Brandi Chastain

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Competitor for United States
Olympic medalist
Brandi Chastain
Medal record
Women's Football (soccer)
Gold	Atlanta 1996	Team Competition
Silver	Sydney 2000	Team Competiton
Gold	Athens 2004	Team Competiton

Brandi Chastain (born July 21, 1968) is a former soccer player who was on the U.S. women's national soccer team from 1991 to 2004 and later the San Jose CyberRays.

She attended Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, California, helping take the team to three state championships. In 1986 Chastain was awarded the Soccer America Freshmen Player Of The Year award at the University of California, Berkeley. Soon after, she underwent reconstructive surgery on both her knees which caused her to miss much of the 1987 and 1988 seasons. She transferred to Santa Clara University, leading them to two Final Four NCAA appearances before graduating in 1990.

Chastain first represented her country on April 18, 1991, against Mexico. She came off the bench to score five consecutive goals in a 12-0 United States win in a qualifying game for the first FIFA Women's World Cup. Team USA went on to win the World Cup, staged in China.

Her first stint as a member of the national team came to an end on August 8, 1993 following the team's success in the CONCACAF competition. She made the team again in 1996 and participated in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games at defender, helping the Americans win the gold medal.

[edit] Sports bra jubilation

Chastain became a household name on July 10, 1999 at the Women's World Cup at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California when, after scoring the fifth penalty kick to give the United States the win over China in the championship game, she celebrated by ripping off her jersey and falling to her knees in a sports bra, her fists clenched in triumph. She signed a lucrative contract with Nike. Playboy also made her an offer, which she declined.

[edit] Later career

Chastain played on the San Jose CyberRays in the Women's United Soccer Association from its formation in 2001 until its suspension in 2003. She played on the US women's national team until her last game on December 6, 2004.

Currently she is a broadcaster with ABC/ESPN on their coverage of Major League Soccer.

She currently lives in Santa Clara, California, where her husband, Jerry Smith, is the women's soccer coach at Santa Clara University. The couple's first child, son Jaden Chastain Smith, was born on June 8, 2006.

Chastain's website and a book she wrote about women's competitive sports are titled It’s Not About the Bra.

[edit] Quote

On what took place after the penalty kick at the 1999 World Cup: “Momentary insanity, nothing more, nothing less. I wasn’t thinking about anything. I thought, ‘This is the greatest moment of my life on the soccer field.’”

[edit] Trivia

Her famous celebration was parodied in a Nike commercial from 2000. In it, she plays foosball with NBA player Kevin Garnett. After she scores a goal, Kevin and his friends look at her expectantly until finally Brandi asks, "What?" to which Kevin replies, "What's up with the shirt?"