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Brandi Chastain on 1999 penalty: ‘All your hopes and fears in one moment’ Brandi Chastain on 1999 penalty: ‘All your hopes and fears in one moment’
(about 1 hour later)
Brandi Chastain remembers the silence. There were 90,185 fans watching her walk to the penalty spot in the Rose Bowl, Pasadena, and all she could hear was her own breathing. It was July 10, 1999, and after USA goalkeeper Briana Scurry had saved Liu Ying’s effort (jumping off her line a little early had helped), Chastain was taking USA’s fifth kick to win the World Cup final shoot-out against China. Brandi Chastain remembers the silence. There were 90,185 fans watching her walk to the penalty spot in the Rose Bowl, Pasadena and all she could hear was her own breathing. It was 10 July 1999 and after the USA goalkeeper Briana Scurry had saved Liu Ying’s effort (jumping off her line a little early had helped) Chastain was taking USA’s fifth kick to win the World Cup final shoot-out against China.
She should not have been there. Chastain was the team’s regular penalty-taker but had hit a right-footed penalty against the crossbar in a defeat to China, in a friendly, three months earlier. When the assistant coach Lauren Gregg had drawn up the USA list, she put Chastain in sixth place. Tony DiCicco, the coach, moved her up to fifth. He also asked her, during the break before the shoot-out, to take the penalty with her left foot. She should not have been there. Chastain was the team’s regular penalty-taker but had hit a right-footed penalty against the crossbar in a defeat to China, in a friendly, three months earlier. When the assistant coach, Lauren Gregg, had drawn up the USA list she put Chastain in sixth place. Tony DiCicco, the coach, moved her up to fifth. He also asked her, during the break before the shoot-out, to take the penalty with her left foot.
Chastain was the only true two-footed player in the side. Her father would watch her knock a ball against a wall for hours with both feet, until she was just as good with her left as her right. Her grandfather would reward her when she played in junior games, paying her $1 for every goal, and $1.50 for every assist. Chastain was the only true two-footed player in the side. Her father would watch her knock a ball against a wall for hours with both feet until she was just as good with her left as her right. Her grandfather would reward her when she played in junior games, paying her $1 for every goal, and $1.50 for every assist.
Every player had practised penalties in training, and DiCicco had liked Chastain’s left-footers: they were more precise, and harder to read, than her right-footed kicks, which would always go to the same side, the goalkeeper’s left. “It got to the point that goalkeepers knew where she would kick,” said DiCicco, figuring that changing her kicking foot would surprise China goalkeeper Gao Hong. Every player had practised penalties in training and DiCicco had liked Chastain’s left-footers: they were more precise and harder to read than her right-footed kicks, which would always go to the same side, the goalkeeper’s left. “It got to the point that goalkeepers knew where she would kick,” said DiCicco, figuring that changing her kicking foot would surprise the China goalkeeper, Gao Hong.
“I didn’t think anything of it at the time,” Chastain said. “I was always ambidextrous, and so it always felt normal to use both feet to. When I injured my right ankle, I used my left foot to drive the ball a lot more.” “I didn’t think anything of it at the time,” Chastain said. “I was always ambidextrous and so it always felt normal to use both feet. When I injured my right ankle I used my left foot to drive the ball a lot more.”
Chastain did not suffer from self-doubt like the team’s star player Mia Hamm. Hamm did not want to take a penalty. She had asked Gregg if Shannon MacMillan, the other striker, could take one instead. Hamm had recently become football’s highest-scoring international player – in the men’s and women’s game – but was on a four-game goal drought and terrified of missing. She still can’t remember taking her penalty, USA’s fourth; she passed out after the game and was sick all night, the anxiety of the being USA’s face of the tournament taking its toll. (Hamm would later meet her husband, former baseball player Nomar Garciaparra, at a promotional event at Harvard where the pair had a penalty shoot-out. Hamm won 4-3 and Nomar broke the ice telling her that he had let her win.) Chastain did not suffer from self-doubt like the team’s star player Mia Hamm. Hamm did not want to take a penalty. She had asked Gregg if Shannon MacMillan, the other striker, could take one instead. Hamm had recently become football’s highest-scoring international player – in the men’s and women’s game – but was on a four-game goal drought and terrified of missing. She still can’t remember taking her penalty, USA’s fourth; she passed out after the game and was sick all night, the anxiety of the being USA’s face of the tournament taking its toll. (Hamm would later meet her husband, the former baseball player Nomar Garciaparra, at a promotional event at Harvard where the pair had a penalty shoot-out. Hamm won 4-3 and Nomar broke the ice by telling her he had let her win.)
Chastain already had the nickname “Hollywood” from her team-mates and she thrived on the big occasion. “Brandi wants to have the responsibility on her,” said DiCicco. “Some players are afraid of failure, they don’t want the role. Brandi wants it. She wants the spotlight. That’s the type of player you want in penalty kicks.”Chastain already had the nickname “Hollywood” from her team-mates and she thrived on the big occasion. “Brandi wants to have the responsibility on her,” said DiCicco. “Some players are afraid of failure, they don’t want the role. Brandi wants it. She wants the spotlight. That’s the type of player you want in penalty kicks.”
She had made sacrifices to get to this point: reconstructive surgery on both knees which kept her out for almost two years, a period spent playing for Shiroki Serena in Japan, as well as four years out of the national side between 1992 and 1996. She played in the 1996 Olympic gold-winning final with a torn knee ligament. Oh, and she agreed to move from striker to full-back just to earn a place in the team. She had made sacrifices to get to this point: reconstructive surgery on both knees which kept her out for almost two years, a period spent playing for Shiroki Serena in Japan, as well as four years out of the national side between 1992 and 1996. She played in the 1996 Olympic gold-winning final with a torn knee ligament. Oh, and she agreed to move from striker to full-back to earn a place in the team.
She had also missed USA’s best chance against China, slipping and failing to shoot when Gao had punched a corner straight to her. Would that affect her nerves? There were 40 million Americans watching on television: it remains a record for a women’s sporting event, and for any football match in the USA. Would that affect her nerves? Team USA wanted the tournament to prove there would be a market for a professional women’s league in the country, and winning the final would make that much more likely. Would that affect her nerves? She had also missed USA’s best chance against China, slipping and failing to shoot when Gao had punched a corner straight to her. Would that affect her nerves? There were 40m Americans watching on television: it remains a record for a women’s sporting event and for any football match in the USA. Would that affect her nerves? Team USA wanted the tournament to prove there would be a market for a professional women’s league in the country and winning the final would make that much more likely. Would that affect her nerves?
No. She was not nervous. In the centre-circle, she decided where she wanted to kick the ball: to her natural side, as hard as she could. “I didn’t mind if it went high or low, I just wanted to aim for that corner, and strike it hard.” As she made the walk, she kept her eyes down. “Don’t look at the goalkeeper, don’t look at the goalkeeper,” she said to herself. No. She was not nervous. In the centre-circle, she decided where she wanted to place the ball: to her natural side, as hard as she could. “I didn’t mind if it went high or low, I just wanted to aim for that corner, and strike it hard.” As she made the walk, she kept her eyes down. “Don’t look at the goalkeeper, don’t look at the goalkeeper,” she said to herself.
Back in March, Gao had unnerved Chastain by walking off her line and standing right up to her before the missed penalty. “I didn’t want her to have that edge on me again.” In the previous March Gao had unnerved Chastain by walking off her line and standing right up to her before the missed penalty. “I didn’t want her to have that edge on me again.”
Then, the penalty: “It was complete slow-motion between my foot and the net. I’ve been in a car accident before, not a serious one, and just before it happened, everything went slow but there’s nothing you could do to change it. It seemed to take forever and while it traveled, everything was so quiet and still and slow. And when it hit the net: an explosion! Noise, cheering, cameras, team-mates, everything.” Chastain had hit it high to the goalkeeper’s left, just like usual. Gao dived the right way, but could not reach it. Then the penalty: “It was complete slow-motion between my foot and the net. I’ve been in a car accident before, not a serious one, and just before it happened, everything went slow but there’s nothing you could do to change it. It seemed to take forever and while it travelled, everything was so quiet and still and slow. And when it hit the net: an explosion! Noise, cheering, cameras, team-mates, everything.” Chastain had hit it high to the goalkeeper’s left, justas usual. Gao dived the right way but could not reach it.
Before her team-mates jumped on her, Chastain fell to her knees and ripped off her shirt, waving it around her head. Five years earlier, in the same stadium, on another baking hot day, Roberto Baggio had missed a penalty for Italy that won Brazil the World Cup; just like then, the post-penalty image was captured and shown around the world. This time, the tears were of joy. Before her team-mates jumped on her Chastain fell to her knees and ripped off her shirt, waving it around her head. Five years earlier, in the same stadium on another baking-hot day, Roberto Baggio had missed a penalty for Italy that won Brazil the World Cup; just like then the post-penalty image was captured and shown around the world. This time the tears were of joy.
“It was definitely not pre-meditated,” she said of the moment she took off her shirt to celebrate in her black sports bra. “Come on, I’m a left-back in a World Cup final, I’m hardly thinking this game will be my moment. It was a combination of things: joy, relief, satisfaction, the desire to do well for your team, your country, your family – those are emotions that you carry around every day for years, and finally I could let it all out. Put all those things together and what you get is insanity.” “It was definitely not pre-meditated,” she said of the moment she took off her shirt to celebrate in her black sports bra. “Come on, I’m a left-back in a World Cup final, I’m hardly thinking this game will be my moment. It was a combination of things: joy, relief, satisfaction, the desire to do well for your team, your country, your family – those are emotions that you carry around every day for years and finally I could let it all out. Put all those things together and what you get is insanity.”
She is happy to talk about the sports bra moment, “because it always comes back to women’s soccer”. Chastain believes the victory changed the social fabric for women athletes in USA. “The number of young girls playing athletic activities is up 500% from when I was a kid.” She is encouraging it, having set up Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative, introducing disadvantaged eight-to-10-year-olds to sports to understand the value of exercise, decision-making, communication and leadership. She is happy to talk about the sports bra moment “because it always comes back to women’s soccer”. Chastain believes the victory changed the social fabric for women athletes in USA. “The number of young girls playing athletic activities is up 500% from when I was a kid.” She is encouraging it, having set up Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative, introducing disadvantaged eight- to 10-year-olds to sports to understand the value of exercise, decision-making, communication and leadership.
She remembers meeting an 89-year-old man who was transfixed by the game, even though it was his first experience of watching soccer; and the pregnant woman whose daughter, now 14, is playing soccer. “This moment created so many reactions for different reasons, but it just shows how sport touches people.”She remembers meeting an 89-year-old man who was transfixed by the game, even though it was his first experience of watching soccer; and the pregnant woman whose daughter, now 14, is playing soccer. “This moment created so many reactions for different reasons, but it just shows how sport touches people.”
It was a genius move from DiCicco to put Chastain fifth and ask her to kick with her left foot. She acknowledges that too, but still, it was her nerve that held, her ‘wrong’ foot that scored the winning penalty. With that kick, Chastain became a match-winner, a role model, and a pioneer. “The moment was life-affirming. It was scary, invigorating and fulfilling. All your hopes and fears are distilled into this one moment. It’s unique in life.” It was a genius move from DiCicco to put Chastain fifth and ask her to use her left foot. She acknowledges that too, but still it was her nerve that held, her “wrong” foot that scored the winning penalty. With that kick Chastain became a match-winner, a role model and a pioneer. “The moment was life-affirming. It was scary, invigorating and fulfilling. All your hopes and fears are distilled into this one moment. It’s unique in life.”
And if she hadn’t taken off her shirt to celebrate, would the legacy of the 1999 triumph be so present today? “I would like to think the answer to that is yes.” She hesitates. “But maybe not.” And if she hadn’t taken off her shirt to celebrate would the legacy of the 1999 triumph be so present today? “I would like to think the answer to that is yes.” She hesitates. “But maybe not.”
This is an extract from ‘Twelve Yards: The Art and Psychology of the Perfect Penalty’, which is released in the US in JulyThis is an extract from ‘Twelve Yards: The Art and Psychology of the Perfect Penalty’, which is released in the US in July