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Philly's finest Frenchwoman Pichon wins WUSA MVP awardPosted: Thursday August 22, 2002 11:54 AMUpdated: Thursday August 22, 2002 12:00 PM
ATLANTA (CNNSI.com) -- Philadelphia Charge forward Marinette Pichon on Thursday was named the Women's United Soccer Association's Most Valuable Player for the 2002 season. The 5-foot-3 striker from Saint Memmie, France, who finished fourth in the WUSA in scoring with 29 points, was the only Philadelphia player to place among the league's top 20 scorers. The driving force behind Philadelphia's playoff run, Pichon also was named Offensive Player of the Year and made the all-WUSA first team. The Charge lost to the Washington Freedom in last Saturday's semifinals, setting up a Founders Cup II showdown between the Freedom and the Carolina Courage this Saturday (4 p.m. ET; PAX TV). Both of the other MVP finalists were Carolina stars, Birgit Prinz and Hege Riise. Pichon is currently in France preparing for a World Cup qualifying match against Denmark on Friday. "This is a great honor because the players in the WUSA are the best in the world," Pichon said. "It's very special to be compared to them. I owe this award to my teammates, but especially to my mom who has always supported me throughout my life." In her first WUSA season, the 26-year-old Pichon tallied in 14 goals (second in the WUSA). A two-time WUSA Player of the Week, Pichon recorded the fourth hat trick in league history on July 7. In addition, her 1.61 points per game ranked fourth in the league. The WUSA Player of the Month for June recorded six goals in five games during the month to lead the Charge to a 3-0-3 record. Prior to coming to the WUSA, Pichon was a standout for OL Saint Memmie in her hometown. She recorded 22 goals and five assists in 12 games for her club team in 2001. Scoring 150 goals during her club career in France, Pichon led the league in scoring four times. She was also a member of OL Saint Memmie championship squad in 1994-95. The New York Power's Tiffeny Milbrett won the award in the inaugural WUSA 2001 season. WUSA coaches, general managers, players and members of the media voted for the 2002 Most Valuable Player.
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