[nas] Fwd: U.S. Soccer's 2003 Year in Review

> U.S. SOCCER'S 2003 YEAR IN REVIEW
> 
> The year 2003 will be remembered by those who followed U.S. Soccer as 
> the year the Women's World Cup was moved to the United States from 
> China, the year Freddy Adu broke onto the national scene with the U.S. 
> Under-17s and eventually signed with MLS, and the year goalkeeper Tim 
> Howard made the jump across the pond to Manchester United. Dig a little 
> deeper, and you will see that the U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team made 
> a great little run and U.S. Soccer's National Training Center officially 
> opened at the stunning Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
> 
> Check out ussoccer.com's Year in Review, which includes major 2003 
> awards and league champions, as well as recaps of all the following 
> stories at 
> 
>http://www.ussoccer.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=50769&itype=113&iCategoryID=0
> 
> JANUARY/FEBRUARY
> 
> - Fifth Year of U.S. Soccer's Full-Time Residency Kicks Off; Adu Begins 
> to Emerge
> - U.S. WNT Opens Up Year Against Japan; Take First at Four Nations 
> Tournament
> - U.S. MNT Downs Canada in First Match of the Year
> - U.S. Under-23s Take Second in the Vale do Tejo International 
> Tournament in Portugal
> - 2002 Chevrolet Athletes of the Year Announced
> 
> MARCH/APRIL
> 
> - FIFA Postpones World Youth Championship; Tournament Rescheduled for 
> Nov. 27-Dec. 19
> - U-17 MNT Win Group A of CONCACAF Qualifying
> - U.S. WNT Wins Algarve Cup in Portugal
> - Chiquita Joins U.S. Soccer as a Sponsor
> - Women's World Cup Draw Postponed Due to Fear of SARS
> - Friedel Named to English Premier League Team of the Year
> 
> MAY/JUNE
> 
> - Women's World Cup Moved From China to USA Due to SARS Outbreak
> - U.S. MNT Draw with Mexico in Front of 70,000 Fans
> - U.S. U-23s Down Mexico 3-1 in Guadalajara; David Testo Scores Amazing 
> 90-yard Goal
> - U.S. Soccer's National Training Center at The Home Depot Opens in 
> Carson, Calif.
> - U.S. MNT Introduce One-Time Retro Jerseys in Send-Off Match
> - U.S. WNT Beat Ireland 5-0 in First Game Ever in Utah
> - U.S. Plays Tough Confederations Cup Tournament in France
> - U.S. MNT Gets Top Billing in CONCACAF For First Time in FIFA World 
> Rankings
> 
> JULY/AUGUST
> 
> - U.S. WNT Plays First Game in Louisiana, Unveil WWC Jerseys
> - Women's World Cup Draw is Held at The Home Depot Center
> - U.S. MNT Takes Third Place in Gold Cup
> - U-21 WNT Wins Fifth Straight Nordic Cup
> - Tim Howard Signs With Manchester United
> - U.S. Under-17 MNT Take Fifth Place in the FIFA U-17 World Championship
> - U.S. Soccer Mours the Passing of Clive Charles
> - U.S. WNT Roster Announced; MacMillan Back From ACL Injury
> 
> SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER
> 
> - Women's United Soccer Association Suspends Operations; Hopes Still 
> Alive to Bring League Back
> - U.S. Women's National Team Finishes Third at 2003 FIFA Women's World
> Cup
> - Chicago Fire Win Open Cup
> 
> NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
> 
> - U-23 Olympic Qualifying Starts With Dominating Wins Over St. Kitts &
> Nevis
> - 14-Year-Old Freddy Adu Signs with MLS
> - San Jose Makes Remarkable Comeback to Win MLS Cup
> - U.S. MNT Finds Out World Cup Qualifying Opponents
> - Nike Friendlies Attracts Record Number of Teams to Bradenton
> - U.S. Under-20 MNT Take Fifth Place at FIFA World Youth Championship
> 
> 2003 Awards/League Champions
> 
> U.S. Top Three Finishes
> U.S. Men's National Team: CONCACAF Gold Cup (USA/MEX), 3rd place
> U.S. Women's National Team: Women's World Cup (USA), 1st place
> U.S. Women's National Team: Algarve Cup (Portugal), 3rd place
> U.S. Under-21 Women's National Team: Nordic Cup (Denmark), 1st place
> 
> U.S. National Team Individual Honors
> Shannon Boxx, First Team (Women's World Cup, USA)
> Joy Fawcett, First Team (Women's World Cup, USA)
> Mia Hamm, Honorable Mention (Women's World Cup, USA)
> Bobby Convey, First Team (World Youth Championship, UAE)
> Steve Cronin, First Team (World Youth Championship, UAE)
> Ed Johnson, Golden Ball (World Youth Championship, UAE)
> Freddy Adu, First Team (U-17 World Championship, Finland)
> Danny Szetela, First Team (U-17 World Championship, Finland)
> 
> 2003 Best of U.S. Soccer
> Best Soccer Bar: Ginger's Ale House (Chicago, Ill.)
> Best Soccer Store: Gotshalk's Soccer (Boston, Mass.)
> Best Soccer Stadium: The Home Depot Center (Carson, Calif.)
> Best Soccer Fans: Chicago, Ill.
> Best Game Promotion: U.S. MNT Retro Jerseys
> Best U.S. Soccer Story: U.S. MNT Goalkeeper Tim Howard Signs with 
> Manchester United; Red Devils Tour America
> Best U.S. Crowd: May 8 @ Reliant Stadium (69,582; SO)
> Best U.S. Goal (Youth National Team): Freddy Adu (June 4)
> Best U.S. Goal (National Team): Kristine Lilly (Sept. 21)
> Best Game Performance (Player): Abby Wambach (Oct. 1)
> Best Game Performance (Team): U.S. WNT 3, Sweden 1 (Sept. 21)
> 
> 
> 2003 Pro League Champions and Awards
> 
> Major League Soccer
> Champion: San Jose Earthquakes
> Runner-up: Chicago Fire
> 
> MLS Award Winners
> MVP: Preki, Kansas City Wizards
> Goalkeeper of the Year: Pat Onstad, San Jose Earthquakes
> Defender of the Year: Carlos Bocanegra, Chicago Fire
> 
> Women's United Soccer Association
> Champion: Washington Freedom
> Runner-up: Atlanta Beat
> 
> WUSA Award Winners
> MVP: Maren Meinert, Boston Breakers
> Goalkeeper of the Year: Briana Scurry, Atlanta Beat
> Defender of the Year: Joy Fawcett, San Diego Spirit
> 
> United Soccer Leagues
> 
> A-League
> Champion: Charleston Battery
> MVP: Thiago Martins, Pittsburgh Riverhounds
> 
> USL Pro Soccer  League
> Champion: Wilmington Hammerheads
> MVP: Rob Jachym, Western Mass Pioneers
> 
> Premier Development League
> Champion: Cape Cod Crusaders
> MVP: Tomas Boltnar, Des Moines Menace
> 
> W-League
> Champion: Hampton Roads Piranhas
> MVP: Phebe Trotman, Vancouver Whitecaps
> 
> Super Y-League
> U-14 Boys: Chicago Magic
> U-15 Boys: Chicago Magic
> U-16 Boys: Santa Rosa United
> U-17 Boys: West Kendall
> U-19 Boys: Cleveland Force Jrs.
> U-14 Girls: Mustang SC
> U-15 Girls: Parsippany SC
> U-16 Girls: Cape Cod Crusaders
> U-17 Girls: Intense Soccer Academy
> 
> Major Indoor Soccer League
> Champion: Baltimore Blast
> MVP: Dino Delevski, Kansas City Comets
> 
> - www.ussoccer.com -

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