Hooper jumps with joy after scoring in the 14th minute of the Championship Game. John Freeman Todd

"It was a game that had huge momentum swings," Atlanta coach Tom Stone said. "When they scored early, I thought we were done. When we came back to make it 2-1, I thought they were done."

Once behind, the CyberRays began to take charge of the run of play. They nearly equalized in the 30th minute but Scurry made a brave save in close on Julie Murray, then made a remarkable recovery to deflect Katia's rebound off the crossbar.

In the 43rd minute, the CyberRays caught the Beat defenders in the wrong half of the field, and Christina Bell found Julie Murray in space with only Briana Scurry between her and the tying goal. Murray calmly faked a shot, then dribbled the ball around an off balance Scurry and gently rolled it in the goal.

"It is a wonderful feeling to be able to contribute in that fashion," said Murray, whose scored twice in the semi-final. "Especially to such a wonderful team."

The second half was played more close to the vest with neither team looking to concede the game-winner. Beene outfought Cindy Parlow in the 51st minute to emerge with possession of a loose ball at the mouth of the CyberRay goal. Scurry made key saves on Murray in the 58th and 68th minutes, then watched in relief as Murray's golden opportunity in the 80th minute sail high over the crossbar.

In the 83rd minute, Atlanta's Nikki Serlenga sent a free kick to the middle of the penalty area where Parlow headed it far post for second-half substitute Sun Wen. Sun settled the ball, nutmegged Gina Oceguera, and scored the go-ahead goal past Beene.

"When Sunny scored that goal in the 83rd minute, it was up to her teammates to put that game away, and we allowed Bay Area back into it," said Scurry, who called the loss "ultra sad."

Less than two minutes from time, Sissi sent a free kick to Katia, whose ball to the middle found Tisha Venturini. Serlenga and Sharolta Nonen were there for the Beat, but the ball leaked out to Venturini, who cleaned up to even the score for the third time.

"I just remember getting in a mess and the ball popped out," said Venturini, who along with Chastain is one of two players with an Olympic, World Cup, and WUSA Championship to her credit. "I toed it just over Bri. Thank God!"

Serlenga had a chance to win it for the Beat in stoppage time, but her free kick ricocheted off the left cross bar and out of danger.

Neither team took many chances during two 7:30-minute overtime periods. The CyberRays had the best chance in the 99th minute when late substitute Ann Cook was alone just inside the penalty area, but missed the shot high. Cook had entered the game after regulation for Sissi, who suffered a groin strain in the first half and gutted it out for 90 minutes.

Sun Wen, Charmaine Hooper, Cindy Parlow and their Beat teammates endure an "incredible way to lose." John Freeman Todd

In penalty kicks, Beene set the early tone by saving Sun's shot in the opening round. Venturini scored for the CyberRays to put them up 1-0. Two rounds later, Charmaine Hooper missed wide left and the Beat were finally in a hole they could not dig out of.

"There's really no excuse," said Hooper afterwards. "I was in absolute shock because I have never missed a penalty kick before. I really can't say what happened. I just missed it."

The CyberRays made all four of their penalties to take the title. Julie Murray booted home the game winner.

"I couldn't hear a sound," she said. "I just saw the ball. I didn't even realize until afterwards that it had won the game."

In an ironic twist, Murray's game winner prevented 1999 World Cup heroine Brandi Chastain from lining up as the final kicker for the CyberRays.

"Thank God I didn't have to take the kick," Chastain said.

Sawyers praised both teams for their efforts.

"They made us run on every blade of grass today," he said. "I don't want to sound trite, but I never had any doubts. One of the special things about this team is that they find a way to win. It (penalty kicks)'s a cruel way to end what went on during the game."

Sawyers went on to joke, "I was a little worried when they went ahead in the 83rd minute, though."

Scurry was on the winning end of the 1999 World Cup, and was faced with the losing end in the WUSA Championship Game.

"This is new for me to be on the other end of this," she said, "but I have nothing but pride and admiration for my teammates. It's an incredible way to win, and it's also an incredible way to lose."

(c) womenssoccer.com 2001