Brandi Chastain facts for kids
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Chastain in 2010
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Brandi Denise Chastain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | July 21, 1968 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | San Jose, California, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defender, Midfielder, Forward | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1986 | California Golden Bears | (15) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1990 | Santa Clara Broncos | (32) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993 | Shiroki FC Serena | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2003 | San Jose CyberRays | 52 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | FC Gold Pride | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | California Storm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988–2004 | United States | 192 | (30) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of October 14, 2009 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of October 14, 2009 |
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Brandi Denise Chastain (born July 21, 1968) is a famous American soccer player who is now retired. She is known for being a two-time champion of the FIFA Women's World Cup and winning two Olympic gold medals. Brandi also worked as a coach and a sports broadcaster.
She played for the United States national soccer team from 1988 to 2004. During her time on the team, she played in 192 games and scored 30 goals. She mainly played as a defender or midfielder. Brandi scored the winning penalty kick against China in the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup final. This win helped the U.S. team become World Cup champions.
Chastain also played professionally for several clubs. These included Shiroki FC in Japan, the San Jose CyberRays and FC Gold Pride in the U.S., and the California Storm. In 2013, she was named to the USWNT All-Time Best XI, which is a list of the best players ever for the U.S. women's national team. She was also added to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
Contents
Early Life and Soccer Beginnings
Brandi Chastain grew up in San Jose, California. She started playing soccer when she was eight years old. When she was in junior high, there was no girls' soccer team. So, she tried out for the boys' team and made it!
Later, Brandi went to Archbishop Mitty High School. She helped her high school team win three championships in a row.
Playing Career Highlights
College Soccer Journey
California Golden Bears: 1986
Brandi Chastain first went to the University of California, Berkeley. She played as a forward for the Golden Bears team. In her first year, she scored 15 goals. She was named an All-American and the Freshman Player Of The Year.
After this great start, she had to miss two seasons (1987 and 1988). This was because she had to have surgery on both of her knees.
Santa Clara Broncos: 1989–1990
Brandi then moved to Santa Clara University in 1989. She helped the Broncos team reach the Final Four in the NCAA College Cup two times. This was a first for the Broncos!
In 1990, she was one of the top scorers in the country with 22 goals. She also helped her team win 18 games, lose only 1, and tie 1. That same year, she was named the best player by the ISAA. She also won the Honda Sports Award as the top soccer player in the nation. Brandi finished college in 1991 with a degree in communications.
International Soccer Success
Brandi Chastain played in 192 international games for the United States women's national soccer team. She mostly played as a defender, but sometimes as a midfielder. Her first game for the U.S. team was on June 1, 1988, against Japan.
On April 18, 1991, she scored her first international goal. She came into the game as a substitute forward and scored five goals in a row! This helped the team win 12–0 against Mexico.
1991 FIFA Women's World Cup
The U.S. team went on to win the very first 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup in China. This was a huge win for women's soccer!
1996 Summer Olympics Gold
As a defender, Brandi played for the national team at the 1996 Women's Olympic Football Tournament in Atlanta. This was the first time women's soccer was included in the Olympics. She played every minute of the U.S. games. Even though she had another knee injury during the semifinal against Norway, she kept playing. The American team won the gold medal by beating China 2–1 in the final game.
1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Victory
In the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, Brandi Chastain had a memorable tournament. In the quarter-finals against Germany, she accidentally scored a goal for the other team. But she quickly made up for it by scoring a goal for the U.S. later in the game. The U.S. won that game 3–2.
Later, in the final game against China, Brandi scored the winning penalty kick. This made the U.S. team World Cup champions! After scoring, she famously took off her shirt to celebrate. This moment became a very famous image in women's sports around the world.
Professional Club Play
Shiroki FC: 1993
In 1993, Brandi played club soccer in Japan for Shiroki FC Serena. She was named the team's most valuable player (MVP). She was also the only foreign player to be chosen as one of the league's top 11 players.
San Jose CyberRays: 2001–2003
After the success of the 1999 World Cup, Brandi Chastain became a founding player in the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA). This was the first professional women's soccer league in the United States. She played for the San Jose CyberRays for all three years the league existed.
In the league's first season in 2001, she helped her team finish second. The CyberRays then won the league championship by beating the Atlanta Beat in penalty kicks. Brandi played in all 19 regular season games, scoring 2 goals and making 5 assists. She also scored two goals in the playoffs.
FC Gold Pride: 2009
In 2009, when she was 40 years old, Brandi played as a midfielder for FC Gold Pride. This was in the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league, which was the second professional women's soccer league in the U.S. She played in ten games for the team. Brandi was released by the team in February 2010.
Coaching Career
In 2014, Brandi Chastain started coaching soccer at Bellarmine College Preparatory. She helped the head coach. In 2018, she helped lead Bellarmine to win their first championship title in the CCS open division.
Broadcasting Career
Brandi Chastain has also worked as a soccer commentator on TV. She worked for NBC Sports during the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. She also worked for ABC/ESPN, covering Major League Soccer games. She was also a studio commentator for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Personal Life
Brandi Chastain married Jerry Smith, who was her coach at Santa Clara, on June 9, 1996. Their son was born in June 2006. She is also a stepmother to Jerry's older son, Cameron. In 2016, Brandi announced that she would donate her brain for research after she passes away. This research helps scientists learn more about concussions. On December 10, 2019, Brandi Chastain was added to the California Hall of Fame.
See also
- List of FIFA Women's World Cup winning players
- List of Olympic medalists in football
- List of 1996 Summer Olympics medal winners
- List of 2000 Summer Olympics medal winners
- List of 2004 Summer Olympics medal winners
- List of FC Gold Pride players
- List of ESPN Major League Soccer personalities
- List of MLS Cup broadcasters
- List of athletes on Wheaties boxes
- USWNT All-Time Best XI
