In one of the most iconic and impactful matches in women’s soccer history, the U.S. Women’s National Team defeated China PR 5-4 on penalty kicks on July 10, 1999, to win the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
A massive crowd of 90,185 packed into the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. to watch the final, setting a record which would stand for decades as the largest attendance ever for a women’s sporting event and to this day it still the largest to watch an international women’s soccer match.
With an enraptured fan-base in the stadium and millions more watching on television, the two top women’s soccer teams in the world squared off in a rematch of the 1996 Olympic gold medal game, won 2-1 by the Americans three summers prior in Georgia. The quality of both teams and the competitive fire on both sides was on full display that afternoon and despite quality chances by both teams, the match remained deadlocked at 0-0 through the conclusion of 90 minutes, sending the match to extra time for the first time ever in Women’s World Cup history.
Ten minutes into the first extra time period, China nearly won the match – overtime was “Golden Goal” during the late 1990s – when Fan Yunjie connected on a looping header from just outside the six-yard box that seemed destined for the back of the net. But in one of the most pivotal moments in USWNT history, midfielder Kristine Lilly timed her jump perfectly to make a goal line clearance with her head and save the USA.
Still scoreless through the conclusion of extra time, the match went to a penalty kick shootout where team captain Carla Overbeck and defender Joy Fawcett converted their attempts to open the proceedings for the USA, as did the first two takers for China. China’s third attempt proved pivotal as U.S. goalkeeper Briana Scurry dove to her left and saved the attempt by China’ Liu Ying and give the advantage to the Americans. Lilly and Mia Hamm converted their penalty kicks, as did the next two Chinese players, setting up the decisive attempt for Brandi Chastain. Chastain buried her left-footed attempt into the upper-right corner for the game winner and, in one of the most memorable celebrations in sporting history, ripped off her jersey and whipped it around in celebration.
In celebration of the 25-year anniversary of the 1999 World Cup, the 1999 Women’s World Cup team will be honored on July 13 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. prior to kickoff of USWNT vs Mexico in the “Impact 99” legacy match, presented by New York Life.
The “Impact 99” match will feature a U.S. Soccer-organized reunion of all 20 players on the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup Team in celebration of the 25th anniversary summer of their historic run to the championship of a tournament that changed the course of women’s soccer history in the USA and globally. Tickets for the July 13 match are available for purchase at ussoccer.com/tickets.