Brandi Chastain facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Brandi Chastain

Chastain in 2010
Personal information
Full name	Brandi Denise Chastain
Date of birth	(1968-07-21) July 21, 1968 (age 57)
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)
Medal record Women's football (soccer) Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 1996 Atlanta Team competition Gold 2004 Athens Team competition Silver 2000 Sydney Team competition FIFA Women's World Cup Gold 1991 China Team competition Gold 1999 USA Team competition Bronze 2003 USA Team competition
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of October 14, 2009 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of October 14, 2009

Brandi Denise Chastain (born July 21, 1968) is a retired American soccer star. She is known for winning two FIFA Women's World Cup championships and two Olympic gold medals. She played for the United States national team from 1988 to 2004.

Chastain played in 192 games for the U.S. team and scored 30 goals. She was a very versatile player, meaning she could play different positions like defender, midfielder, and forward.

She is most famous for scoring the winning goal in a penalty shootout against China in the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup final. Her celebration after the goal became one of the most famous images in women's sports history.

Chastain has been honored for her amazing career. In 2017, she was put into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Early Life and School

Chastain was born and raised in San Jose, California. She started playing soccer when she was only eight years old. When she was in junior high, there was no soccer team for girls. So, she tried out for the boys' team and made it!

In high school, Chastain was a star player. She helped her team at Archbishop Mitty High School win three championships in a row.

Playing Career

College Soccer

Chastain first went to the University of California, Berkeley. In her first year, she scored 15 goals and was named one of the best players in the country. But then, she had serious injuries to both of her knees. She needed surgery and had to miss two full seasons of soccer.

After recovering, she transferred to Santa Clara University. She led her new team, the Broncos, to the national semifinals two years in a row. In 1990, she was the top scorer in the nation with 22 goals and was named the best college soccer player of the year.

International Career

Chastain played for the U.S. national team for 16 years. A player earns a "cap" for every international game they play in. Chastain earned 192 caps in her career.

1991 FIFA Women's World Cup

In 1991, Chastain was part of the U.S. team that won the very first 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup in China. In one game against Mexico, she came in as a substitute and scored five goals in a row.

1996 Summer Olympics

Chastain helped the U.S. team win the first-ever women's Olympic soccer tournament in 1996. During the semifinal game, she suffered another serious knee injury but kept playing. She played every minute of every game, and the team won the gold medal by beating China in the final.

1999 FIFA Women's World Cup

The 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup was held in the United States. In the quarter-final game against Germany, Chastain accidentally scored an own goal, which gave Germany the lead. But later in the game, she scored a goal for her own team to tie the score. The U.S. went on to win 3-2.

The final match against China was held at the famous Rose Bowl stadium. The game was tied after extra time and went to a penalty shootout. Chastain took the final, deciding penalty kick. She scored, winning the World Cup for the United States.

Her celebration, where she took off her jersey and cheered, became an iconic moment. It showed the joy and strength of female athletes and inspired millions of people around the world.

Club Career

Besides playing for the national team, Chastain also played for professional clubs.

• Shiroki FC (1993): She played for one season in Japan and was named one of the best players in the league.
• San Jose CyberRays (2001–2003): Chastain was a founding player in the first professional women's soccer league in the U.S. In the first season, she helped her team win the league championship.
• FC Gold Pride (2009): At age 40, she returned to professional soccer to play for FC Gold Pride.

Life After Playing

Chastain in 2003

After retiring as a player, Chastain stayed involved with soccer. She has worked as a TV commentator for networks like NBC and ESPN, explaining soccer games to viewers.

She also became a coach. In 2014, she began coaching at Bellarmine College Preparatory. She helped the team win a major championship in 2018.

Chastain is married to Jerry Smith, who was her college coach at Santa Clara. They have a son, and she is also a stepmother to Smith's older son.

In 2016, Chastain announced that she would donate her brain for scientific research after her death. This is to help doctors learn more about head injuries, like concussions, that can happen in sports.

See also

In Spanish: Brandi Chastain para niños

• 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 MLS Cup broadcasters
• List of athletes on Wheaties boxes
• USWNT All-Time Best XI