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Remembering '99: An alternative look
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Mike Blake/Reuters file
Everyone knows what this picture is. Everyone.
Exactly ten years ago, on July 10, 1999, Brandi Chastain helped lift the United States Women's National Team to a thrilling penalty kick victory in the FIFA Women's World Cup Final.
90,185 fans at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and millions of fans around the country and world celebrated the victory along with Chastain, the improbable hero, and her star-studded teammates.
Now, on the tenth anniversary of this historic triumph, there is a lot of talk about how great the entire event - victory and all - was for women's sports in general.
For soccer, it meant the launch of the first women's professional league in the United States, the Women's United Soccer Association.
Unfortunately, the WUSA did not last, but Women's Professional Soccer now stands in its place with a better business plan that fans and executives hope will make the league last for an extended amount of time.
Everyone knows that without that amazing display of soccer and the great fan turnout throughout the entire tournament, a women's professional league may have never even gotten off of the ground.
Now, though, world-class women's soccer can be enjoyed on a weekly basis right in America's backyards. The likes of Marta, Hope Solo, Kelly Smith, Sonia Bompastor and so many others are all plying their trade in WPS thanks to this historic event in 1999.
However, perhaps none of this would even be if the United States does not go on to win that championship match on penalty kicks (5-4) against China. No jubilation. No magazine covers. No sports bra.
Just under ten minutes into the first overtime of the scoreless game, Chinese defender Fan Yunjie's header looked goal-bound, but Kristine Lilly was positioned on the post for the Chinese corner kick - like any good defender - to miraculously save the day for the U.S.
All 5'4" of her got up to clear that ball off of the line, which had beaten goalkeeper Brianna Scurry. If that ball goes in, the Chinese most likely go on to win that game and spoil the Americans' hopes. Who knows how the media attention would have compared had the U.S. gone on to lose that game? It's a scary question, and thankfully only a hypothetical one.
So, as everyone enjoys this historic 10th anniversary of what is still the most watched and attended women's team sporting event ever, be sure to give thanks to Kristine Lilly for allowing that game to make it to penalty kicks - and celebrations, photo shoots, magazines, and the like.
She wasn't the only one by any means, but she certainly helped save the day. All 5'4" of her.
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