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AMERICA’S SWEETHEARTS; VCU COACH RECALLS 1999 WORLD CUP
7-9-09

For a month in the summer of 1999, the FIFA Women’s World Cup captivated America. Previously an afterthought in the United States, women’s soccer was thrust to the forefront, as the powerhouse American squad zigzagged the country before record crowds.

On July 10, 1999, the U.S. met China in the championship match before a crowd of 90,185 at the Rose Bowl in Pasedena, Calif., the largest to ever witness a women’s sporting event. Scoreless through regulation, the game was decided in a shootout on a Brandi Chastain penalty kick. Chastain’s kick and subsequent shirtless celebration became iconic moments in American lore, right up there with Babe Ruth, the 1980 Miracle On Ice and the Ice Bowl.

VCU Co-Women’s Soccer Coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak played on that squad and recently spoke to Around The Horns about those unforgettable moments from 10 years ago. 

ATH: What was initially went through your mind when Brandi Chastain (pictured, right) connected on that final penalty kick to give the U.S. the championship?
TRS: I had a combination of feelings because it was such a hard fought match and we had trained for that moment for long time. It was a grueling game.  I felt relief, joy, excitement... it all just felt amazing! 

ATH: The freeze-frame everyone remembers from that game is Brandi, just seconds after the winning kick, shirtless, arms triumphantly raised in the air, belting out a celebratory yell. That photo has become iconic, to say the least. Do you guys ever tease her about it?
TRS: We actually tease her about other things, (haha) not really about that moment though. If you were to ask any member of the team what they would've done, we would have all celebrated the same way.

ATH: It seemed like the whole team became rock stars overnight. The general public really became taken with that group. Can you describe what those next few weeks or months were like?
TRS: The few weeks following the tournament were fun and exhausting! We basically went on a whirlwind tour. In 48 hours we hung out with President Clinton and Hilary at the White House – we even had the opportunity to go into the Oval Office – we flew down with Hilary and Chelsea in Air Force II to Cape Canaveral to watch a shuttle launch, jetted back up to New York City to make appearances on the Today Show, Fox and Dave Letterman. It really did seem like we were rock stars! 

ATH: Going into the World Cup, did you have any idea that it would be received so well?
TRS: We had no idea! Especially since we only played in front of a few hundred people in our last World Cup in Sweden in 1995. We were even shocked that the traffic we were stuck in on the way to our opening game was because of us! We had around 76,000 fans at our first game and we were psyched!  It just snowballed from that point.

ATH NOTE: The largest crowd at the 1995 World Cup in Sweden was just over 17,000. In 1999, the smallest audience the U.S. team played in front of was more than 50,000.  

ATH: The championship match was played at the Rose Bowl in front of more than 90,000, numbers reserved for Super Bowls and The Rolling Stones. For those of us who haven’t played in front of 90,000 screaming fans, can you put that experience into words?
TRS: Well, as a soccer player, you can't hear one another out on the field or even your coach or teammates on the sideline. We used to train in football stadiums with music blaring so we could get used to playing without being able to hear one another. But, it was a dream come true for me and for my teammates to be supported by that many people. It's really the sort of thing you dream about when you're little but never really think it will happen to you. You do get nervous, but once the whistle blows, or for me, once I get into my first tackle, everything is fine! 

ATH: You won two national championships at the University of North Carolina, and a gold medal in Atlanta in 1996. Where do those moments stack up against that 1999 World Cup?
TRS: Each championship holds a special place in my heart, and I have different feelings about each of them. I really don't have one tournament or championship that takes the cake. The 1999 World Cup was so amazing because it became a moment in history that people will never forget. It became more than just winning a World Cup. We broke barriers [gender, cultural, etcetera] and inspired millions of little girls and boys around the world.  

ATH: We’d be remiss if we didn’t address the impact that World Cup had on women’s soccer, and women’s athletics as a whole, in the United States. Ten years later, where do you still see that impact?
TRS: I see the impact everyday. The players that we coach at VCU are strong, intelligent and motivated young women. They believe they are capable of whatever it is they want to do in life. They talk to me about watching the 1999 World Cup and all say that it inspired them to be great. I see the impact in the young girls as well. They have role models like Brandi Chastain and Mia Hamm and feel they can grow up to be whatever they want.   We have a women's pro league again, which I believe would have never existed without our success in the 1999 World Cup.

ATH: Where do you see women’s soccer in the United States headed in the next 10 years?
TRS: I see the U.S. Women winning another World Cup and Olympic Gold Medal. We have tremendous talent in our country, and when you combine it with the drive and motivation, which our young players have, you are more likely to be a champion. I believe there will be more women who played at high levels becoming coaches. I didn't have this when I was younger. I also see women's professional soccer becoming successful and lasting this time around! 

-Chris Kowalczyk

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