(August 5, 2002)                                                                                             Hot News Main Page

Three Down, One To Go In WUSA Playoff Race
Philadelphia, Carolina and Washington Qualify for Playoffs; 
Atlanta and San Jose Battle for Final Berth

ATLANTA (August 5, 2002) - The Philadelphia Charge, Carolina Courage and Washington Freedom are all headed to the playoffs after securing postseason spots this past weekend. The Atlanta Beat and San Jose CyberRays are battling for the fourth and final playoff berth as the WUSA heads into its final week of the 2002 regular season.

The top four teams during the regular season advance to a one-game playoff on Saturday, August 17. The first match between two yet to be determined teams will tale place at 1:30 pm ET on August 17. The second playoff match (teams TBD) will meet at 3:30 pm ET that same afternoon as part of a doubleheader on PAX. The first and second place finishers will have homefield advantage. The playoff semifinal winners advance to Founders Cup II at Atlanta's Herndon Stadium on August 24.

Philadelphia secured passage into the postseason on Saturday, August 3 when the Charge defeated San Diego 3-1 at Villanova Stadium. Philadelphia became the first WUSA team to clinch homefield advantage when the Washington Freedom defeated the Atlanta Beat on Sunday, August 4. Head Coach Mark Krikorian's club needs a four-point swing with Carolina to claim the WUSA 2002 regular season title. It won't be easy for Philadelphia in the club's next two games, as the Charge hosts San Jose on Wednesday and visits Atlanta in a nationally televised game on PAX on August 10 at 4 pm ET.

After suffering through a last-place finish in 2001, the Carolina Courage continued the club's surprising 2002 season by clinching a playoff berth with Saturday's 4-1 win over San Jose. Carolina's magic number to clinch homefield is two points. With a Wednesday match at New York and a trip to San Diego on Sunday, Carolina could take six points against the league's lower echelon and make a run at Philadelphia for the regular season championship.

The hottest team in the WUSA is the Washington Freedom, as Mia Hamm and company are 8-1-2 in their last 11 games. Washington secured its first playoff berth in club history when Pu Wei's header found the back of the net with less than 30 seconds remaining to give the Freedom a 3-2 win over Atlanta on Sunday, August 4. Hamm has started just once in 10 games since returning from knee surgery on June 12, but the 2001 FIFA Player of the Year could be ready for full-time action for the playoffs. Washington has just one match remaining, an August 10 date at New York.

Atlanta controls its own destiny. The Beat only has to win one of two remaining games and the club advances to the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Also, Atlanta can back in if San Jose loses either of its two remaining games, as the Beat owns the tiebreaker against the CyberRays after winning two of three games during the regular season against Brandi Chastain's club. Atlanta hosts San Diego on Wednesday and closes with a home match against Philadelphia on Saturday.

Defending champion San Jose is on the brink of elimination, but the CyberRays still have an outside chance of qualifying. San Jose needs to produce at least a win and a tie in its final two matches to have a shot. Of course, Ian Sawyers' squad will need some help from Atlanta to capture fourth place. WUSA schedule makers didn't make it easy on San Jose, as the CyberRays are on the road against first-place Philadelphia on Wednesday and travel to Boston -- the league's only team that is unbeaten at home - on Saturday.

[Source: Dan Courtemanche - (678) 645-0757, www.WUSA.com, Paul Dodson - (678) 645-0764, WUSA Communications]