| Event | 2003 WUSA season | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Date | August 24, 2003 | ||||||
| Venue | Torero Stadium, San Diego, California | ||||||
| Player of the Match | Abby Wambach (Freedom) | ||||||
| Referee | Terry Vaughn | ||||||
| Attendance | 7,106 | ||||||
| Weather | Sunshine 79 °F (26 °C) | ||||||
The 2003 WUSA Founders Cup, also known as Founders Cup III, was the third and final championship match in Women's United Soccer Association history, played between the Atlanta Beat and the Washington Freedom to decide the champion of the league's final season. [1] The game was played at Torero Stadium in San Diego, California on August 24, 2003. The Washington Freedom defeated the Beat 2-1. [2] [3] [4]
| Washington Freedom | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Atlanta Beat |
|---|---|---|
Wambach  7',  96' | Report | Hooper 46+' (pen.) |
     Washington Freedom | Atlanta Beat |
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Player of the match
Match officials
| Match rules
|
| Washington Freedom | Atlanta Beat | |
|---|---|---|
| Total shots | 20 | 9 |
| Shots on target | 8 | 6 |
| Corner kicks | 8 | 1 |
| Fouls committed | 15 | 20 |
| Offsides | 2 | 2 |
| Yellow cards | 2 | 3 |
| Red cards | 0 | 1 |
Mariel Margaret Hamm is an American former professional soccer player, two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion. Hailed as a football icon, she played as a forward for the United States national team from 1987 to 2004. Hamm was the face of the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), the first professional women's soccer league in the United States, where she played for the Washington Freedom from 2001 to 2003. She played college soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels and helped the team win four NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship titles.
Washington Freedom was an American professional soccer club based in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Germantown, Maryland, that participated in Women's Professional Soccer. The Freedom was founded in 2001 as a member of the defunct Women's United Soccer Association. Beginning in 2004, the Freedom played its home games at the Maryland SoccerPlex. In 2011, the team relocated to Boca Raton, Florida, and became magicJack.
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Competitive men's professional soccer has been played in the United States since 1912 and since 2001 for women's. Numerous leagues have existed over the years with some recognized by the United States Soccer Federation and some not. The lists below are the single game attendance records for men's outdoor (60,000+), men's indoor (18,000+), and women's outdoor (18,000+) matches in American club soccer.
The 2002 Women's United Soccer Association season was the second season for WUSA, the top level professional women's soccer league in the United States. The regular season began on April 13 and ended on August 11. The playoffs began on August 17, with the championship match between played on August 24 between the Carolina Courage and the Washington Freedom.
The 2003 Women's United Soccer Association season was the third and final season for WUSA, the first top level professional women's soccer league in the United States. The regular season began on April 5 and ended on August 10. The playoffs began on August 16, with the championship match between played on August 24 between the Washington Freedom and the Atlanta Beat.
Mónica Marie Gerardo Moran is a football manager and former professional player who played as a midfielder and a forward. Born in the United States, she had been capped by the Mexico women's national team, appearing at the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup. At club level, she has played in the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) for the Washington Freedom.
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The Women's United Soccer Association, often abbreviated to the WUSA, was the world's first women's soccer league in which all the players were paid as professionals. Founded in February 2000, the league began its first season in April 2001 with eight teams in the United States. The league suspended operations on September 15, 2003, shortly after the end of its third season, after making cumulative losses of around US$100 million.
Louise Kristina Lieberman is an American soccer coach and former player. She is currently the head coach of the San Diego Toreros women's team. Lieberman played for the Washington Freedom of the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) and collegiate soccer for the UCLA Bruins.
The 2002 WUSA All-Star Game was the first Women's United Soccer Association All-Star Game, a soccer match involving all-stars from Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA). Two teams comprised the best players from all eight league franchises met at PGE Park, Portland, Oregon, on September 21, 2002. The WUSA All-Stars South won the game 6–1, with goals from Abby Wambach (2), Hege Riise, Kylie Bivens, Charmaine Hooper and Shannon MacMillan, while Marinette Pichon scored for the WUSA All-Stars North. WUSA All-Stars South forward Abby Wambach was named as the game's Most Valuable Player. Kari Seitz refereed the game, which was attended by 14,208 spectators and broadcast live on PAX TV.
Casey Ann Zimny is a retired American soccer player who played for Washington Freedom.
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