Tracey Milburn - Tony Quinn

Washington, D.C., August 4 – Charmaine Hooper would not go down quietly on Saturday. With Washington already eliminated from WUSA playoff contention, the Atlanta Beat took an already deflated Freedom team and defeated them 2-1 behind two late goals by the Canadian international before 8,854 rain-soaked fans in the final regular season game at RFK Stadium.

The first of the two crucial goals came in the 81st minute, with Washington holding on to a slim 1-0 lead. Sun Wen took the ball from the left corner of the field and lobbed it up to an unmarked Hooper, who overpowered Freedom goalkeeper Erin Fahey and sent a header from five yards out that hit the crossbar, deflected off of Fahey and into the net for the equalizer.

“I knew that once we scored that first goal we could do it,” said Hooper, who now has nine goals on the year for the league-leading Beat (9-4-7, 34 points). “The ball came right to me.”

Hooper then scored on a great individual effort in the 85th minute, taking the ball past Skylar Little, outrunning Lindsey Stoecker and sending a shot that tweaked by Fahey’s legs and slowly rolled past the goal line for the game-winning goal. As Hooper lay on the ground, she was mobbed immediately by her elated Atlanta teammates.

“Hooper just wouldn’t be denied out there today,” said Beat coach Tom Stone of Hooper.

Added Freedom coach Jim Gabarra, “She refuses to lose and would do anything to win. That’s why they have as many wins as they do. I think we need to match that mentality with our defenders.”

The late game goals further added to an already frustrating season for the Freedom (6-11-3, 21 points). Washington has had difficulty holding onto leads late in games throughout the year, and the team failed to convert on numerous scoring opportunities. To add to their woes, star forward Mia Hamm was forced to sit out the game due to a suspension for accumulating four yellow cards.

“That’s the season in a nutshell,” said Gabarra, whose team will finish the regular season against New York in Annapolis, Md. on August 11. "We miss easy opportunities, and we can't prevent the untimely goal."

Forward Tracy Milburn did an admirable job in replacing Hamm, getting off several good shots and scoring her first goal of the year in the 31st minute. Michelle French started the play by passing the ball to Emmy Barr, who sent a centering lob pass to Milburn at the top of the six-yard box. Milburn scored on a header to the upper left corner of the net past goalkeeper Briana Scurry.

But Washington failed to score an insurance goal. In the 67th minute Little sent a cross to a wide-open Milburn, who one-timed the pass wide right from point blank range in front of the net. Little then sent a centering cross in the 89th minute to Bai Jie, who chipped the pass over the post from close range.

“We had some opportunities that we should have put away and the game would have over,” said Gabarra. “When it’s 1-0 in the 80th minute we have to have someone in the back there saying ‘they’re not going to get not even a half-chance to score a goal.’”

Lineups
Atlanta:
Scurry, Nancy Augustyniak, Nonen, Walsh, Krzykowski, Julie Augustyniak, Serlenga, Sawa (Smith, 45th), Burt (Cagle, 55th), Hooper, Parlow (Sun, 70th and Lamb, 86th).

Washington:
Fahey, Cromwell (Pretinha, 87th), Stoecker (Makinen, 55th), Little, Barr (Moore, 67th), French, Grubb, Jie, Baumgardt, Gerardo Milburn.