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The Beat goes on WUSA announces nicknames, stadiums
NEW YORK (AP) -- Meet the Beat, the Cyber Rays, the Charge and the Spirit. The Women's United Soccer Association is almost ready to play. The WUSA unveiled those names and four more Thursday for the eight franchises set to begin play next April, as well as announcing home stadiums. At least five of the teams will play on college campuses -- the Atlanta Beat in Bobby Dodd Stadium on the campus of Georgia Tech; the Bay Area Cyber Rays at Spartan Stadium at San Jose State; the Carolina Tempest in Fetzer Field at North Carolina; the Philadelphia Charge at Villanova Stadium; and the San Diego Spirit in Torero Stadium at San Diego. The Boston Breakers will play at either Zimman Field at Tufts University or Foxboro Stadium, home of the NFL New England Patriots. The New York Power will be located at the Mitchel Field Athletic Complex on Long Island. The Washington Freedom will use RFK Stadium. Orlando was one of the original WUSA franchises but it was transferred to Carolina because a suitable stadium could not be found. The league is projecting average crowds of 7,000 per game for its first year. "We wanted to choose intimate, festive stadiums," said Tony DiCicco, the former U.S. national team coach and acting commissioner of the league. Each of the teams already had a national team player on its roster and earlier this week added two foreign players in an allocation draft. Still to come is a draft of college players. U.S. national team veteran Julie Foudy expressed the excitement of the players. "What an awesome day," she said. "We have dreamt about this day, talked about it, fantasized about it. It's such an exciting day for us as players. We want to make this the best league in the world." By parceling the familiar national players out, the WUSA broke up a team that caught the fancy of the country when it won the World Cup in 1999. "It will be new because we'll be wearing different uniforms," said Brandi Chastain, who's penalty shootout score gave the U.S. the Cup over China. "But every day in training we go against each other. Inside, we will feel the same about each other when we walk off the field." Each team will carry 20 players with an $800,000 salary cap per franchise.
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