On Tuesday, it was announced that Netflix scored the rights to develop Jeré Longman’s book about the World Cup-winning 1999 U.S. Women’s Soccer team into a feature film.
For those who don’t recall, the 1999 World Cup ended with Brandi Chastain ripping off her jersey in celebration after she scored the winning penalty kick to break a 0-0 tie vs. China and give the Americans the win.
In addition to Chastain, U.S. players like Mia Hamm, Carla Overbeck, Julie Foudy and Briana Scurry also became stars following the World Cup victory.
What's the 1999 World Cup winning US Women's Soccer Team up to now?
We checked in with @JulieFoudy, @MiaHamm, @MichelleAkers10, @joyfawcett14, @KristineLilly, @BriScurry, Carla Overbeck, and @brandichastain to find out! pic.twitter.com/FFYPkXjHo5
— NetflixFilm (@NetflixFilm) May 12, 2020
“As a longtime soccer fan, I can still remember watching that groundbreaking game in Union Square,” said Netflix Films VP Tendo Nagenda, as reported by Variety. “When I moved to Uganda in my teens, playing soccer was an important way to meet kids my own age (even if our balls were made up of dried banana leaves) … Watching the USA team that summer made me forget I had no money and little more than a dream to feed me. That team, that goal, and Brandi Chastain’s unforgettable reaction – in which she ripped off her shirt and dropped to her knees in astonishment – made me believe I could do anything, and do it my way.”
Longman’s book, The Girls of Summer: The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team and How It Changed The World, was published in April of 2001.
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