BY DC CUEVA
The past three years, American soccer fans have been inundated with the very best "the beautiful game" has to offer as the sport has risen in the world's largest sports market. The 2014 FIFA World Cup attracted record attention here as once again the U.S. followed the fortunes of the Men's National Team in record numbers in Brazil. This year, Copa América Centenario brought top level men's international soccer to these shores for the first time since the '94 World Cup, and overseas there was UEFA EURO 2016 where Christiano Ronaldo and Portugal win the title and capped off a summer that also saw him and Real Madrid capture the Champions League. And as its new season begins, the Premier League has grown in stature in America with NBC's unparalleled commitment to England's pastime and Leicester City winning the EPL title in true underdog fashion.
But above all else, the biggest story in American soccer, has been the Women's National Team. For one month in June and July of last year, sports fans once again became enthralled in a sport that until the '90s has not thrived in a country grown on a different sports agenda, but this time it was a team that became a pop culture phenomenon. And in a 16-minute span, they went to another level as the United States women won the FIFA Women's World Cup for an unprecedented third time. It would become the defining moment of American soccer in the last 25 years, and quite a ride the women's program has gone through to get to this position as the dominant force in the women's game, despite the ending they had in Rio. In spite of all of this incredible success, it hasn't always been gold for a sport now entrenched as one of the most popular.
The history of American women's soccer can date back to the 1980's when the sport was mostly the domain of those who moved to the country in pursuit of a new life. Women's national teams was first selected in '82, '83 and '84 but never played a single game together. In 1985, nearly 70 women from college teams were invited to Baton Rouge, LA to participate in the U.S. Olympic Festival, and 17 were chosen by accomplished national coach Mike Ryan to play in a tournament overseas in Italy and became the first women to don the USA jersey in international women's competition. The team struggled and ultimately Ryan was replaced by Anson Dorrance, who began to build college soccer's most successful women's program at North Carolina.
As head of the national team, he developed a core of young players as well as putting them into the 3-4-3 formation that was at the time unusual but became commonplace later. Those players wavered in a light reflective of the sport at the time: players who played just for the love of it with no money being earned, having third-rate travel in staying in low budget motels, and having little food. Plus, there wasn't as many people watching their matches at the stadium as the mainstream American fans hadn't gotten used to the dull, low-scoring, non-stop pace of the world's game. At decade's end, the U.S. team took part in a FIFA-hosted invitational tournament in China to figure out if it was feasible for football's governing body to host a women's version of a World Cup. They made it past the group stage and were beaten by Norway in the quarterfinals, but it was the start to what would come next.
A year after the U.S. men's team returned to soccer's greatest stage, the women were up next to take the baton when they took part in the first CONCACAF Women's Championship in 1991, held by the soccer's continental governing body for North and Central America. With one spot at stake in Haiti, the U.S. women rolled their way through the competition to qualify for the first FIFA Women's World Cup later that fall in China.
The squad that went across the Pacific for what was then called the Women's World Championship for the M&M's Cup (as FIFA was then reluctant to bestow their World Cup brand on the tournament) were led by Joy Fawcett, Kristine Lilly, Julie Foudy, Michelle Akers, Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain. They formed the nucleus for the first generation of a team that would become a dynasty in this emerging sport, becoming pioneers and legends along the way.
Led by captain April Heinrichs, the U.S. rolled through the group stages with wins over Sweden (including later USWNT coach Pia Sundhage), Brazil and Japan - both in routs, then romped over Taiwan 7-0 including a record 5 goals by Michelle Akers in the quarters. In their semifinal, Carin Jennings netted a hat trick and Heinrichs added two more as they beat who would become the only other team to hold the #1 ranking in FIFA's Women's team rankings, highly-rated Germany by 5-2.
In the final, the Americans would meet their match in Norway, who began their campaign getting thrashed by the Chinese hosts 4-0 but won the rest of their group stage and knockout matches to progress into the final. This game would be totally different from the easy wins the Americans had as it was low scoring and more defensive oriented. Akers headed home the breakthrough goal at 20', followed by the equalizer by Norway's Linda Medalen nine minutes later. It stayed that way until the 78th minute, when Akers broke free and beat the Norweigan goalkeeper into the open net to put home the cup winner. The 2-1 win gave the Americans their first ever world championship in soccer.
This was a win that was celebrated in the soccer world and those loyal fans who followed the sport more actively. But because this tournament fell in the heart of a fall sports season where the NFL, NBA, NHL and college football take more precedent, this milestone was largely put into the back pages of the American sports papers. The women's team expected great fanfare upon their arrival back home from China, but awaiting them at the airport was just family and friends as this didn't draw national attention. Furthermore, the team was without money --- thus, there was no training, no victory tour of friendly matches across the country, no professional league at any level, and many of the players returned to regular lives going to college.
Four years later in 1995 after a limited schedule for several years and with some increased visibility, focus turned to defending their title at the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup, and with showings at the Algarve Cup (the most prestigious women's international soccer tournament outside of the WWC and Olympics), its own USA Women's Cup and CONCACAF Championship, they came into the event in Sweden eager to defend its title. But after a solid group stage (including surviving a match vs Denmark when GK Brianna Scurry was red carded and saw Mia Hamm be in goal, and in spite of being without Michelle Akers for much of the tournament, the Americans lost 1-0 to Norway in the semis and settled for 3rd place over China when most expected them to win.
But nothing prepared the team for what would happen the very next year when all eyes turned towards women's soccer making its debut at the Olympic Games, taking place close right on home turf in Atlanta. Along with the usual slate of friendly matches and winning both a Brazilian and domestic international tournament, there was also a speed bump as well: U.S. Soccer and the women's team were in a pay dispute, where each member were paid only $1,000 a month. But the national federation was reluctant in giving the WNT a bonus for any medal won as it was for the men, but the bonus was only on offer for the women if they won gold. As a result, several players boycotted training camp due to the dispute, but it was ultimately settled afterwards.
At the Centennial Games, the United States was unbeaten in the group stage in taking wins over Denmark and Sweden as well as drawing China. In their semifinal, they faced the same Norwegian team that knocked them out of the Women's World Cup the previous year and while they conceded a Norway goal in the first half, a Michelle Akers penalty late in the second half leveled the match and sent it to extra time, where Shannon MacMillan's golden goal winner send them into the final against China. In front of 76,500 at Sanford Stadium in Athens, GA - the largest crowd to ever see a women's sports event at the time, they faced China who defeated Brazil in the other semi. MacMillan broke through at the 19th minute, followed by a China equalizer at the 32nd. And in the second half, Tiffany Milbrett's 68' go-ahead goal gave the Americans the 2-1 win and the gold medal.
Despite the Olympic final receiving only limited TV coverage in the pre-dawn era of soccer on American TV, women's soccer had nonetheless began to attract serious attention both among fans and media in this melting pot not used to the football that's more popular outside the U.S., as Mia Hamm would eventually become the face of this emerging sport. After medal finishes in the Algarve Cup, the Goodwill Games in New York and the USA Women's Cup, it all led up to the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, but not before speed bumps there too. When they faced an international all-star team among 19 matches in their pre-Cup tour, they lost that exhibition, and so did the '99 Algarve Cup final to China.
When the Women's World Cup took place that summer, FIFA had originally planned to make it a low-key, small profile event to reflect the sport's growing nature. Five years after it successfully hosted the men's World Cup which served as the foundation for the sport's eventual growth in America, the U.S. Soccer Federation proposed to FIFA to hold the games in larger stadiums just as it was for the USA '94 tournament as a way to help promote the sport in the United States. Eventually, soccer's governing body would give the USSF their way, along with increased TV coverage as well.
The American roster featured six veterans of both previous World Cup's, led by Akers, Hamm, Kristine Lilly and a roster with thirteen Olympic veterans and eight who've appeared in all three World Cup's. In the group stage, the Americans won all three of their matches: a 3-0 win over Denmark in front of a record 78,972 fans at the Meadowlands, a 7-1 rout of Nigeria and a 3-0 clean sheet over North Korea. In the quarterfinals in Washington, D.C. they squared off against Germany and in a closely contested match the Americans won 3-2 by way of goals by Milbrett, Brandi Chastain and Joy Fawcett. On the 4th of July, they faced Brazil at Stanford, and after tallies early and late the Americans won 2-0 at a game my cousin attended.
For the final on July 10th, they once again faced off against China, who rolled into the final with a dominating 5-0 win over Norway. Played at the venerable Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA in front of the largest ever crowd to witness any women's sports event - 90,185 including President Clinton, the event was watched by over 40 million viewers in the United States alone - then the largest audience ever to watch a soccer match in this country. The match was competitive and back & forth, yet was scoreless as neither team would break through for the match's first goal, both in the 90 minutes of regulation time and two periods of extra time. This included a key stop by Kristine Lilly when she knocked away a header attempt by China's Fan Yunjie late in extras.
It all came down to a shootout of penalty kicks that would decide the winner, just as it was when the men's World Cup saw Brazil defeat Italy in the same stadium five summers earlier. Goalkeeper Briana Scurry proved herself during the entire tournament and saved her best work for the final when she stopped China's third shot by Liu Yang, which eventually became the difference and would be named Player of the Match. It was 4-4 by the time Brandi Chastain came up to the spot. She kicked the ball past Chinese keeper Gao Hong and the celebration that ensued - with her dropping to her knees, whipping off her shirt and celebrating in her sports bra - became a defining image of sports in the 20th century as the Americans won their 2nd Women's World Cup in front of the home crowd. Their memorable World Cup victory became influential in the sport finally gaining the wide public acceptance their sport so rightfully deserved and inspired young girls everywhere to take up soccer.
But not all things were candy and good things: it was after their national tour and drawing capacity crowds to them that the veteran players went on strike over a dispute over pay before a trip to Australia for a national cup tournament, which in the end saw the dispute see the US Federation increase player salaries to $5,000 a month, on level terms with the men and reflecting the immense growth in the women's team. After that was resolved, them winning the Algarve Cup and CONCACAF Women's Cup and Lilly collecting her 200th international cap, the 2000 campaign saw all eyes turn to the Summer Olympics in Sydney and defending their gold medal.
With them being placed in a group of death with China, Norway and Nigeria, the Americans had their work cut out when they arrived down under. The red, white & blue made it out of the pool and would eventually make it to the final against Norway, which after intense play was level at 2-2 after the 90 minutes. But in extra time when Fawcett attempted to clear an incoming ball, it found Norwegian Dagny Mellgren in front of her as she kicked it into the goal for the winning goal as Norway won the gold and the United States settled for silver. It would be the last hurrah for several veterans as they retired from national team duty and allowed the younger players to take the baton.
Longtime Olympic broadcaster Jim Lampley summed up the end of an era this way: "Silver medals for the women who changed American soccer. The silver, of course, doesn't ring so Sterling for a U.S. Women's team intent on wearing gold. But if Tiffeny Milbrett's tying goal in the waning seconds of regulation was the last shot of an era, the last gasp of a dynasty, then the memories are indeed everlasting: of Mia Hamm dribbling as if the ball was glued to her feet, of Milbrett sneaking in to open space feet ablaze wheeling the opposition to defeat, of Brandi Chastain and her touchstone kick, of Kristine Lilly tirelessly running, of Julie Foudy constantly battling, of Joy Fawcett usually so composed in the back. And as momma Joy, mother of two, bowed her head after an errant header found an opportunistic Dagny Mellgren for the golden goal, we realized that not just a game had been lost. This group of women has provided us with such boundless joy on the field. They took a minor sport and put it on the cover of TIME and Newsweek. They thought whole generations of girls to play hard with pride, and for that unique impact they will remain forever golden."
In this period of transition, Germany would overtake the U.S. as the top women's program in winning back to back Women's World Cup titles -- 2003 when it again took place in the U.S., and in 2007 in China when the U.S. was beaten 4-0 by Brazil). The U.S. would answer in winning Olympic gold in the women's soccer tournament in 2004 - in the last stand for Mia Hamm and the old guard of the sport, then in 2008 and both times with wins over Brazil in extra time in the final.
In 2011, the FIFA Women's World Cup took place in Germany and reflecting the increasing competitive nature of the women's game, the Americans were placed in the same group C as Sweden and after wins over North Korea and Columbia, Team USA and Sweden played the last group match and the Swedes won 2-1, putting the second place Americans against the winners of Group D, Brazil, in the knockout round. There was a score to settle between the teams which, in addition to their 2004 Olympic final meeting the Brazilians gave the Americans their worst major tournament loss when Marta and co. won 4-0 in the semifinal, and Team USA had never failed to advance to the semifinals of any Women's World Cup as Brazil had yet to win a major crown.
In that quarterfinal, the Americans took the lead when they forced Brazil to take an own goal 2 minutes in, but when Marta broke away and challenged the goal, the USA's Rachel Buehler tripped her in the goal and was sent off at the 65th minute. Hope Solo saved the initial penalty attempt by Christine, but the referee controversially overruled the attempt after Solo had gone off line before the kick and was booked for protesting, despite video replay proving it was encroachment by another USA player. The ref reorder another attempt which was retaken by Marta, which leveled the match 1-1 and led to extra time. In the first period, Marta would collect her second goal, but again there was controversy as the player who assisted her looked to be offside but was not caught by the assistants.
That goal not only gave the Americans 20 minutes to try and save themselves, but also having to do it playing shorthanded a player down since the 65th minute. After a time wasting yellow was given to a Brazilian and an attempt by Carli Lloyd, it came down to the 122nd minute - roughly a minute left of stoppage time. Ali Krieger intercepted a Brazilian pass, then passed it to Lloyd going upfield drawing several Brazilians, going to Megan Rapinoe who came up to midfield until taking a 45-yard left cross to Abby Wambach towards the German goal. She crashed towards the net and with her trademark header she scored into the net to tie the match 2-2, which would be voted as the greatest goal both in U.S. Soccer and WWC history as fans and an elated Ian Darke watched the latest goal scored in WWC history. It forced penalties where a Solo save was the difference in the Americans winning 5-3.
After rolling through their group matches and quarterfinal, the next year saw more drama for the Americans at the 2012 London Olympics, this time in the semifinals against a very competitive Canadian team at Old Trafford, home of Manchester United. Canada's Christine Sinclair and the USA's Megan Rapinoe traded two goals apiece in the game's first 70 minutes until Sinclair completed her hat trick at the 73rd minute. But then the tide would turn: a controversial delay of game call was called on Canadian keeper Erin McLeod, and the Americans were awarded a free kick inside the box. And after the Canadians were caught with a controversial handball call on that set piece, Team USA was given another chance via a penalty. Abby Wambach took advantage to level matters 3-3 and the match went into extra time.
With just 30 seconds left in the second extra period, and with millions watching back home, Alex Morgan cemented herself as a hero when she headed in the latest goal ever scored in international play at the 123rd minute as the Americans, who trailed three times in the epic match, came away with the 4-3 win, finding a way to win once again. In the final, there was another score to settle: this time with a Japanese side who fought the Americans at the 2011 Women's World Cup final where the inspired Asian team - in the wake of the disaster that took place in their homeland earlier in the year - upset the WNT with a 3-1 penalty shootout win after a 2-2 extra time draw. At Wembley Stadium, two goals by Carli Lloyd would be the difference as the Americans won 2-1 and their third straight Olympic gold.
After taking a relative back seat to the American men in playing under the radar, three years later came the crowning moment for both the Women's National Team and soccer in the United States. Growing interest for the game in America saw record viewership for the previous Summer's men's World Cup and its major leagues, and that translated into solid interest for the 2015 Women's World Cup. Led by first time coach Jill Ellis, the core of the American squad that stayed together since the 2011 heartbreak and 2012 redemption came to Canada looking to win back the world title their predecessors won fifteen years earlier. When the draw took place earlier that year, the WNT were placed in the group of death -- Group D with Australia, Sweden and Nigeria.
Team USA won two of those matches: Australia and Nigeria, and in a harbinger of what would happen the next year in Rio, Sweden - coached by former American boss Pia Sundhage - would hold the Americans to a 0-0 draw. In the knockout matches, the Americans would take care of Columbia, China and Germany in their respective round of 16, quarterfinal and semifinal matches and conceding only one goal in those six matches and captain Carli Lloyd scoring in those knockout matches. As interest in the Women's World Cup would eventually reach full steam, a sense of national pride would once again take over the U.S. as millions became hooked on the WNT's strong personalities, large social followings and tremendous play on the field.
Ultimately, the inevitable would happen: a date in the Final on Sunday of 4th of July weekend at B.C. Place in Vancouver. And as it turned out, it would be the rubber match between the United States and Japan, with high stakes for both: either the Americans would be the first to win three Women's World Cup titles, or Japan would be the first country to win back to back FIFA World Cup titles under the same coach since the 1930's Italian men's team. Like the United States, Japan was undefeated but won all of their matches, including being the beneficiaries of an unfortunate late own goal by England late in their semifinal clash that gave Japan the 2-1 win to send them into this rematch.
Once the opening whistle blew, and in front of a crowd of 53,000 that was mostly partisan for the team south of the border in spite of the large Asian population that lives in Vancouver, there was no idea that it was about to become a no contest. Three minutes into the final, Carli Lloyd took advantage of a Megan Rapinoe corner and finished it for the fastest opening goal in a WWC final. Then two minutes later, Lloyd found the ball again on a free kick and again put it past Japanese keeper Ayumi Kaihori for her second goal in the game's first five minutes and all of a sudden, it was a 2-0 lead out of the gate for the Americans. I tweeted that this was the best start you can possibly have in a soccer match, and as it turned out, it was just the beginning.
At the 14th minute, there would be more in store, a Tobin Heath shot on goal found a Japanese player but her header found Lauren Holiday as she struck on the one-timer to make it 3-0. But it was just a regular goal compared to what happened a minute later at the 16th minute. Carli Lloyd took advantage of a kick from the halfway line inside the center circle. The kick from 57 yards out caught Kaihori off guard, out of position and entered the net, and no doubt broke the Internet and made Andres Cantor lose his mind for 40 seconds. Lloyd became the first player since Geoff Hurst 49 years earlier to score a hat trick in a men's or women's World Cup final, the fastest opening 3-goal spell and stunned the Japanese and everyone else. It was the greatest 16 minutes in the history of American soccer as a record American soccer TV audience of 43 million - 25.4 million average and larger than most other big sports events last year - watched it all unfold.
Japan would respond with goals at the 27th minute and an own goal at the 52nd, but Tobin Heath would put doubts of if the Americans got off to a too hot of a start by scoring off a Morgan Brian pass at the 54th minute to make this final the highest scoring women's final ever, and the biggest scoring output in a FIFA title match since 1958. In the end, it would be the Americans that would win 5-2 and celebrations rang out across America as a team who had a score to settle finally came what they wanted to do: win a third Women's World Cup title and a third star to their badge.
As the final's last 10 minutes played out, two final curtain calls came for a national team that had worked hard for their golden moment in the sun. First, Carli Lloyd would depart for a substituting Abby Wambach as the American great would take a final curtain call in receiving the captain's armband from the player of the final. Lloyd voiced solid sentiment for her: "I wanted to make sure she put the armband on because she deserves it. She has been legendary to this team, she's been unbelievable. I'm so thankful I can call her my friend, my teammate, and I'm just so proud her last World Cup she could go out strong." Then, Alex Morgan would give way to Christie Rampone, the longtime captain and only member of the 2015 WNT to play on the '99 championship team, made history as the oldest player to play in a WWC final at age 40 as this generation paid homage to an era that kickstarted the soccer revolution in America.
At the moment the final whistle blew, images of celebration took over, however all clothes did stay on though. All the U.S. players churned out victory smiles and tears in elation as well as hugs with family and friends in the stands, and confetti plated in gold raining down on the Americans upon their captains lifting the trophy. But the most enduring image of celebration in Vancouver took place as their country was celebrating an even more enduring victory. Hours before the WNT's quarterfinal win over China on June 26, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a law prohibiting states' rights to deny same-sex marriage, making it law of the land. Abby Wambach ran to the sideline to kiss her wife of two years, Sara Huffman, as the image of them kissing became a viral moment, as Megan Raipone not only celebrated being a world champion but also to be proud of who she is as well.
Just as it was for the 1999 team, the 2015 Women's World Cup champion American team became a worldwide phenomenon. Two days after their win, they became the first women's sports team to be given the honor of having their own ticker tape parade down the Canyon of Heroes in Lower Manhattan in New York City, were named Outstanding Team at the 2015 ESPY Awards, and each member of the team and coach Ellis being given their Sports Illustrated magazine cover, and the bond that comes with being champions for the rest of their lives. And when President Obama welcomed them to the White House in October, he stated, "This team taught all America's children that playing like a girl means you're a bad @$$."
Twenty five years ago, a foundation was laid while most of us weren't noticing a sport that would ultimately find its way to the American mainstream. Three Women's World Cup titles, four Olympic gold medals, a bevy of names who defined their sport that was obscure at first and might remain so in between summers, but whose impact is profound to millions of young girls who aspire to join Hamm, Wambach, Akers, Morgan and those who have worn the red, white & blue as a member of the United States Women's National Team in soccer. Even though 2016 didn't turn out the way they wanted, the memories these two generations of women have provided sports fans in this country are memorable, and is a prime reason why soccer has exploded to become one of America's fastest growing sports. Let's see what the next twenty five years has in store.
All this month and September, check out DCBLOG for insightful posts on the Olympics, the sports world and all else. This weekend as the Rio 2016 Olympics conclude, we'll be looking at the differences between basketball that's played in America and the international game played abroad, including at the Games. Be sure to follow DCNOW on Twitter at @DC408Dxtr for live tweets of the Games' biggest events each & every day of competition, plus curated real-time presentations of NBC's prime time coverage for viewers on the west coast. Join the discussion at #DCGames16.
Also, DCBLOG's in-depth coverage of the MTV Trifecta continues this weekend with an exclusive social diary of the two-hour season finale of Season 4 of Are You The One?, a final edition of DC WRAP to review the stretch run of AYTO and Rivals III, and much more. And be sure to follow me at @DC408Dxtr on Twitter, Instagram and other social media platforms, with news of a big event to be announced this weekend as well.
Thank you for reading and see you later on DCNOW when the XXXI Olympiad continues.
- DC
At the moment the final whistle blew, images of celebration took over, however all clothes did stay on though. All the U.S. players churned out victory smiles and tears in elation as well as hugs with family and friends in the stands, and confetti plated in gold raining down on the Americans upon their captains lifting the trophy. But the most enduring image of celebration in Vancouver took place as their country was celebrating an even more enduring victory. Hours before the WNT's quarterfinal win over China on June 26, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a law prohibiting states' rights to deny same-sex marriage, making it law of the land. Abby Wambach ran to the sideline to kiss her wife of two years, Sara Huffman, as the image of them kissing became a viral moment, as Megan Raipone not only celebrated being a world champion but also to be proud of who she is as well.
Just as it was for the 1999 team, the 2015 Women's World Cup champion American team became a worldwide phenomenon. Two days after their win, they became the first women's sports team to be given the honor of having their own ticker tape parade down the Canyon of Heroes in Lower Manhattan in New York City, were named Outstanding Team at the 2015 ESPY Awards, and each member of the team and coach Ellis being given their Sports Illustrated magazine cover, and the bond that comes with being champions for the rest of their lives. And when President Obama welcomed them to the White House in October, he stated, "This team taught all America's children that playing like a girl means you're a bad @$$."
Twenty five years ago, a foundation was laid while most of us weren't noticing a sport that would ultimately find its way to the American mainstream. Three Women's World Cup titles, four Olympic gold medals, a bevy of names who defined their sport that was obscure at first and might remain so in between summers, but whose impact is profound to millions of young girls who aspire to join Hamm, Wambach, Akers, Morgan and those who have worn the red, white & blue as a member of the United States Women's National Team in soccer. Even though 2016 didn't turn out the way they wanted, the memories these two generations of women have provided sports fans in this country are memorable, and is a prime reason why soccer has exploded to become one of America's fastest growing sports. Let's see what the next twenty five years has in store.
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Also, DCBLOG's in-depth coverage of the MTV Trifecta continues this weekend with an exclusive social diary of the two-hour season finale of Season 4 of Are You The One?, a final edition of DC WRAP to review the stretch run of AYTO and Rivals III, and much more. And be sure to follow me at @DC408Dxtr on Twitter, Instagram and other social media platforms, with news of a big event to be announced this weekend as well.
Thank you for reading and see you later on DCNOW when the XXXI Olympiad continues.
- DC
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