The San Diego Spirit was a professional soccer team based in San Diego, California, that competed in the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA). The team played its home games at Torero Stadium on the campus of the University of San Diego. The Spirit began play in 2001. The league announced on September 15, 2003, it was suspending operations.
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| Full name | San Diego Spirit | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2001 | ||
| Dissolved | 2003 | ||
| Stadium | Torero Stadium, San Diego, California | ||
| Capacity | 7,000 | ||
| Owner | Cox Communications | ||
| League | Women's United Soccer Association (2001-2003) | ||
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The founding members of the Spirit were Julie Foudy, Shannon MacMillan and Joy Fawcett.[1] The team reached the playoffs in the 2003 season, losing to the Atlanta Beat in the semifinals.[2] Other notable members of the Spirit included Scotland's Julie Fleeting, Brazil's Daniela and Canada's Christine Latham, as well as U.S. national team players Jenni Branam, Aly Wagner and Shannon Boxx.
Year-by-year
edit| Year | League | Regular season | Playoffs | Avg. attendance | Total attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | WUSA | 5th Place | Did not qualify | 5,711 | 62,821 |
| 2002 | WUSA | 7th Place | Did not qualify | 5,883 | 58,832 |
| 2003 | WUSA | 3rd Place | Semifinals | 5,635 | 61,983 |
Players
editThe "founding players" of the Spirit were Julie Foudy, Shannon MacMillan and Joy Fawcett of the 1999 U.S. Women's World Cup team.[3]
2003 Roster [4]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Coach: Omid Namazi
Coaches
edit- Carlos Juarez (2001-2002)
- Kevin Crow (2002)
- Omid Namazi (2003)
League suspension
editThe WUSA announced on September 15, 2003, that it was suspending operations.[5]
See also
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References
edit- ^ Wagman, Robert. "Hamm is assigned to play in Washington as first 24 allocations are announced". SoccerTimes. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
- ^ "Pohlers, Hooper score dramatic goals to send Atlanta past Spirit 2-1 in overtime to Founders Cup". SoccerTimes. August 17, 2003. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
- ^ "WUSA San Diego Announces Key Hires". PR Newswire. October 17, 2000. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
- ^ "WUSA Teams Set Rosters". Our Sports Central. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
- ^ Longman, Jere (September 16, 2003). "Women's Soccer League Folds on World Cup Eve". The New York Times. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
External links
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