What a Kick: How a Clutch World Cup Win Propelled Women's Soccer

What a Kick: How a Clutch World Cup Win Propelled Women's Soccer — page 5
semifinals in Sweden in front of 3,000 people Before the 1999 World Cup finals that many fans showed up just to watch practice The players were so mobbed they needed police escorts just to get off the field Just 21 days before the United States had hammered Denmark 3-0 in front of nearly 79,000 screaming fans Now 90,185 people filled the stadium Another 40 million watched on TV in the United States One billion people watched worldwide It was the biggest event in the history of women’s sports And it had come down to five kicks The ball was placed on a dot 12 yards 11 meters from the goal The teams would alternate kicks Chinese player Xie Huilin was up first Briana Scurry the American goalkeeper danced nervously in the box but Xie shot easily past her into the upper left corner of the net Goal for the Chinese Carla Overbeck the team captain was the first American kicker She jogged up to the ball the picture of casual confidence She was even chewing gum The entire stadium held its breath Overbeck kicked Chinese goalkeeper Gao Hong lunged for the ball the wrong way The ball sailed into the net and the stadium exploded in cheers