Bay Area to Play Atlanta for Title
Julie Murray scored her second goal of the game in the 82nd minute to lead the Bay Area CyberRays to a 3-2 victory over the New York Power in a Women’s United Soccer Assn. semifinal playoff game Saturday in front of 7,756 at San Jose’s Spartan Stadium.
Bay Area, which beat New York in three of four games this season, will face Atlanta in the inaugural league championship match next Saturday at Foxboro Stadium.
Reserve Megan Horvath set up the winning goal when she sent a crossing pass to the left of the goal box. Murray, left unmarked by a New York player, headed the ball past goalkeeper Gao Hong.
Brandi Chastain also scored for Bay Area (12-6-4), which finished in second place in the regular season.
Emily Janss and Jennifer Lalor scored for the Power (9-8-5). New York’s Tiffeny Milbrett, the league’s leading scorer, failed to score for the fourth consecutive game.
Atlanta 3, Philadelphia 2--Cindy Parlow scored her second goal of the game in the second overtime to lead the Beat into the championship game with a semifinal victory before 12,138 at Atlanta.
On a free kick from Sharolta Nonen in the 102nd minute, Parlow took the ball off her body with her back against Philadelphia goalkeeper Melissa Moore. Moore fell, and Parlow turned and scored the winning goal into an open net.
Parlow had tied the game at 2-2 in the 79th minute, after Sun Wen started the comeback by converting a penalty kick in the 67th minute.
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In Major League Soccer:
Chicago 1, San Jose 0--Jesse Marsch scored early in the first half and the Fire clinched a playoff berth with a victory before 10,877 at San Jose.
Goalkeeper Zach Thornton earned his eighth shutout of the season as Chicago (13-6-4) ended San Jose’s nine-match home unbeaten streak.
The game’s only goal came in the seventh minute when Marsch’s header eluded San Jose goalkeeper Joe Cannon.
San Jose (11-6-6) missed a chance to clinch its first playoff berth since 1996. The Earthquakes can clinch a playoff berth with a Kansas City victory today over Colorado.
Miami 4, Dallas 2--Alex Pineda Chacon scored two goals to lead the Fusion to a victory before 9,750 at Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Pineda Chacon tied the match at 1-1 in the 36th minute, and added his second goal of the game in the 79th minute. Miami reserve Johnny Torres set up the eventual game-winner by sending a pass to Pineda Chacon, who scored past Dallas goalkeeper Matt Jordan from 10 yards out on the left wing.
New England 2, D.C. United 1--Ted Chronopoulos scored two first-half goals to lead the Revolution to a victory over D.C. United in front of 15,226 at Foxboro, Mass.
Chronopoulos opened the scoring in the ninth minute when he converted a low crossing pass from Andy Williams from about five yards. Williams also set up Chronopoulos’ second goal in the 30th minute.
New England (7-12-5) ended a three-match losing streak against D.C. United (6-15-2).
