Sun Wen and substitute Bryn Blalack missed penalty kicks and Julie Murray sent the deciding shot past Briana Scurry as the CyberRays took a 3-2 PK victory. [Read more…] about Aug. 25, 2001 – WUSA Founders Cup final, Bay Area CyberRays 3:3 (3:2 PKs) Atlanta Beat, Foxboro Stadium (Att.: 21,078)
Kristine Lilly’s 63rd-minute goal off a feed from ex-UConn star Alexa Borisjuk extended the Boston Breakers’ home unbeaten streak. The Breakers (6-8-7, 25 points) finished in sixth place for the second successive season, but became the first WUSA team with an unbeaten (5-0-5) home mark. [Read more…] about Sept. 14, 2002 – Boston Breakers 1:0 Washington Freedom, Michelle Akers Testimonial, Nickerson Field (Att.: 10,279)
Foxboro Stadium (1971-2001) was designed for NFL games and had no soccer specifications. But the facility ended up with a strong soccer legacy, serving as home to two professional teams (New England Tea Men, New England Revolution); playing host to six 1994 World Cup matches; two MLS Cups (including the inaugural final in 1996); several internationals, including World Cup qualifiers; plus nine matches in the 1999 and 2003 Women’s World Cup; and the initial Women’s United Soccer Association final. [Read more…] about Aug. 25, 2001 – WUSA Founders Cup final at Foxboro Stadium. Bay Area CyberRays 3:3 Atlanta Beat (Att.: 21,078)
Kristine Lilly set up Dagney Mellgren for goals in the 25th and 44th minutes as the Breakers (6W-9L-3D, 21 points) pulled within two points of a playoff berth before a capacity crowd. The match had been sold out for a month, partly because of the arrival of the Freedom’s Mia Hamm, whose future husband, Nomar Garciaparra, would hit a home run in a 4-3 Red Sox win over the Chicago White Sox in a game played simultaneously just down Commonwealth Avenue at Fenway Park. [Read more…] about July 29, 2001 – Boston Breakers 2:1 Washington Freedom, WUSA game at Nickerson Field (Att.: 11,681)
Spectators for the Boston Breakers’ home-opener at Nickerson Field included Mayor Menino, the Boston Red Sox’ Nomar Garciaparra and Lou Merloni, former New England Patriot John Hannah, plus Olympian Joan Benoit Samuelson. Homare Sawa scored past Tracy Ducar (Lawrence/North Andover) in the 62nd minute for the Atlanta Beat, which would go on to play in the WUSA final before a 21,078 crowd at Foxboro Stadium Aug. 25, 2001. The Breakers finished in sixth place in their first two seasons, then won the 2003 regular-season title under coach Pia Sundhage before the league folded.
Kristine Lilly scored twice, Lauren Cheney, Lindsay Tarpley and Abby Wambach once as the U.S. Women’s National Team and Mexico met in a doubleheader, along with the Revolution vs. Toronto FC match. New England established itself as an early home for the USWNT, the first significant crowds arriving for Sports Museum of New England Challenge Cup games against Norway in 1991 and ’92. In Foxborough, the U.S. women have compiled a 7W-0L-1D record (28-1 goal differential) at both stadia. Until recently, crowds for USWNT games in Foxborough were strong, especially for the 1999 Women’s World Cup at Foxboro Stadium – 50,484 arrived for a doubleheader as the U.S. took a 3-0 win over North Korea (and Italy blanked Mexico, 2-0) June 27, 1999. In ’99, three WWC dates were staged at Foxboro Stadium and in 2003, two WWC dates were held at Gillette Stadium. [Read more…] about April 14, 2007 – U.S. 5:0 Mexico at Gillette Stadium (Att. 18,184)