Location: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
Artist: Brian Hanlon
Brandi Chastain, also known as the Golden Ball winner of the World Cup in 1999, is the woman who made the penalty kick that served as the winning moment for the 1999 squad. Chastain and her trailblazing teammates, helped inspire countless girls to pursue their athletic dreams. Pasadena City Councilwoman Margaret McAustin said “The importance of the 1999 victory to sports and to women cannot be overstated, without the work done by the 1999 Women’s World Cup team, victory in 2019 simply wouldn’t have been possible.”
Brandi Denise Chastain (born July 21, 1968) is an American retired soccer player, two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion, two-time Olympic gold-medalist, coach, and sports broadcaster. She played for the United States National Team from 1988 to 2004. In her 192 caps on the team, she scored 30 goals playing primarily in the defender and midfielder positions. She scored a World Cup-winning penalty shootout goal against China in the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup final.
Chastain played professionally for Shiroki FC in the Japan Women's Football League, the San Jose Cyber rays of the Women's United Soccer Association, FC Gold Pride of Women's Professional Soccer and California Storm of Women's Premier Soccer League.
Chastain was named to the USWNT all time best- XL in 2013.In March 2017, she was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame In 2018 she was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame.
"and then ultimately what I tell the kids is: coaches can give you information, they can give you guidelines, and they can put you in a position. But the only person who can truly make you better is you" - Brandi Chastain
You can find her statue made by Brian Hanlon at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. It recreates the famous moment Chastain dropped to her knees to celebrate her World Cup-winning penalty kick. “When I think about this moment and I think about that ’99 team,” Chastain said, “a few words come to mind: friendship, teamwork, grit, competitiveness, laughter, love, strength, resiliency and, ultimately, inclusion. And I feel that that last word is where we are now.”
