David Jones

FLORIDA TODAY

She had her one shining moment. Now she's hoping someone else gets theirs.

Brandi Chastain became one of the best known athletes in the world by scoring on the final penalty shootout kick at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., to give the United States the win over China and the Women's World Cup title in 1999.

She celebrated by pulling off her jersey and falling to her knees in a sports bra, fists clenched. Removing a jersey in celebration of a goal was nothing new in men's soccer, but Chastain ended up on the cover of Newsweek, Sports Illustrated and Time. It brought gushes of excitement and sparked more interest than ever in the sport and the moment, which Chastain said was a reflex in excitement, and has lived on as perhaps the most famous photo ever taken during a women's athletic event. Yes, she still hears about it all the time.

"I think that's because for the history of women's soccer and the history of women's sports, the ground swell of support and attention that it received prior to even that kick, the whole World Cup in general was just amazing," Chastain said Monday. "I think that's what allowed that moment to shine and stay relevant, really."

Little could anyone have realized that Chastain's goal would grow bigger and bigger over the years since the U.S. hasn't won the World Cup since. That dry spell could end next summer in Canada.

The U.S. women's national soccer team opens play on Wednesday in Brazil against China in the International Tournament of Brasilia in an event that also includes Argentina and Brazil as everyone starts looking ahead to next year's World Cup in Canada. The national team includes Satellite's Ashlyn Harris.

"We have a very strong legacy,'' Chastain said of the past stars cheering on the current ones. "I think we feel that we're good enough to always compete for the championship. We want them to win."

Chastain has worked as a color commentator for two different networks, played on two Women's World Cup champions and two Olympic gold medal teams. She also works on the advisory board with the Capital One Cup, which Division I programs compete all year to earn points based on top 10 championship finishes in fall, winter and spring sports. The winning men's and women's programs earn a combined $400,000 in athletic scholarships with standings on www.CapitalOneCup.com, if you're interested in checking out the current standings. They are also on Facebook and Twitter.

Florida State, she notes, got off to a good start by winning the national title recently in women's soccer to get 60 points. Melbourne's Kristin Grubka was an All-American on the Seminoles' squad.

"There's not an athlete out there who doesn't want to win a championship,'' Chastain said. "What's so great about the Capital One Cup and why I've been involved for 5 years is it really legitimizes and validates the sports that don't get the major headlines on a weekly basis, and really their points equal those of the footballs and basketballs of the college world."

More than three dozen international soccer stars filed a lawsuit because FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association plan to play games on artificial turf next year in the World Cup. The athletes are claiming gender discrimination since the men's World Cup is always played on grass.

At the 1994 World Cup, grass was installed for the men at Giants Stadium in New Jersey and the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan for the men's event, where artificial turf was used by the NFL teams.

The athletes are claiming turf is harder on their bodies and makes recovery longer. Getting to the final requires playing seven games in about a month.

"I think there has been a movement toward using turf around the world, but we haven't seen it in the World Cup,'' Chastain said. "That's really the sticking point right now is that it's never been used for a full tournament at the senior level and I feel what I'm sensing from the national teams is that they prefer grass and I can totally understand that.

"I don't prefer it, as all players I think we prefer natural grass. That's what you grow up on. When I think of all the games I played with the women's national team, the best fields in the world are natural grass surfaces, and that's what you would hope for when you are at the biggest place with the biggest prize out there.''

While the U.S. had arguably the most difficult draw for next year, Chastain has studied the other groups and "those don't seem like a walk in the park either.''

Abby Wambach, the former Florida star and six-time U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year, is the leading all-time goal scorer for the U.S. national team but does not have a World Cup title in three previous tries. She turns 35 six days before the American opener in Canada next summer. Could this be the last shot at a title for the woman who holds the world record for international goals?

Chastain was "about Abby's age'' when her Olympic and World Cup competition ended.

"I think Abby has achieved so many amazing things individually I think what Abby would say, knowing Abby, is that she wants to contribute to her team's success and ultimately win a World Cup for the team and for U.S. soccer,'' Chastain said. "I think personally, I think she'll be fine if she didn't win. Her career has been amazing but I think what she would like to do is contribute to the outcome (to win) that World Cup trophy for the team and for U.S. soccer.''

Contact Jones at djones@floridatoday.com or follow him on Twitter: @DaveJonesSports