WUSA Founder's Cup Update: Can Washington Handle Atlanta's Potent Attack? - STM Staff

WUSA Founder's Cup III is just around the corner, Sunday in fact, and the match-up should be close. All nine all-time matches between Washington and Atlanta, excluding a tie on April 26, 2003, have been decided by one goal. Atlanta will have to shutdown Washington's goal scoring duo of Abby Wambach and all-time leading scorer Mia Hamm.

The past looks good for the Beat. Wambach never scored a goal against Atlanta in four career games. In fact, the Beat is the only team to shut out the strong forward. The second-year striker has more points in her two years in the league than any WUSA player during a two-year period. Wambach is sitting on has 23 career goals, but has scored zero goals in three postseason matches.

Conversely, the Freedom will have to deal with Atlanta Beat captain Charmaine Hooper who has enjoyed success against the nation's capital club. The Canadian international has scored five goals and notched four assists (14 points) in eight career games against Washington. If Washington can closedown her space they might have the key to victory. No other Beat active player has more than one goal or one assist against Washington.

Hooper will partner with Maribel Dominguez up top for the Beat. The two roommates has carried the load for Atlanta. Hooper (11g) and Dominguez (7g) combined to score 19 of the Beat's 36 goals (reg. season and playoffs) in 2003 (52.7 percent).

Some wonder if this will be 35-year-old Charmaine Hooper (born January 15, 1968) swan song. She is the WUSA's second oldest player, only San Jose's veteran Brazilian midfielder Sissi (born June 2, 1967) is older than Hooper.

Consistency is what has brought Atlanta to this point. The Beat has 11 players remaining from the club's 2001 roster, more than any other WUSA team. No other WUSA team has more than nine players remaining from the first WUSA season. Turnover is a killer. The result -- the Beat has won more games (30-17-16 in the regular season) than any other WUSA team.

Rookies has been the order of the day in Atlanta. Freshman players Maribel Dominguez (7), Conny Pohlers (4), Abby Crumpton (4) and Ifeoma Dieke (1) have combined for 17 of Atlanta's 36 goals (47.2%) during the regular season and playoffs.

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